Dean Martin

Las Vegas, 1950s-1980s

Born: 1917, Steubenville, Ohio, as Dino Paul Crocetti
Died: December 25, 1995, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, aged 78
First Las Vegas engagement: 1948, at the Flamingo with Jerry Lewis, earning $15,000 a week
Solo Las Vegas debut: 1957, at the Sands, followed by a five-year contract
Summit at the Sands: 1960, with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop
The Riviera: Signed a $200,000-a-week contract in 1969 and became a part-owner
MGM Grand: Opening-night headliner at the original MGM Grand in 1973, in its 1,200-seat Celebrity Room
Last Las Vegas appearance: 1990, at Bally's
Street named for him: Dean Martin Drive, renamed from Industrial Road in October 2005
Where to see his legacy today: Dean Martin Drive, just west of the Strip

About

Dean Martin was born Dino Paul Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio, in 1917, and worked briefly as a blackjack dealer in an illegal casino before turning to singing. In 1946 he teamed with comic Jerry Lewis, and the pair became one of the hottest acts in show business. They first played Las Vegas at the Flamingo in 1948, earning $15,000 a week, and remained one of the Strip's most popular acts until they split in 1956.

Martin opened as a solo act at the Sands in 1957 and soon signed a five-year contract. His relaxed, seemingly tipsy stage persona became his trademark; a showgirl would wheel out a drink cart, and he would announce, "I don't drink anymore, and I don't drink any less." UNLV historian Michael Green notes the glass often held apple juice. In 1960 he joined Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop for the "Summit at the Sands", and he and Sinatra held small stakes in the hotel.

After Howard Hughes bought the Sands, Martin moved to the Riviera, where in 1969 he signed a $200,000-a-week contract and became a part-owner. In 1973 he was the opening-night headliner at Kirk Kerkorian's new MGM Grand, and it remained his main Las Vegas venue even after it became Bally's in 1986. Many of his televised "Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts" were filmed in Las Vegas.

The death of his son, Dean Paul, in a 1987 plane crash devastated him. He left a 1988 reunion tour with Sinatra and Davis after a few shows, and made his last Las Vegas appearance at Bally's in 1990. Martin died on Christmas Day 1995. Strip hotels dimmed their lights in his honor, and in October 2005 part of Industrial Road was renamed Dean Martin Drive.

What to expect

Dean Martin Drive runs through the southwest part of the valley, just west of the Strip, to just north of Flamingo Road, where it becomes Industrial Road again. The Liberace Garage, which displays Liberace's cars and pianos, is on Dean Martin Drive.

The Sands, where he made his name, is gone; the Venetian stands on the site. The original MGM Grand, his longtime venue, still stands and has operated as Horseshoe Las Vegas since December 2022.

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Good to know

In 1976 Sinatra arranged a surprise on-air reunion between Martin and Jerry Lewis during Lewis's Labor Day telethon in the Sahara's Congo Room, ending two decades of silence between them.
Martin and Lewis reunited once more for a show on Martin's birthday in 1989.
The Online Nevada Encyclopedia says his heavy drinking was viewed more as a stage prop than as reality.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1993 and died of acute respiratory failure, according to the Review-Journal.

Questions about Dean Martin

Where did Dean Martin perform in Las Vegas?

Martin first played Las Vegas at the Flamingo in 1948 with Jerry Lewis. As a solo act he headlined the Sands from 1957, then moved to the Riviera in 1969, where he was a part-owner. From 1973 his main venue was the original MGM Grand, later Bally's, where he made his last Las Vegas appearance in 1990.

Is there a street named after Dean Martin in Las Vegas?

Yes. In October 2005 part of Industrial Road, just west of the Strip, was renamed Dean Martin Drive. It runs through the southwest part of the valley to just north of Flamingo Road, where it turns back into Industrial Road. Businesses on it include the Liberace Garage, which displays Liberace's cars and pianos.

Did Dean Martin really drink on stage?

Less than his act suggested. His solo shows featured a drink cart and the line "I don't drink anymore, and I don't drink any less," but the Online Nevada Encyclopedia says his drinking was viewed more as a prop than reality. UNLV historian Michael Green notes that the glass he carried on stage often contained apple juice.

Did Dean Martin own part of a Las Vegas casino?

Yes. Martin and Frank Sinatra held small percentages of the Sands, according to UNLV historian Michael Green. After Howard Hughes bought the Sands, Martin moved to the Riviera, where in 1969 he signed a $200,000-a-week contract and became a part-owner and entertainment consultant.

When did Dean Martin die?

Dean Martin died on December 25, 1995, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, at age 78, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in 1993. Las Vegas Strip hotels dimmed their lights in his honor. He had made his last Las Vegas appearance in 1990 at Bally's, the former MGM Grand where he had opened in 1973.