Danny Gans death house sold

The mansion in which Danny Gans died has been sold, cutting another tie between the family of the late Las Vegas superstar and the city with which he'd been identified for more than a decade.

Coldwell Bankers announced that the lavish estate owned by Gans and his wife Julie was sold quietly this week to a couple from California. Reports say they paid about $9 million for the 9,400-square-foot French-chateau styled main residence on 2.57 acres in Roma Hills in neighboring Henderson, Nevada.

Gans designed the estate, which includes a guest house house, built atop of basement garage in which Gans kept his collection of 20 cars.


Coldwell coordinated the estate sale in conjunction with the auction of a dozen of Gans’ cars and bikes by the Barrett-Jackson auctioneers (the lot fetched about half a million dollars).

Gans' wife and three kids pulled up stakes and moved to the Los Angeles area shortly after Julie Gans called 911 to report she'd found the superstar musical impressionist was found dead in his bedroom in the early hours of May 1, 2009. The charitable, athletic Born Again Christian and family man overdosed on hydromorphone, a powerful opiate sold as Dilaudid and known on the streets as "drug store heroin."

Danny Gans' garage emptied for auction

The family of the late Las Vegas superstar Danny Gans is selling off the entertainer's car collection.

Ten vehicles owned by the The Man of Many Voices, who died suddenly in May 2009, will cross the block during the Third Annual Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Collector Car Auction, which runs from September 23rd through 25. The Gans fleet will be sold during a SPEED television broadcast billed "as a tribute to the memory of the Las Vegas icon."

Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson president, says: "Danny was a renaissance man blessed with many talents. His career, which spanned professional sports, music, comedy and theater, endeared him to fans of all ages and backgrounds worldwide. We're honored that his family would ask Barrett-Jackson to share his love of car collecting with the world. His amazing collection will be the cornerstone of our event in the City of Lights, which he loved as much as he enjoyed performing for his fans.

"Danny's collection was as multi-faceted as the man himself. Like many collectors, he sought a variety of cars, ranging from Resto-Mod versions of those he wanted as a young man to late model iron that caught his eye. Each was personalized, driven by him and bears a memorable license plate.

"The cars were meticulously maintained and Danny often drove them to work. Not only are they wonderful collectibles, they're a piece of Vegas history with celebrity provenance."

The news release announcing the auction also includes quotes from Gans' three children.


Gans' son Andrew:

"Talking about cars and helping my dad bring them to life was always something I looked forward to while growing up. He loved the hobby and relished every nut, bolt, motor and paint job. Even selecting a license plate was important him. His cars were more than sheets of metal, rubber and glass. Each was a cherished work of art and he was the artist who made sure every detail was refined and exact. When the cars were finished, he and I would take the first ride together."

Daughter Amy:

"While my mother designed our house, there was no doubt the garage belonged to my dad. He wanted it to reflect the 1930s and 40s era. My dad carefully planned every inch to reflect the passion he had for his collection. Once the garage door opened you were immediately drawn in and treated to a piece of automotive history and in every direction you would look, you were taken to a new destination. Now, the cars will go into the garages of those who want to celebrate his life, as well as cherish the cars he loved so passionately."

And youngest child Emily:

"I'm glad that our family is working with the Barrett-Jackson team to showcase my dad's precious car collection. Barrett-Jackson attracts collectors who love cars as much as my dad did. Their auction is similar to my dad's shows because there's always something for everyone. I know my dad's cars are in good hands and his legacy will be treated with great care and respect."

Gans' wife Julie, who told police she awakened in the middle of the night to find her husband's lifeless body in bed next to her, is maintaining the silence she's kept since his death. She and the family moved from the death mansion in Henderson, Nevada, to the Los Angeles area shortly after the tragedy.

Barrett-Jackson will sell Gans' 1932 Ford 3-window coupe, 1934 Ford 3-window coupe, 1955 Chevrolet Cameo pickup and 1955 Chevrolet 210 2-door sedan. The group also contains a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Yenko SC tribute car, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda coupe, 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, 2003 Chevrolet Corvette coupe, 2000 Dodge Viper and 2008 Harley-Davidson Street Glide FLHX.

The Chevrolet Cameo pickup and Chevrolet 210 sedan are heavily customized.

"The black 210 with the plate 'DBL5' includes touches that reflect the showman's personality, such as his logo embroidered into the trunk.

"The black on black 2000 Viper coupe has silver stripes and wears the plate 'TMOMV' (The Man of Many Voices)."

"The amethyst black 2003 Corvette coupe is a stunner with ghost purple flames, a 5.7 supercharged V8, Borla exhaust and custom wheels; its plate reads 'DDG.' The 2008 Harley is a 105th anniversary edition clad in black with purple ghost flames. The full dress bike is slathered in chrome and has the plate 'GANS.'"

Danny Gans (Oct. 25, 1956 - May 1, 2009)

Corey Haim and Danny Gans

The autopsy and toxicological test results on Corey Haim are not yet in, but already the death of the former child star is being attributed to prescription drugs and mentioned in the same breath as that of the Las Vegas Strip superstar Danny Gans.

California's Attorney General Jerry Brown has linked Haim to an "illegal and massive prescription-drug ring" and says his office is investigating "an unauthorized prescription under the former child star's name that was found during an ongoing investigation of fraudulent prescription-drug pads ordered from a vendor in San Diego."


Brown said: "Corey Haim's death is yet another tragedy linked to the growing problem of prescription-drug abuse. This problem is increasingly linked to criminal organizations, like the illegal and massive prescription-drug ring under investigation."

Haim, of course, is only the latest celebrity prescription drug-related death in the time since last May 1st, when Gans died suddenly at the age of 52 due to an overdose of Dilaudid. Michael Jackson and Brittany Murphy's prescription-related demises contributed to Brown's interest in the prescription racket. Those deaths, however, were scrutinized and investigated by a responsible media as well as law enforcement officials.


The death of the Born Again family man Danny Gans has gone unexamined by a beholden news media in Las Vegas, where, according to local news nabob and New York Times stringer Steve Friess, "when left to our own devices, we do things a little differently."

It has been reported that Gans did not have a prescription for the drug that led to his death, and that he was an owner of a pharmacy supply house. There has been no investigation into either aspect of his life or death, and one would suspect that an honest investigation and accounting into the details of the pain and struggles of Gans' life and circumstances of his death would set him apart from the show business losers and freaks to whom timing and similarity have linked him so unfortunately.

Feds probe Danny Gans pharmacy sex pill

The Las Vegas Sun reports that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nevada Public Safety Department and the State Board of Pharmacy are investigating the manufacture and distribution of Vegas Mixx, the male erection pill that combined Valium and Viagra and was advertised to Las Vegas visitors with the promise it would allow them to "F* like a pornstar."

The drug was manufactured and marketed by of Green Valley Drugs, the Henderson, Nevada pharmacy that was partly owned by the late entertainer Danny Gans, whom the Sun reminds its readers "died May 1 of a prescription narcotics overdose" and was "known for his squeaky-clean image." Scot Silber, the target of the probes. claims Gans did not know abotu the product that was manufactured and marketed while Gans was alive and starring on the Las Vegas Strip, and "would not have approved of Vegas Mixx."


The probes are centered on whether the pharmacy was producing the sex pills on speculation and distributing samples rather than waiting for patient-specific prescriptions from doctors. Silber said he invested thousands of dollars in Vegas Mixx, but sales were limp so he discontinued the product.

Report: Pharmacy co-owned by Danny Gans invented and sold sex pill that promised to help young male Vegas visitors "F like a porn star"

Another wrinkle has been added to the complicated image of late Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans with the report this morning that the pharmacy he co-owned marketed a male erection pill and advertised it in “crude terms… promising men in obscene terms on a Web site that they could perform ("F") “like a porn star.”

The Las Vegas Sun reports that Scott Silber, Gans’ partner in Green Valley Drugs of Henderson, Nevada, combined Valium and Valium and Viagra into a single pill and called it Vegas Mixx. The pill was advertised on a website in 2007 with “with the promise that the combination would mellow the mind, relax the muscle that causes ejaculation and provide a lasting erection.

“The Vegas Mixx Web site — aimed at guys who come to Vegas for a fling — used crude terms: ‘Vegas Mixx... makes you rock hard, and keeps you that way. Enjoy the ride.’”

The article by Marshall Allen mentions the Danny Gans connection in the fourth paragraph:

“Silber owned the pharmacy with entertainer Danny Gans, who was known for his squeaky-clean Christian image and died May 1 of a prescription narcotics overdose.

“Gans was not aware of Vegas Mixx, Silber said. ‘As you could probably guess, he would not have approved,’ he said.”

LEILA NAVIDI

According to the Sun article, Vegas Mixx idea was a failure and the website was taken down a month ago. Green Valley Drugs, however, could be haunted by the scheme.

“…Silber could face bigger troubles. Green Valley Drugs is a compounding pharmacy — meaning it can combine unique mixes of drugs, based on a doctor’s prescription — but may have been operating outside the bounds of its license. That could lead to investigations by the Nevada State Pharmacy Board and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Danny Gans was 52, with a reputation as an athletic, clean-living evangelical Christian when he died unexpectedly on May 1st of an overdose of hydromorphone, a drug known commercially as Dilaudid and on the streets as “drugstore heroin.”

In the days following Gans’ death, his friends and family expressed amazement that he had been involved with drugs in any way. His ownership in the Green Valley Drugs was revealed in August. Gans’ partners insisted the musical impressionist did not use the place as his own dispensary.

This latest story comes amid a publicity push for Gans’ posthumous inspirational autobiography, The Voices In My Head, that included a television interview with his children.

Stars' praise helps sell Danny Gans book

"Danny Gans poured his energy into everything he loved, from his family to his faith, from baseball to his career in entertainment. When it came time to document his life story, he poured his energy into this project as well. Sadly, one day after this manuscript was completed, Danny died.

"His inspiring story remains, offering a compelling mix of touching tales and life lessons. From the baseball diamonds of his youth to his sold-out stardom on the Las Vegas Strip, Danny charts the struggles and successes of his life. Along the way, he tells us of the heartwarming courtship of his wife, Julie, and his close relationships with his father and mother.

"An uncommon gift as an impressionist lifted 'The Man of Many Voices' to the pinnacle of the Las Vegas entertainment industry, where he will be long remembered as a much-loved performer and a generous man. Here is the story of Danny Gans, told in his own voice, and from his own heart."

--The Voices In My Head website

The Voices In My Head, the Danny Gans autobiography now on sale online (see the ad and link on this site) and possibly available at tomorrow's Henderson, Nevada charity run renamed in Gans' honor, is being launched with testimonials by the biggest stars in the world-- and his former manager:

One of the most unique human beings and entertainers in the world has been taken from us in an unexpected moment. We will all try to go on with our lives without our dear friend. At this moment it seems almost impossible.
— Steve Wynn

When you think of Danny Gans the first thing you think of is entertainer. The second word you think of is best. He is Las Vegas, and he was Las Vegas, and he will always be Las Vegas.
— Larry King

Danny Gans… worked tirelessly to entertain his audience and even harder to help the underprivileged in Las Vegas. With his loss, the world is a sadder place.
— Andre Agassi

Not only was he the best in his field, but he was such a kind and loving person.
— Celine Dion

The Las Vegas Strip is better for having had Danny Gans’ light shine so brightly, and will be forever impacted by his loss.
— Siegfried & Roy


Beyond his spot-on impressions, Danny Gans will be remembered for the impression he left as an entertainer, a humanitarian, and family man and friend.
— Louie Anderson

Danny Gans was quite simply one of the greatest entertainers ever to step foot onto the stage. In my twenty-seven years in Las Vegas, I have never seen anyone better.
— Lance Burton

We’ve lost an amazing entertainer. His friendship, charisma and talent will be greatly missed.
— Donny & Marie Osmond

Danny was an immense talent and a great friend. He brought so much to Las Vegas, both on and off the stage. I will miss him.
— Wayne Newton

Danny Gans will not only be remembered as a Las Vegas entertainer, but as a man who loved his family, loved God, and loved the city of Las Vegas.
— Chip Lightman

He could conjure up a vast array of the world’s most celebrated names, but when you think about his love for his family, or his many philanthropic interests, it’s clear that Danny’s finest role was playing himself. We have lost him far too soon and he will be greatly missed.
— Elaine Wynn

The book, published by the owners of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not being sold on Amazon.com. It's available in trade paperback or hardcover with an adudio CD.

Danny Gans book may debut at charity run

The first copies of the Danny Gans autobiography, The Voices In My Head, may be available and handed out at Saturday's Danny Gans Champions Run for Life in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson.

R.G. Ryan, Gans' co-author of the book that he says was completed hours before the musical impressionist died unexpectedly and tragically on May 1st, tells Tabloid Baby exclusively:

"Hopefully, we'll have copies by Saturday morning out at The District for Danny's Champions Run For Life."

Ryan would not comment on the apparent dispute that delayed the publication of the book, which was bought up by the parent company of The Las Vegas Review-Journal within days of Gans' death and promised for rush-release in June.

Last week, Ryan wrote on his blog:

"After four, long months of needless delays, 'The Voices In My Head,' co-written with the late Danny Gans, is off to the printers and we fully expect to have copies in our hands by October 10.

"Our original plan had been to have the book in stores by the middle of June. Sadly, that didn’t happen for reasons too hurtful and complex to address in this forum. Citing the proverbial 'bottom line,' suffice it to say that the delays did not come from our side or from the publisher.

"I have given up so much for the sake of seeing this story in print, for all intents and purposes I am now numb to the process and fighting to find a reason to celebrate. I hope you read this book, for it is a compelling story of one man’s fight against debilitating pain and heartbreak, rising at last to the pinnacle of his profession… perhaps the best who ever lived. I’m anxious for you to meet my friend, Danny Gans.

"Hurtful and complex"? "The delays did not come from our side or the publisher"?

Ryan had first indicated that he was in a dispute with Gans' family when he blogged in July:

“After weeks of not knowing what was going to happen, I have come to an agreement with the estate of Danny Gans..."

This week, we again asked Ryan if the conflict had to do with his role, which may have morphed from anonymous ghostwriter to credited co-author on the cover of the book.

Ryan says this morning:

"I would like nothing more than to go into detail about what a stressful summer it was. Sadly, I cannot. Which, at the end of the day may be for the best as I am choosing to put it all behind me and press on. I've got many more stories to write and refuse to waste even one more hour, let alone another day, worrying about all that transpired.

"My name is on the book because Danny wanted my name to be on the book. Period! He was such a great friend, and I miss him terribly."


Ryan has added a section to his website in which he offers a tribute to his friend:

"Danny Gans poured his life into everything he loved—his family, his faith, his career and his city.

Sadly, the day after this book was finished, Danny died. His was a life well lived, and he leaves behind a story worth telling. This is that story.

From the dust and freshly cut grass smells of the baseball diamond, to the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas Strip you will see the portrait of a man whose uncommon gifts as a comedian, impressionist and consummate entertainer were equally matched by a good, true and generous heart.

Love and loss, friendship and betrayal, glory and pain, all color the rich palate of his life.

Danny Gans, “The Man of Many Voices!” Although his voice has been silenced, his legacy lives on.

R.G. Ryan"

Click here to order The Voices In My Head

New York Times' man in Las Vegas makes shocking Britney Spears death joke as tickets go on sale for his Michael Jackson birthday "tribute" show

Tickets have gone on sale this weekend for the Michael Jackson birthday "tribute" show produced and promoted by New York Times reporter, Gay Vegas author and local comp queen Steve Friess, who celebrated Jackson's death as "the best thing that could ever have happened to Michael Jackson's music" and led the media coverup in reporting the similar prescription painkiller death of local superstar Danny Gans.

In celebrating the queue at the box office, Friess also added a sick Britney Spears death joke to

Friess (right), who is the primary Las Vegas freelance reporter for a number of national and international publications, took the highly unusual step of profiting off the subject of his reportage, jumping at the chance to be the first to exploit Jackson's death with an August 29th 3 pm "tribute" at the Palms Hotel, where Jackson had recorded and where Friess participated in an unofficial wedding ceremony with local television news producer Miles Smith.

"I would never do anything like that. I would never lend my name to anything that charges readers money-- no matter the cause," one Las Vegas-based journalist told us.

Yet, with memories as long as Dory the Fish's and investigative curiosity lagging slightly behind that of the members of the Warren Commission, the Las Vegas news media have been happily hyping the unusual money-procuring brainstorm without question.

In a post on his casino-promoting blog with a headline that squeals, People On Line At Box Office!!!, Friess previews the sale of tickets that top out at $504, and includes YouTube videos of various local news reports on his endeavour.


Primary among them is a report by Alicia Jacobs (top) the beauty queen turned TV entertainment reporter who used her longtime close personal friendship with Danny Gans to help distract the media and public from the unpleasant facts about his reliance on the drugs that killed him, and in the process diminished her credibiity even in a gladhanding, palm-greasing media environment like "Sin City."

After our coverrage showed the links between Jacobs and Friess in the deliberate campaign to stop coverage of Gans' tragic death, one would have expected her boss at KVBC-TV News to insist that she remove herself from the Jackson concert story. Her boss, however, is Friess' unofficial husband, Miles Smith.


In a shocking footnote to the concert ticket sales posting, Friess makes a sick joke about cashing in on the potential death of troubled popstar Britney Spears.


Under a YouTube video of his co-producer Erich Bergen "singing Britney Spears at the Liberace Museum" (we don't make this stuff up, folks), Friess adds:

"Memo to Erich: If something awful happens to Britney Spears and you decide to do one of these things, you're on your own. :-)"

Friess has ignored repeated requests by Tabloid Baby for an interview or clarifications of his intentions.

Donny Osmond's son finds another bond between Danny Gans & Michael Jackson

Las Vegas may have forgotten Danny Gans, and its journalists may have shied away from the striking, disturbing parallels between his overdose death and that of Michael Jackson-- but Salt Lake City, Utah remembers.

Don Osmond, PR man, bobsledder and blogger, is a son of show business legend Donny Osmond, whose show with his sister Marie at the Flamingo Hilton on the Vegas strip was produced by Danny Gans (and the type of anti-sin family-friendly shows that jibed well with his Born Again Christian image and following). Donny and his brothers saw their squeaky clean act soar in the the Seventies as a "White Jackson 5." In his weekly column in the Mormon Times, Don the son acknowledges that the "untimely deaths... hit my family pretty hard during the past couple months."

And he writes:

"Interestingly, when our time is up, it's the kind and simple things we are remembered by.

"During Danny Gans' memorial service, personal stories were shared of how he always looked for ways to give back to a community that gave him so much.

"One such story described his daily trip to the theater. He would travel the same route every day, and would regularly visit with a man who had been left homeless.

"Often, Danny would take a couple minutes to stop and chat. During these visits, it became apparent to him that this man had difficulties walking. Danny decided to purchase a wheelchair the following day, and give it to him.

"No one ever heard that story until Danny's memorial service. Why? Because those stories don't sell magazines and newspapers. Those stories are not what the media thinks the public wants to hear.

"...Now I'm not here to vindicate or condemn a celebrity for the way the media portrayed them. And, thankfully, I'm not the judge of salvation -- I leave that job for God.

"However, I don't think any of us realize the private lives of a celebrity until we hear a young girl say, as Paris Jackson said of her father, 'Daddy has been the best father you can ever imagine, and I just want to say I love him so much'..."

Read Don Osmond's entire column here. Amid allegations of doctor shopping and questions about what other drugs Danny Gans had been supplied with, it is yet another compelling argument for the Las Vegas news media to do its job and find justice for him.

Danny Gans and doctor shopping: Gossip columnist blows the lid off Las Vegas news media's cone of silence

How widespread has the practice
of doctor-shopping become in Las Vegas?
Will the investigation into
Jackson's prescription drug abuse
lead back to the Las Vegas medical community,
given Jackson spent a good deal
of time here in recent years?
Will the intense scrutiny uncover more leads
in Danny Gans' drug-related death?

--Norm Clarke, Las Vegas Review Journal

Norm Clarke of The Las Vegas Review-Journal has brought up the subject of "doctor shopping" in the Danny Gans death case. The gossip columnist and compulsive Twitterer buries the reference in story about Michael Jackson, but his column reveals once again that Las Vegas journalists are covering up a huge story bubbling under the drug overdose ten weeks ago of the biggest star on the Strip and the most unique entertainer in the country.

Norm's column, in which he interviews an anonymous doctor who claims Jackson's handlers once tried to intimidate him into prescribing painkillers under someone else's name," directly connects Jackson's apparent overdose death to Gans'.

Norm also extends the accusation of "doctor shopping" (requesting care from multiple physicians, often simultaneously, without making efforts to coordinate care, usually due to a patient's addiction to prescription drugs) in Las Vegas to at least one "high profile casino executive."


The column is all the more extraordinary for several reasons:

* The exact cause of Jackson's death won't be known for weeks, until toxicology reports are completed;

* The Las Vegas news media had refused to speculate about or investigate Gans' untimely death, claiming they could do nothing until toxcicology reports were completed;

* The talk of the town in Vegas was and is Gans' alleged use of steroids and prescription drugs;

* No one in the mainstream Las Vegas news media opened the floodgates of revelations about Gans once it was revealed that the supposedly Born Again Christian former athlete had died from a dose of hydromorphone, otherwise known as Dilaudid or "drug store heroin."

Leave it to the gossip columnist.

Just as his jaunty eyepatch is key to his image, Norm's candid reporting is a hallmark of his work. As a gossip columnist, he is known to plant unconfirmed items from publicists-- or, in the Danny Gans case, from Gans' manager and close female friend who were on a campaign to mislead the public about the musical impressionist's lifestyle-- but his job also frees him to write whatever he wants to fill the space (after the coroner's report on Gans was released, he was the only one to copy our report that Gans was now linked to Vegas legend Elvis Presley though Dilaudud).

This morning he writes about a doctor who claims he was called to Jackson's suite at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in 2003 (owned at the time by Steve Wynn, and the home of Danny Gans' show ):

"The doctor's experience with Jackson raises several questions: How widespread has the practice of doctor-shopping become in Las Vegas? Will the investigation into Jackson's prescription drug abuse lead back to the Las Vegas medical community, given Jackson spent a good deal of time here in recent years? Will the intense scrutiny uncover more leads in Danny Gans' drug-related death?

"'Doctor-shopping 'has become very common,' he said.

"The meeting with Jackson wasn't the first time the physician felt pressured to accommodate a VIP.

"He treated a high profile casino executive who wanted sleeping pills. A week later, the executive wanted a refill and a week after that he requested another refill 'and I said no -- and my services are no longer required.'

"The sad thing, he said, is that someone else filled the void.

"'It's Elvis Presley all over again.'

Though we've criticized Norm for the recent Gans factoids he spread, the joy with which he covers his beat and his excitement over getting a scoop-- see his constant, compulsive Twitter posts-- sets him apart from the corrupt editors and scaredy-cat reporters who are content to keep their heads down so they don't join the ranks of the laid-off.

The speculation in Las Vegas-- and knowledge among many reporters and editors-- is that Danny Gans got his prescription drugs from more than one doctor, as well as from members of his entourage.

Norm's single sentence in the nineteenth paragraph of a gossip column, could be the spark that sets off the explosive coverage that will blow this lid off off a scandal that goes far beyond the hypocrisy of Danny Gans.

The realization of what slipped through on the weekend will surely cause editor Tom Mitchell to tear off his three-beaver Resistol, toss it on the floor and jump up and down on it, yelling, "Dag nab it! Dad burn it!"

Norm's column could also convince a reporter to interview a doctor or musician under the cover of anonymity.

It could even lead to some real independent journalism in a city where journalism isn't merely dying, but slowly killing itself with painkillers.

What ever happened to Danny Gans?

Ten weeks ago, Danny Gans was the biggest name in las Vegas. The musical impressionist's image towered over the Las Vegas Strip on electronic billboards. Hs name seemed to be on every taxicab in town. The man who did imitations of George Burns and Kermit The Frog was synonymous with the city and its future.

Today, it's as if Danny Gans never existed. A visit to the city finds videos of musical impressionist Wayne Brady and Gordie Brown (doing an Elvis impression as corny as anything Gans would serve up) playing at the arrivals section of McCarran Airport and Beyonce on the billboards of The Wynn Encore Hotel & Casino where Gans had only recently begun a long residency when he was found dead of a Dilaudid overdose on May 1st.

Corporate interest trumped public interest in media coverup of Danny Gans overdose death

Michael Jackson's memorial at the Staples Center tomorrow offers another lesson to the Las Vegas media after its shameful lack of coverage or investigation of the drug overdose death of local superstar Danny Gans. With thousands of free tickets being distributed to Jacko fans, notice that none among of the world's journalists covering the event has expressed amazement that the public has been invited to the service, as some Las Vegas columnists did (dismissing them as "seat fillers") when local fans were invited to Gans' memorial at the Encore Theatre.

The overwhelming expression of admiration and sympathy for Jacko-- and the ability of the public to compartmentalize or dismiss the overwhelming possibility that he was a paedophile who destroyed the life of more than one young boy-- shows that the reporting of his drug habits and faults did not diminish, but in fact, burnished his legend.


The legend of Danny Gans, however, has been permanently dimmed by the actions of the Fourth Estate of Las Vegas-- small timers in a city with a larger cultural shadow than they could possibly understand, trembling in the shadows of the casino magnates and corporate high rollers-- who kept a very suspicious lid on the circumstances of his death, and what is now generally agreed to be, secret life.

One reason appears to be corporate pressure to maintain Gans' previously untarnished image, as evidenced by an article in the Las Vegas Sun this weekend. "New isn't all bad for Las Vegas companies" noted as the leading "positive" example among "layoffs, corporate bankruptcies, lawsuits and commercial loan defaults":

"Cox Communications stepped up and committed to a five-year sponsorship of the 'Danny Gans' Partee Fore Kids!'

"The First Tee of Southern Nevada announced that the 15th Annual Danny Gans’ Partee Fore Kids! will continue in honor of the late entertainer and will be held on Monday, Nov. 2. Cox is sponsoring the tournament to ensure the event will continue in Gans’ name and continue to raise funds to support children in Southern Nevada.

"The tournament draws entertainers and athletes to raise money for The First Tee of Southern Nevada and its Danny Gans Junior Golf Academy. The 2009 Celebrity Pro-Am Memorial Event will honor Gans and will be hosted by Strip headliner Rita Rudner. It will be held at DragonRidge Country Club in Henderson.

"Several years ago, Gans joined The First Tee of Southern Nevada to create the Danny Gans Junior Golf Academy (DGJGA) where all kids are given the opportunity to affordably learn the game of golf and the positive core values that it instills. The DGJGA is operated by The First Tee of Southern Nevada, an organization that positively impacts, through the game of golf, the lives of thousands of youth in Southern Nevada.


"'Our family looks forward to the ongoing outpouring of support for this wonderful community program, which enables young people a chance to learn the great game of golf, which Danny loved so much,' said Gans' widow, Julie. 'It is a sport that helps develop sportsmanship, character and discipline while building potential, encouraging confidence and individuality. We, as did Danny, value the opportunities this program offers the children of the community, their families and what it will mean to their future, whatever path they take.'

"'Danny was an incredible entertainer who was also very dedicated to helping our community, especially children,' said Steve Schorr, vice president of public and government affairs for Cox Las Vegas. 'We wanted to make sure his legacy continued and that children would be able to benefit from the shining example Danny set for years to come.'"


The First Tee is not a religious organization, but relies on corporate partnership and sponsorship, just as the corporations rely on The First Tee to provide them with goodwill publicity.

More valuable dead than alive? Danny Gans is turning out to be like Michael Jackson in more ways than one.

The First Tee's corporate friends (click image to enlarge)

Danny Gans' manager spreads Jacksons rumour with help of New York Times stringer and death coverup blogger

Another connection between overdose victims Michael Jackson and Danny Gans is being floated this evening in the form of unsubstantiated gossip from Gans' former manager Chip Lightman on the Las Vegas blog of New York Times freelancer and comp queen Steve Friess:

"Chip Lightman, the late Danny Gans' manager, informed me today that he's been contacted by an envoy for Michael Jackson's surviving brothers about the prospect of a permanent Jackson Brothers show in the vacant Encore showroom at Wynn Las Vegas."

Is Chip Lightman to be believed?

In the days following Gans' untimely death on May 1st, Lightman and Gans' close personal friend, beauty queen turned TV entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs clouded the truth about Gans' drug use and worked overtime to mythologize him as a heroic, religious figure with stories that were either shrugged off as exaggeration or retracted. Meanwhile, Friess began a smear and harassment campaign aimed at stopping TabloidBaby.com from investigating or reporting on the mysterious circumstances of Gans death.

It was later revealed that Jacobs works for Friess' unofficial same-sex marriage partner at the local NBC affiliate and was the "celebrity guest" at their nonbinding gay wedding at the Palms. (The group's curiously close and ethically questionable relationship was explored here in a post subtitled The Danny Gans daisy chain.)

Oddly, while floating Lightman's latest Barnumesque blather without any confirmation, Friess (above left) dismisses it in the same posting:

"Lightman noted that the call was extremely preliminary and that it's unclear exactly what the Jacksons have in mind... Lightman also noted that there's no telling how Wynn management might react, but I suspect the answer would be a 'HELL NO.'"

While it's understandable that Lightman would be looking to be involved with the act that ultimately takes over Gans' spot at the Encore Theatre, and should be given a pass for trying to float an idea in front of his boss, Steve Wynn, Friess' role in spreading the rumour brings to mind his involvement in spreading false rumours about Gans' death in order throw journalistic investigators off the scent of painkillers and steroids.

Let's see how long it takes this one to make The New York Times.

Breakdown Pt II: Vegas writer who attacked us for questioning Review-Journal’s Gans reporting lapse hits paper for same failure in Senator sex story!

We don’t mean to harp on compromised Las Vegas writer, comp queen and New York Times freelancer Steve Friess (we wouldn't harp on him at all if he hadn't attacked us first and then kept it up), but the signs of the name-caller's public breakdown are getting more obvious and deserve attention.

Now the man who accused us of being tabloid “vermin” and "a**holes" for asking why the Las Vegas Review-Journal was not providing any new reportage two days after the tragic, unexplained death of Danny Gans, is criticizing the Review-Journal for the very same failure in the seamy tabloid story of Senator John Ensign’s adulterous affair!

The same criticism? It's bizarre. It's troubling.

On May 3rd, we wrote:

“…The Las Vegas newspapers and national gossip and magazine media continue to troll for star tributes to the Vegas-only star, while none has yet published a follow-up on the breaking news story…his morning, there's a news vacuum regarding the death of Danny Gans-- which is odd, considering the talk around town.

“If we were running Las Vegas newspapers we'd be running fresh stories on Day Three."

Today, Friess writes on his Vegas-boosting blog:

“I did have to make a quick note that the Review-Journal, on only the third day of the John Ensign sex scandal, used the Associated Press' report on its front page and had no staff-generated material on the drama other than a 360-word commentary by columnist John L. Smith.

“That is really strange… the R-J had nothing at all to report today?”

It's all too easy to call Friess a blatant hypocrite. We fear it's something much worse. Like Susan Boyle, he appears to be crumbling under the pressure of public scrutiny.

This morning, we pointed out that Friess had dedicated his shameful and outlandish defense of the local media’s coverup of Strip superstar Danny Gans' drug overdose death to us.

We should note that the lead to Freiss’ Ensign story is again directed toward TabloidBaby.com:

“I've laid off on the local media criticism in this space for a while in part because I've learned what it's like to have some half-cocked nutjob misread and distort every little thing that happens and/or that you do.”

Again with the name-calling.


We also note that although Steve Friess and his cohorts have insisted that our coverage of the Gans overdose and criticism of the local media have been “discredited” and have gone unnoticed in Las Vegas, he has been referring to our site constantly and, sources say, is very worried about the consequences of his involvement in the media coverup.

We find it all very worrisome. The entire TabloidBaby.com staff wish Steve Friess the best, and hopes that his second unofficial husband, KVBC News executive producer Miles Smith, gets him the help he so obviously needs.