Brush With Luridness

Wifey and I were watching "48 Hours" the other Saturday night, and they featured a story on the death of Teddy Binion in Las Vegas. It brought back memories of a few days we spent with him, and his alleged murderer.

It was 1996, and my law firm had settled a huge case. My partner had a live in girlfriend who he had met in Vegas, and he convinced me to host a "law firm retreat" in that town.

We paid for 11 folks to fly out there, and stay at the Mirage, and to live like big shots for a long weekend. It was some experience! We had limos, meals at the best restaurants, shopping sprees --the whole trip was something out of a movie.

My partner's girlfriend has a friend named Sandy Murphy, who had come from the LA Valley with her to find her fame and fortune in Vegas. Both girls worked as strippers, and Sandy ended up meeting Ted, from an old, wealthy Vegas family.

Ted was royalty there, and whenever our party would arrive at a venue, tables would be found, and lines would be cut.

Ted was a sweet, humble fellow, prone to saying "yup" and "nope," and we had a fine time with him. Our last night in town, he took us to an Italian place off the beaten path, where all of the waiters were convicted felons. His then teenaged daughter stopped by, and told him she was going out. "Well, sweetheart, take this," he said, pulling out an enormous gun he wanted her to have for protection.

We left Vegas, and returned to our mundane lives, and my parter broke up with Sandy's friend, and then years later the story broke that Sandy killed Ted to get his money. It was a sensational scandal, involving assignations with Ted's assistant, and buried silver in the desert.

The "48 Hours" episode recalled the whole affair. Sandy was convicted, served 4 years in prison, and then won a retrial with the help of the annoying but effective Alan Dershowitz. The second time was her charm, as she was acquitted.

These days, she's married to a succesful art dealer in LA, and again living the high life.

Wifey and I looked at each other, and were amazed we had met these characters out of a film noir movie. She assured me she had no plans to have me killed, since 1/2 of my money is hers already.

To thank her, I made her a cup of tea.