Bellagio
Season 2. Episode 5: Bellagio. And here’s the question we want to answer for history: We know that Las Vegas was changed forever when Steve Wynn built the Bellagio. We know that bachelor parties would never be the same. We know that, for millions of men and maybe dozens of women, the Bellagio gets “it.” But -- here’s the question -- what exactly is “it”?
“Bellagio” -- the name evokes so much. Gaudy. Classy. Luxury. Casino. Hotel. Experience. It is the place where dreams are made and broken and never spoken about again (outside of bachelor party toasts and fantasy football draft rooms). And although The Bellagio has only been around for twenty two years, it is hard to imagine Las Vegas without it. The hotel singularly reimagined the briefly family friendly version of Vegas as a magical man cave. Because of Steve Wynn’s vision, in a single moment, Las Vegas went from gauche and tacky to somehow sexy and cool.
The name “Bellagio” comes from a picturesque, town in Lake Como, Italy. Linguists say the word is not actually a word in Italian but roughly means “nice staying.” Steve Wynn, the hotel and casino’s founder, says it means “elegant relaxation.” In that subtle promise and lie, we begin to understand everything there is to know about this unknowable place and its founder.
To unpack the history, the greatness and the mystery of The Bellagio, co-hosts Matty Wishnow and Kevin Blake explore everything from the blown glass, to the poker room, to the spa to the Picassos that Steve Wynn put his elbow through to the concierge desk. Matty, a reluctant Bellagio business conference vet, and Kevin, an avowed loyalists and fledgling sports better, invite on Josh Kaufman, frequent poker player at The Bellagio as well as lesser Pennsylvania Racinos (race track plus casino), and Judd Wishnow, legendary bachelor party ringer. Together the panel asks:
Is The Bellagio more disease or antidote? And for what?
Is Steve Wynn a poet, a business savant or a spray tanned fraud?
Are the men in the Bellagio poker room aware that there is a U.S. state named “Rhode Island”?
What happens if you ask the concierge to tell the people at the Bellagio pool to quiet down?
Can you really bring your significant others to The Bellagio? Crazier still, can you go there alone?
Finally, what is that special “it” about The Bellagio?
Join Matty, Kevin and the panel as they break man code for an hour and try to tell the stories and unpack the secrets of The Bellagio.