Shock comic Vinnie Favorito is back on the Strip
Shock comic Vinnie Favorito is back on the Strip, convinced he’s “stronger than ever” after seeking help for a gambling addiction.
“Let’s put it this way, I’ve turned over a new leaf in many departments. I’ve got to grow up and do the right thing,” he said in a phone interview Thursday.
“It’s turned into a gambling story, but that’s not really the gist of it,” said Favorito, who returned to the Strip on Thursday after a two-month absence.
After almost eight years as a headliner at the Flamingo, he was let go on April Fool’s Day, no joke, by Caesars Entertainment.
Two hotels courted him, “but I said, ‘Give me a year away from the casinos.’ ” He has moved his Don Rickles-esque act to the Tommy Wind Theater, formerly the Empire Ballroom and Club Utopia.
Before opening up about his struggles, he made a request: He wanted credit to go to “the guy who really saved my life.”
Favorito said Boston restaurateur Nick Varono “sat me down and said, ‘It’s time to get straightened out.’ I confide in him all the time.”
The straight talk “really sparked me,” Favorito said. “I’m going to be stronger than I ever was.”
Instead of doing seven nights a week, he will perform Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. It means more time with his two young kids, he said.
“I gave Tommy (magician Tommy Wind) my personal guarantee that I will put this theater on the map,” he said
Favorito got emotional while talking about his fans, who lit up social media, he said, with words of support after he left the Flamingo amid reports of gambling-related issues.
“I’ve always been a supporter of underdogs. For the last month, I was the underdog. So many people have stood up for me.
“There are a lot more lovers out there than haters, and that’s what kept me strong. I haven’t been the best person, but I’m a good person.
“I want to move forward to a new place and a great run. I’ve survived in this town as one man since 2003. I may seem like a street guy, but I’m actually pretty smart.”
A small kid, his quick wit helped him survive in the rough Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plains.
“I always knew how to make people laugh. My mother said, ‘You always get in trouble for it; why don’t you make a living at it.’ She was right. This is what I was meant to do.”
His insult comedy makes every night “like a celebrity roast,” he said.
Milton Berle gave him the name “Rickles with venom.”
No race, subject or gender is spared from Favorito’s ad libs.
Not even Caitlyn Jenner?
“I’m not saying one word about Caitlyn,” Favorito said. “Bruce Jenner I’m going to slam. Now, if she walks into the show, that’s different.”
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, who co-hosts the 69th annual Tony Awards on Sunday, returns to The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on March 25. She was the featured New Year’s Eve performer in 2013. …
Jim Bailey, an iconic tribute artist who dazzled with spot-on vocal impressions of Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand and Peggy Lee, died Sunday in Sun Valley, Calif. Bailey, a Las Vegas headliner for years, performed as Streisand during halftime at the 1978 Super Bowl and in the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. He was 77. …
In Sunday’s column, I mentioned Clint Holmes would be spotlighting students from the Artists 4 Kidz program during his Sunday show at Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center. Artists 4 Kidz is an initiative of The Public Education Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization.
SIGHTINGS
Musician Ryan Cabrera, being shown around the Elvis Exhibition at Westgate hotel-casino Wednesday by Lisa Marie Presley’s ex-husband, Danny Keough.
THE PUNCH LINE
“Basketball commentator Charles Barkley said he’d like to shoot sports fans who act like jerks. Barkley was then reprimanded by the NBA and recruited by the NFL.” — Conan O’Brien
Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter: @Norm_Clarke
