Last night I visited the new Mob Museum in the newly remodeled Tropicana adn I gotta admit that I was impressed how nice the casino looked, but I wish that there were more people in there.

It was pretty quiet!

But while walking about I ran into a guy in a 'Mafia' suit. And since I used to know guys in similar suits, I started up a conversation and ended up following his suggestion to visit the Mob Museum because tonight there was only gonna be a $10 entry fee.

So I thanked Johnny Salami and proceed in that direction. $

$10 was an offer I could not refuse, but I would have suffered the consequences willingly if it was a penny more.

I purchased my $10 ticket and walked on through the well manned door and found myself participating as a man of respect on the low end of a totem pole in sets somewhat similar to old time big city back alleys.

My job was to deliver a message to a guy with a Brooklyn accent who was enjoying a cup of coffee with a sour face and well worn knuckles.

I don't know what that message said becasue it was in a sealed envelope but he read it and then warned me not to speak to any cops that I came in contact with along the way.

Then he pointed along that way and with a nod of his big fat head I was excused to continue on and not to talk to any cops.

And sure enough within a matter of a few steps, I run into a cop ... Of all the luck!! ... and he asks me where I've been and did I talk to any suspecious characters drinking coffee with a sour look on his face along the way.

So I lied and he let me pass.... only to run into a detective in a room whose glass windows revealed to other detectives beating up someone who looked very similar to me, myself.

I was invited to participate in that slap around business which was necessary to get the truth out of this street thug, but I politely refused and kept on walk'n.

And then (finally) I was in something that looked like a museum after passing through a hole in the wall and through a vandalized jewelry store.

(It's all so confusing now as to where I was and at what time I was where I was at .... but the museum finally arrived.)

And there were nicely arranged photos and stuff that the real bad guys who owned LV once upon a time used to own. And photos of their wives and kids and pets and cars and furniture and guns and jewelry and letters that were hard to read after so many years had passed.

It was interesting and very professionally done but it wasn't $29 worth of interesting. I was more like $10 worth of interesting. ANd only interesting once!

The Mob slogan is ..." Your fate is in your hands" ... but it would be more appropriately stated .... "OUR fate is in your hands."

Or even better yet as... "Our fate is in your wallets."

You better see it now because I don't think it will be around too long.

After all .... who wants to go to a museum while visiting a casino? All those goom-bas you'd expect to see in that museum are sitting at the casino tables anyway.

I'd suggest you go, but only if they make you an offer you can't refuse.

And tell 'em Johnny Salami sent ya!

I visited the Las Vegas Mob Experience this week also...twice. Once as a first time experience and once again on a media tour.

The finished product is not on display yet. It is in preview as they work out bugs, install more features, and fine tune the exhibits.

It is actually broken down into several acts. There is the mob coming to America, The rise of the mob, the Fall of the mob, The marks they left on Las Vegas, and your final fate.

You wear a tag that has RF id in it to set off movies and special effects. There are several actors along the way to interact with.

It seems there is still about 30 percent of the installed features that are not fully functional. There is still another 20 percent of stuff to be installed. I have a hard time seeing how they will get all of this done in the two weeks they have before the official grand opening. Even then it will be a work in progress for a long time to come.

As the press releases stated, this is more of an interactive experience than an actual museum. It's fun and informative. When the mob museum downtown opens at the end of the year, we will have something to compare it to.

I suggest that you wait a month or two. I don't see them shutting down anytime soon, unless they take the money and run. I think tickets are $29 during this preview session and will be $39 after it officially opens. I'm sure there will be discounts all over town though.

I have a pass good for the whole year and will be checking back to see how progress is going every month or so.

JMT. Thank you for the above info, but I gotta suggest you use your free pass now because I don't think that attraction will be around too long unless it makes an offer that can't be refused such as Free or a Dollar-ninety-nine.

BUT they did put a lot of hard work and money into that place so I honestly hope I'm wrong.