Joe Porreca, 60, of Oxford, has a few things in common with legendary entertainer and Rat Pack member Dean Martin.
Both men were born and raised in Steubenville, Ohio. Both worked in Las Vegas for a number of years.
Oh, by the way, they were first cousins.
Porreca’s dad and Martin’s mother were brother and sister in a big Italian family of 19 children ? that’s not a misprint.
Due to the significant difference in their age (Martin was born in 1917 while Porreca arrived in 1947), the two didn’t meet until two or three years after Porecca began working as a room service waiter at Caesars Palace in 1968.
‘It took a while to get to see him,? noted Porreca, who didn’t want Martin, who was playing the Riviera at the time, to think he was just another relative looking for a handout. ‘Everybody was always trying to put the touch on him.?
Porreca, who now lives on Park St. with Judy, his wife of six years, and Martin saw each other ‘three or four times? and mostly talked about relatives back in Steubenville, but they never became ‘bosom buddies.?
‘We only had two or three other things in common,? Porreca said. ‘Once you talk about that, there’s not much else.?
But whenever Porreca needed complimentary tickets to a show, all he had to do was call ol? Dino and it was covered.
Looking back, Porreca’s ‘glad it took that long to get in to see him? because he wasn’t star struck thanks to his years of rubbing shoulders with celebrities at Caesars Palace.
Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, B.B. King, Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, Ronald Reagan, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Paul Anka, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali ? Porreca met them all and got their autographs on 3×5 index cards now stored in a safety deposit box.
‘If they performed or stayed at Caesars, I took care of them,? he said.
Porreca got the job after he tackled a purse snatcher who robbed the personnel director at Caesars. She invited him to lunch and two days later he started his new job.
‘Best thing that ever happened to me,? he said.
Las Vegas was a natural fit for a kid who’s hometown boasted many illegal gambling joints and ties to the Mafia.
‘Eighty percent of the casino managers (in Vegas) grew up with my dad,? Porreca said. ‘That’s why all the guys from our home town went out to Las Vegas because it was the new Steubenville, Ohio. It really was.?
For 10 years, Porreca and two other select guys ran the room service department at Caesars, which, back in the day, ‘was like a five-star restaurant in the hotel.?
‘Wealthy people put a premium on being able to eat in their suites,? Porreca said.
From serving meals and placing bets to delivering a pack of cigarettes and procuring female companionship, Porreca dutifully served every need, every whim of the rich and famous.
‘No matter what you wanted, you got it,? he said.
And Porreca was lucky, and talented, enough to be one of three, which later became five, guys who handled the elite clientele and were asked for by name.
‘Somebody who’s somebody doesn’t want to be taken care of by just anybody,? he explained. ‘If Frank (Sinatra) was playing and he wanted a burger, only certain people could bring it.?
He even served the infamous, which included Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who didn’t mind conducting business right in front of him. ‘You’re almost invisible,? Porreca said.
When mobsters from Kansas City and Detroit held their private meetings in the executive office vault at Caesars, it was Porreca who delivered their food.
‘I think it’s where they were splitting money or talking about certain things,? said Porreca, noting he never heard anything because they always hushed up when he was there.
Porreca definitely has some wild stories, many of which couldn’t be printed in this family newspaper. ‘To think about all the things I saw there,? he said. ‘I’ve often thought about writing a book called ‘Good Morning, Room Service.? I don’t think people would believe what I saw, good or bad.?
Not many can boast that they were personally requested to serve Cher her afternoon vanilla milk shake as she sunbathed in the nude.
Serious boxing fans would be envious to know that Porreca saw Muhammad Ali battle Larry Holmes in 1980. Or that he was there in 1982 when Ray ‘Boom Boom? Mancini went 14 rounds with South Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim, who died five days later, a result of brain injuries sustained during the fight.
Porreca’s biggest thrill came when he made a delivery to the room of movie star Elizabeth Taylor, who was married to John Warner (or husband #7) at the time.
‘When she opened that door . . . of all the people I’ve met, including presidents, I was just speechless,? he said. ‘She’s just as beautiful in person as she is on screen. I don’t think they ever put any makeup on her.?
Ask Porreca whom the biggest tipper among the celebrities was, he’ll tell you it was Tom Jones. The nicest ? singer Ella Fitzgerald.
Ask him who the worst of the worst was and he’ll tell you it was America’s favorite Mormon family.
‘I didn’t like the Osmonds at all,? said Porreca, noting it was family matriarch, Olive Osmond, who gave him the most trouble.
‘The cream of wheat was never hot enough. Nothing was ever right,? he said. ‘She seemed like a really unhappy lady.?
As for the rest of the clan, Porreca admitted he didn’t pay much attention to them ? ‘They all looked exactly the same.?
The Osmonds were poor tippers, too.
But it’s not like Porreca was hurting for money in those days. On average, he took home $500 to $600 a day in tips.
His first night on the job he made $602 in tips, which included a $100 tip for delivering a pack of cigarettes.
His biggest tip ever, a $10,000 roll of $100 bills, came from a gentleman who later went to federal prison on drug charges.
‘You have no idea the wealth that was there,? Porreca said.
One day an extremely wealthy guest asked Porreca to walk over to the MGM casino with him. He didn’t think too much of the briefcase this man was carrying until he opened it up and revealed its contents ? $750,000 in cash.
‘My legs turned to water,? Porreca said.
During his years in Vegas, Porreca estimated he made more than $1 million ? and he spent every penny of it.
After Caesars, Porreca was ‘in and out? of Vegas for the next 20 years doing consulting work, most notably setting up the room service, catering and convention services department at the Imperial Palace.
These days he lives the quiet life in Oxford , but he’s more than happy to tell a story or three about that glittering little town in Nevada where dreams were made with the spin of a roulette wheel and problems were solved with a hole in the desert.