The Scintas

Last updated

The Scintas were a music and comedy variety group. [1]

The group began in 1977 as The Scinta Brothers, consisting of Frankie and Joey Scinta, brothers from Buffalo, New York. [2] [3] They got a job performing at the chain of Playboy Clubs, including a stint at the Playboy Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City in 1981. [4] [5] Their younger sister, Chrissi Scinta, joined later. [6] Drummer Pete O'Donnell was added to the group around 1987. [7] In the late 1980s, after Frankie overcame a cocaine addiction, the Scintas became prominent supporters of the "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign. [8] [9]

The group toured throughout the eastern United States for many years. [3] They were particularly popular in Akron, Ohio, where they performed regularly at the Tangier cabaret. [4] [10]

In 2000, the Scintas moved to Las Vegas and began performing at casinos, with resident shows at the Las Vegas Hilton, Rio, Sahara, The D, and Plaza casinos through the years. [2] [11] [12]

Chrissi retired from the group in 2013 because of throat hemorrhaging. [6] [13] She was replaced first by Ashlee Amoia and later by Janien Valentine. [14] Joey Scinta died in 2017, and the group continued on without him. [11] A year later, Frankie transitioned to performing under his own name, rather than as The Scintas, though O'Donnell continued to play a major part in the show. [11] [15]

Related Research Articles

Westgate Las Vegas Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was known for many years as the Las Vegas Hilton, then briefly as the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, until taking its current name in 2014. From 1981 to 1990, it was the largest hotel in the world.

Harrahs Entertainment American gaming corporation

Harrah's Entertainment was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven golf courses under several brands. In 2013, it was the fourth-largest gaming company in the world, with annual revenues of $8.6 billion. It was acquired in 2020 by Eldorado Resorts, which then changed its own name to Caesars Entertainment.

The Strat (Las Vegas) Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Strat Hotel, Casino and SkyPod is a hotel and casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It includes a 1,149 ft (350.2 m) observation tower, the tallest in the United States. It is also the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere, surpassed only by the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario. The tower is topped by a pod which includes a revolving restaurant, lounges, and observation decks. The top of the tower also has several thrill rides. The hotel and casino facilities are situated at the base of the tower, and the resort also includes a showroom and a shopping mall. The Stratosphere is located within city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard, just north of the Las Vegas Strip. The resort is sometimes considered to be a Strip property, although Clark County does not officially recognize it as such, stating that the Strip does not extend into city limits.

Park MGM Casino hotel resort in Las Vegas

The Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, is a megaresort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel, with a height of 360 ft (110 m), has 32 floors, including a 102,000-square-foot (9,500 m2) casino floor with 1,400 slot machines, 60 table games, and 15 poker tables. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. The hotel offers 2,992 guest rooms, including 259 luxury suites. The Monte Carlo was converted into Park MGM between late 2016 and 2018, with the upper floors being converted into a boutique hotel, NoMad Las Vegas.

Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip

Circus Circus Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the northern Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Phil Ruffin. Circus Circus includes the largest permanent circus in the world. It features circus and trapeze acts, as well as carnival games, at its Carnival Midway. The resort also includes the Adventuredome, an indoor amusement park.

Stardust Resort and Casino Defunct casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Stardust Resort and Casino was a casino resort located on 60 acres (24 ha) along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The Stardust was conceived by Tony Cornero, and construction began in 1954. Cornero died in 1955, and the project was taken over by his brother. The Stardust had numerous creditors, and construction was stopped in 1956, when the project ran out of money.

Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada

Planet Hollywood Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known as the Aladdin, which operated from 1962 to 1997. It was demolished in 1998, to make room for a new resort that would also be named Aladdin. The new Aladdin resort opened in August 2000, but suffered financial difficulties and was eventually purchased in 2003 by a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood, which renamed it as Planet Hollywood in 2007.

El Rancho Vegas Hotel and casino in Nevada, United States

El Rancho Vegas was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip, built in what would later become Winchester, Nevada. The El Rancho Vegas was the first full service resort to be built on the Las Vegas Strip, at the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. In 1941, The Las vegas Strip was then known as Highway 91, and Sahara Avenue was then called San Francisco Avenue. The El Rancho Vegas was conceived by Thomas Hull, who owned several hotels in California and wanted to expand his operations to Las Vegas. Hull decided to build his new resort along US Highway 91, on desert land located just outside of city limits. Hull intended to target motorists traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, although his remote location was met with skepticism.

Riviera (hotel and casino) Former casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Riviera was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada, which operated from April 1955 to May 2015. It was last owned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which decided to demolish it to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District.

Harrahs Las Vegas Hotel casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

Harrah's Las Vegas is a hotel and casino centrally located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property originally opened as a joint venture with Holiday Inn. Construction began in April 1970, and the hotel portion opened on February 1, 1972, as the Holiday Inn Center Strip. The casino portion, known as the Holiday Casino, opened on July 2, 1973. Shelby Williams was among the casino's investors. After his death in 1977, his wife Claudine Williams took over operations. Holiday Inn purchased an interest in the casino operation in 1979, and bought out Williams entirely in 1983, although she would remain as chairwoman.

The Linq Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

The Linq is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It opened as the Flamingo Capri in 1959, on property located directly north of the original Flamingo resort. The Flamingo Capri was a 180-room motel, owned by George E. Goldberg and Flamingo employee Bill Capri.

Rio (hotel and casino) Casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Rio is a hotel and casino near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Dreamscape Companies LLC and operated by Caesars Entertainment. It includes a 117,330 sq ft (10,900 m2) casino and 2,520 suites. It features a Brazilian theme based on Rio Carnival.

JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa is a resort in Summerlin, Nevada, near Las Vegas. The Rampart Casino is located within the hotel. The property is owned and operated by Hotspur Resorts, which franchises the JW Marriott name from Marriott International.

Oyo Hotel & Casino Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Oyo Hotel & Casino is a casino hotel near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned by Highgate and Oyo Hotels & Homes, and its casino is operated by Paragon Gaming. It is located next to the Tropicana and across the street from the MGM Grand Las Vegas. The hotel has 696 rooms with a 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2) casino. Since opening in 1973, the property has been renamed several times, most recently as the Hôtel San Rémo (1989–2006) and the Hooters Casino Hotel (2006–2019).

Palms Casino Resort Casino resort in Las Vegas, Nevada

Palms Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It includes 703 rooms and a 94,065 sq ft (8,738.9 m2) casino. It was originally owned by the Maloof family, and was primarily overseen by George Maloof. He purchased the site in 1997, and construction began three years later. The Palms opened on November 15, 2001, with Station Casinos and The Greenspun Corporation as minority owners. It included a casino, restaurants, nightclubs, and a 42-story hotel. The resort catered to local residents and tourists, and also became popular among celebrities and young adults. It has made several television appearances, and was the main setting for the 2002 reality television show The Real World: Las Vegas, which contributed to its fame.

The Castaways was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It began in the 1930s, as a small motel called Mountain View. It became the San Souci in 1939, and underwent several ownership changes in its early years. A hotel addition opened on August 21, 1955, when the property became the Sans Souci Hotel. A casino, showroom, and restaurant were eventually opened on October 23, 1957. These facilities closed less than a year later, due to financial problems, although the hotel continued operations. Following a bankruptcy reorganization, the shuttered facilities reopened in May 1960. However, the property soon closed due to further financial difficulties.

Westin Las Vegas Hotel in Nevada, United States

The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa is a hotel and former casino near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The Westin is owned by Highgate and Cerberus Capital Management, and uses the Westin brand under franchise from Marriott International. It is noteworthy for being one of the first Las Vegas resorts to prohibit smoking in almost all parts of the property.

Affinity Interactive Private casino and sports betting company

Affinity Interactive, formerly known as Herbst Gaming and Affinity Gaming, is an American private casino and sports betting company based in Paradise, Nevada. It operates eight casinos in Nevada, Missouri, and Iowa, and publishes the Daily Racing Form.

Boulder Station Hotel and casino in Nevada, United States

Boulder Station is a hotel and casino located in Sunrise Manor, Nevada on Boulder Highway. It is owned and operated by Station Casinos. Groundbreaking began on August 5, 1993. The project was built at a cost of $103 million, and opened on August 23, 1994. An expansion in 1995 added a child-care facility, an 11-screen movie theater, and a video game arcade. A $50 million renovation took place in 2008, to compete against the new Eastside Cannery. A renovation of the hotel's 300 rooms was completed in 2011.

Purple Reign is a tribute show featuring the music of Prince. It has been performed mainly at casinos in the Las Vegas area. Jason Tenner produces and stars in the show.

References

  1. ↑ Bob Talbert (August 1, 1996). "National mags add a touch of Michigan". Detroit Free Press– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 John Katsilometes (November 17, 2017). "Las Vegas entertainer Joey Scinta dies at 69". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  3. 1 2 Dan Herbeck (June 25, 2002). "Hitting the jackpot". Buffalo News– via NewsBank.
  4. 1 2 Mike Weatherford (May 12, 2000). "Family recipe". Las Vegas Review-Journal– via NewsBank.
  5. ↑ John Corr (April 17, 1981). "Hef's newest hutch hits the Boardwalk". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. 1 2 Robert J. McCarthy; T.J. Pignataro (November 19, 2017). "Joey Scinta, West Side native and part of famed Las Vegas act, dies at 69". The Buffalo News. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  7. ↑ Connie Bloom (February 24, 2000). "Scintas get a full house". Akron Beacon Journal– via NewsBank.
  8. ↑ "Scinta says no". Akron Beacon Journal. November 22, 1987 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Norm Clarke (March 12, 2016). "Nancy Reagan's war on drugs was personal for Frankie Scinta". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  10. ↑ Mark Faris (January 30, 1986). "Buffalo-based Scintas are buffaloed in Akron". Akron Beacon Journal– via NewsBank.
  11. 1 2 3 Mitch Hotts (June 6, 2018). "Hotts Spots: Show must go on for Scintas despite losses". Macomb Daily. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  12. ↑ F. Andrew Taylor (March 10, 2016). "Scintas family show brings back Vegas charm". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  13. ↑ Robin Leach (April 25, 2013). "The Scintas miss their sister Chrissi — but find love with Janien Valentine". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
  14. ↑ Kerry Clawson (July 25, 2013). "The Scintas to bring a bit of Vegas to Akron". Akron Beacon Journal– via Newspapers.com. (Part 2 of article)
  15. ↑ Brock Radke (October 15, 2018). "Frankie Scinta gets comfortable at the South Point Showroom". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2018-10-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.