Tour Guide – Actor
In 2009, Gig was an actor as a tour guide on a driving tour of the Las Vegas Strip. He narrated a 2 1/2 hour tour that he researched and wrote, and creatively chose to begin the tour with a ten minute humorous and informative monologue in character as a mobster. Gig says that as a native of New Jersey it was very easy to get into character and implement an Italian gangster accent. He also says that he already uses his hands allot when speaking. The tour traveled the strip providing information about the past, present and future of Las Vegas.
One of the two owners of the tour company, who also owned a tour company in Florida for many years, said that Gig was probably one of the top three or five tour guides he had ever seen.
The following is the script that Gig reproduced from his notes and memory for this website. This was the script used for the first ten minutes of the 2 1/2 hour tour.
Using a thick Italian mobster accent and dressed in a black button down dress shirt, black pants, black fedora hat, black shoes, and for special VIP guests and events, a red tie.
I’d like to welcome you to Bugsy’s tour. Let me repeat dat. Dis here is Bugsy’s tour, so if any of you peoples are on da wrong bus, dis is when you get up and walk off , and da rest of us, we look at you and we laugh.
Now my name is “Da Hitman”. Dey call me da hitman for a very good reason. I am very well known for going into da desert wit people, but when I come back, I just so happen to be alone. Imagine that.
Now if any of you peoples should happen to find any of da tools of my trade on dis here bus, you know, like a shovel, a pick, a chainsaw or an axe, please feel free to pick dem up and put your little finger prints all over dem. It enables me to sleep better at night.
Show of hands. Is dis anyone’s 1st visit to Las Vegas?
(Depending on the response)
Me too (or) I’m de only guy?
Well its my 1st day here. Da guy dat was suppose to do dis here tour had what we call in my business- an unfortunate accident. However, before I left him- in da desert- I was able to extract from his tightly clutched fingers dese here notes for dis here tour. So wit chor indulgence- now dats a pretty big word for a guy like me- my momma she would be so proud, I would like to use dese here notes for dis here tour. If you’re ok wit dat we can start da tour. And if you’re not ok wit dat, I would like to remind you why dey call me- da hitman
I want choo to sit back, relax and enjoy da tour. Da bus driver- he gonna drive real slow and careful like. We don’t want no accidents dat I ain’t gettin paid for.
Now on dis here tour I’m gonna tell you tings dat even da locals don’t know.
Let me ask you, does anyone know who da mayor of Las Vegas is?
Mayor Oscar Goodman – Democrat.
(Notes outline—)
19th mayor of Las Vegas
Affectionately called “americas favorite mayor”
Born in Philly
Former defense attorney for many “alleged” (put hands up and make quotation marks and repeat and emphasize “alleged”) mob leaders like Frank Lefty Rosenthal from the Stardust Hotel and Casino and Little Nicky Scarfo the Philadelphia and South Jersey “alleged” mob boss
In the movie Casino playing himself
Joe Pecci played the role of one of the “alleged” mobsters Mayor Goodman defended
On a serious note, I know you peoples have a lot of choices on vacation destinations. You didn’t have to come to Las Vegas. And here in Las Vegas you have a lot of choices for tours. So I want to personally tank each and every one of you for comin to our great city Las Vegas, and for choosing Bugsy’s Tour.
Now we have sometin very unique here at Bugsy’s tour. We have what we call a multi media tour. We would like to tank da Las Vegas Sun newspaper for dese here video clips. Lets hear it for da Las Vegas Sun newspaper.
(applause)
Great, you peoples clapping and you aint even seen da videos yet. Dey may not even work.
For dose of you dat act right on dis here tour I am going to invite choo to become an honorary member of our crew. We call it da Bugsy’s Wise Guy Crew. To act right, choo gotta follow tree rules. Dat’s right I said “tree”.
Rule #1- You peoples be on time.
We gonna stop at da Golden Nugget and give you a 15 minute break.
Now if any of you peoples need to do da pee pees, you do da pee pees over der. Just like Gilligans Island, dis here tour is a tree hour tour and we aint got no batroom on dis here bus. But I digress. Dats another big word.
Just like my utter job in da desert, I get paid by da number of peoples I take out. Dey don’t care so much about how many of you peoples come back. So you make sure you’re back on dis here bus witin 15 minutes or we’ll leave witout cha.
Rule #2- You don’t talk too much.
In my line of work, peoples dat talk too much, dey don’t last too long.
So if you have to do da talkie talkies, you keep your voices down.
Rule #tree- You don’t scream out no questions.
You peoples have any questions, you ask me dose questions over der at da Golden Nugget. Den we gonna take you to da Las Vegas sign and let choo off da bus so you can do da click clicks wit chor fancy cameras. You can ask me some questions over der. And you can ask me some questions at de end of da tour.
Now, I’m about to play for you peoples tree videos totaling only about tree minutes- so don’t have no ants in your pants. 1st video- intro piece about our great city Las Vegas. Next 2 videos are about my boy Bugsy Siegel. (tearing up pointing to heart – then aggressive) Now I got a special place in my heart for dis guy Bugsy, so you listen up and pay attention, capiche?
Now are you peoples ready for dis here tour?
(“Yes” response)
One more time. I said, are you peoples ready for dis here tour?
(“Yes” response while cheering and applauding.)
GOOOOOOD!!!