# Want to Buy Wayne Newton's Place?



## ricoba (Mar 24, 2013)

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I knew the house, Casa de Shenandoah was for sale, but today was our first drive by the place at the corner of Sunset and Pecos in Las Vegas.  It was kind of odd to see the big "For Sale" sign on the corner of the property. 

So, for a cool $50 Million or so, you can be the proud owner of Wayne's world!   It's about 40 acres in a prime location and not too far from the Strip. 

Here's an article with pictures of what it looks like behind the gates.


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## BigRedOne (Mar 24, 2013)

Don't understand how a person that made half a million dollars per week in Las Vegas has to file bankruptcy!


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## VegasBella (Mar 24, 2013)

Not sure I would call Sunset & Pecos a "prime location."


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## ricoba (Mar 25, 2013)

BigRedOne said:


> Don't understand how a person that made half a million dollars per week in Las Vegas has to file bankruptcy!



Ever since he was a kid, Wayne has pretty much had lots of money and then lost it more than one time.  Thing is now, he is past his performing years, so, earning it back is going to be pretty tough.



VegasBella said:


> Not sure I would call Sunset & Pecos a "prime location."



Not sure if you know that neighborhood, but Wayne's house is only one of quite a few multi-million $ estates along Pecos to Tomiyasu Lane.  It's a very high end location and I think the folks who live there would consider it prime.   Google Earth it sometime to get a birds eye view of the gated estates in that area.


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## VegasBella (Mar 25, 2013)

ricoba said:


> Not sure if you know that neighborhood, but Wayne's house is only one of quite a few multi-million $ estates along Pecos to Tomiyasu Lane.  It's a very high end location and I think the folks who live there would consider it prime.   Google Earth it sometime to get a birds eye view of the gated estates in that area.



I live in Vegas and have driven by there many times. It is NOT a nice neighborhood. It has a lot of expensive homes, but the neighorhood is terrible. There aren't sidewalks in half the area, no parks, terrible schools, homeless people all over, etc. Those homes were built way back when that was the edge of town and it was surrounded by empty desert. Now it's surrounded by development. The only possible plus about it is that it's still zoned for horses so you could have some horses on your property. There's no view. There's tons of traffic. NOT a "nice neighborhood." There's a reason all those homes need gates.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 26, 2013)

If you've driven by there many times, how could you miss Las Vegas' highest rated (see best of Vegas in the RJ) park, a couple of blocks away?  Sunset Park has a lake with fishing, a dog park, walking trails, ball fields, picnic areas and more. It is one of only three parks in Vegas with a fishing program.

Bad schools? I don't have kids, so I don't know which schools are there, but I do know there is a Montessori School in the area.

No sidewalks? Yes, on one side of the street, acceptable because of the zoning and "rural character" of the block. There are only sidewalks on one side of the street where I live, too.

I've driven by there many times, too, and I sure don't see any homeless people. You sure you aren't mixing it up with Owens or D Street?

The original gated homes in the area were owned by celebrities such as Wayne Newton as well as casino owners--the owners of both the Imperial Palace and the New Frontier both lived here as well. And nowadays in Las Vegas gated areas are very common. I live in a gated area, as does Karen G, and believe me, neither of us live in areas that need gates.

I agree that the flier overstated the area, but you did the opposite, IMHO.

Fern


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## Passepartout (Mar 26, 2013)

It's just gettin' too hard to keep up appearances for those of 'us' whose digs would qualify as a museum. Since Liberace's place closed, the museum business isn't looking too good either. Whatcha gotta do is give it to the state like ol' Bill Hearst did for his little hilltop down at San Simeon. Let the taxpayers fix it up and maintain it and run the buses of curiosity seekers in from remote parking lots. Vegas has lots of those.

Sure glad it's Wayne's problem and not mine. It would be hard to downsize into a 2 million dollar place while the state fixes up the museum.  When they drag my worn out ol' body from my place feet first, somebody'll just touch a match to it. The end.


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## glypnirsgirl (Mar 26, 2013)

In reading the article, it appears that the company that he was developing the museum with has gone bankrupt, not that Wayne Newton has done so. 

It appears that the company is blaming Wayne Newton and his family for refusing to move out of the mansion for the failure of the museum. 

What a mess!

elaine


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## ricoba (Mar 26, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> The original gated homes in the area were owned by celebrities such as Wayne Newton as well as casino owners--the owners of both the Imperial Palace and the New Frontier both lived here as well.
> 
> Fern



I've always been curious as to how that area developed and who the owners are/were.  I know Phil Ruffin (Treasure Island/TI) owned or owns one of the homes, but not sure about the others except Wayne.  

The big place across Pecos from Wayne's with all the palm trees is listed at $7 million + dollars.  

I just find it to be an interesting intersection and area.



Passepartout said:


> It's just gettin' too hard to keep up appearances for those of 'us' whose digs would qualify as a museum. Since Liberace's place closed, the museum business isn't looking too good either. Whatcha gotta do is give it to the state like ol' Bill Hearst did for his little hilltop down at San Simeon. Let the taxpayers fix it up and maintain it and run the buses of curiosity seekers in from remote parking lots. Vegas has lots of those.
> 
> Sure glad it's Wayne's problem and not mine. It would be hard to downsize into a 2 million dollar place while the state fixes up the museum.  When they drag my worn out ol' body from my place feet first, somebody'll just touch a match to it. The end.



The talk is currently about putting the Liberace museum downtown in Neonopolis.  Not sure if it will happen, but that's what I have read about.



glypnirsgirl said:


> In reading the article, it appears that the company that he was developing the museum with has gone bankrupt, not that Wayne Newton has done so.
> 
> It appears that the company is blaming Wayne Newton and his family for refusing to move out of the mansion for the failure of the museum.
> 
> ...



Yes, it's a mess.  Though from what I read, Wayne sort of created the mess, but I am sure both parties have plenty of blame.  

I never really got the concept of Wayne opening up the house to tours.  It just didn't make sense and I just don't think it would be a big tourist draw like Graceland....


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## Fern Modena (Mar 26, 2013)

Phil Ruffin (who I referred to as the owner of New Frontier, a story in and of itself) lived *behind* Wayne on Tomiyasu.  A huge house, yyou can only see shrubbery from the road.

I think the other house you are talking about is the one formerly owned by the Imperial Palace family...across Pecos and a few houses up, with lots of overgrown palms?

Wayne got the idea for the museum as an idea to make money and stay out of bankruptcy (it would have been at least a second bankruptcy).  He found partners who paid him a sum to develop it while he still had an interest himself. 

In the first bankruptcy Wayne lost his ranch in Logandale and many of his horses, although he retained his house.  This was quite a while ago.

Fern


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## ricoba (Mar 26, 2013)

Fern Modena said:


> Phil Ruffin (who I referred to as the owner of New Frontier, a story in and of itself) lived *behind* Wayne on Tomiyasu.  A huge house, yyou can only see shrubbery from the road.
> 
> I think the other house you are talking about is the one formerly owned by the Imperial Palace family...across Pecos and a few houses up, with lots of overgrown palms?
> 
> ...



Ah, the one, I have been most curious about is the one with all the palms, so that was the Engelstad place.  I think that's the one now listed at $7+ million.

I find the history of neighborhoods interesting.  And whenever I see big gated places, I am like a lot of folks curious to know who calls the place home.  

As I remember (and I may be wrong) Ruffins place is/was the most expensive listing in Vegas at about $16 million as I remember.  Wasn't there some connection with Michael Jackson @ that location?  Also, I think they have moved on from that home and it's back on the market (you want to go in 50/50 with us!!!  )

Then the Primm estate is over there somewhere too, isn't it?

I just found that whole neighborhood so fascinating the first time we went by there and obviously I still find it interesting.  

It's like the old John S. Parks neighborhood downtown and the Scotch 80's (where I think the Goodman's call home) and the mid-century modern neighborhood, Paradise Palms off Desert Inn @ Eastern by the Las Vegas National Golf Course.  I just like the history of places and to learn about how they developed.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 26, 2013)

Yes, that (the one with the palms) is the former Engelstad hiome.

Phil Ruffin's home used to be owned by Mike Tyson at one time, I think directly before Ruffin bought it.  And I agree, it was the most expensive house on the market at the time Ruffin bought it.  I think he moved on as well, but I'm not sure where. Don't know of a Michael Jackson connection there (he leased a house on Palomino for awhile before he died, but that is North of Sahara).

The Goodmans do indeed live in the Scotch 80's, as do/did many of the Casino bosses of yore, because it the nicest area close to The Strip.  It probably still is (unless you have to have shiny new).  

I am not familiar with the Primm estate.  I've read about Paradise Palms but never seen it.

The RJ does  good job of highlighting various interesting neighborhood histories, and also how streets got their names, who they were named for, etc.  For example, near me (sort of), there is a street called Silverado Ranch. Easy enough, named for the development around that street.  Or renamed, I should say.  The street South of Silverado Ranch is Pyle. And Silverado Ranch used to be named Gomer.  Get it?  Heading South, they were Gomer, then Pyle 

Fern


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## cotraveller (Mar 27, 2013)

The story we heard when we were on a Las Vegas historical tour was that the owners of those big houses had enough money and political clout that they got the city to ban tour buses on the street on the west side of the houses. They also had the street lights removed to discourage tourists from driving by at night.  The other comment on the tour was that those same owners opposed Wayne Newtons idea to open his place for tours and effectively shut down that effort.

I don't know how much truth there is to any of those stories but it did make for and interesting spiel from our tour guide.


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## Fern Modena (Mar 27, 2013)

How much truth? Some, but not at lot.

Not allowing tour buses on Tomiyasu isn't about the money or political clout. It is a residential street, and not a large one at all.  Many cities ban tour buses like that, including San Francisco.

The area behind Wayne Newton's house is semi-rural, and there are no rules about street lights.  I would bet the lights were never there. Where I live I have no street lights. They are only at intersections, and my street has about twenty houses between intersections.

The owners on Tomiyasu did file complaints and testify against giving Wayne's Museum a permit to go forward. They didn't shut it down, but they did get the inclusion of a different parking plan and shuttle route to the museum, one that would not include their street.

Fern



cotraveller said:


> The story we heard when we were on a Las Vegas historical tour was that the owners of those big houses had enough money and political clout that they got the city to ban tour buses on the street on the west side of the houses. They also had the street lights removed to discourage tourists from driving by at night.  The other comment on the tour was that those same owners opposed Wayne Newtons idea to open his place for tours and effectively shut down that effort.
> 
> I don't know how much truth there is to any of those stories but it did make for and interesting spiel from our tour guide.


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## Passepartout (Mar 27, 2013)

Fern and/or Rick, In the photos 'behind the gates', I saw Wayne's air terminal along with a private jet, complete with jetway between the plane and the building. Heaven forbid he and his guests should have to walk in the sun between their limo and the jet. Anyway, 40 acres is a substantial estate, but unless it's laid out very unusually, it would be hard to shoehorn a 'jet capable' runway on it. Are there several of those estates surrounding a private airstrip? I guess I could peruse Google Earth for the answer, but you folks are such a good resource for Las Vegas arcana. 

Jim


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## ricoba (Mar 27, 2013)

Jim, you are right the jet is inoperable (or at least it doesn't operate from the estate) and there is no runway there.

There is a story behind the jet, but it escapes me at the moment, maybe Fern or someone else will remember why he has the jet there.  I think it's just a memento of days gone by.


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## Passepartout (Mar 27, 2013)

ricoba said:


> Jim, you are right the jet is inoperable (or at least it doesn't operate from the estate) and there is no runway there.
> 
> There is a story behind the jet, but it escapes me at the moment, maybe Fern or someone else will remember why he has the jet there.  I think it's just a memento of days gone by.



Hmmmpf. I can see having a playhouse in the back yard, but isn't a jet and terminal a bit much? 'Course the whole thing is a little (OK, LOT) over the top. 

Maybe the broker- or BK trustee- oughtta get hold of DRI's Cloobeck. He might need a place to stay at least close to on par with Westgate's Siegel. Ego is as ego does.


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