SUMMER OF 81 ... JUST RECRUITED FROM CAESARS BACCARAT BY DEL WEBB CLARIDGE (HI-HO CASINO) ... THEY NEED SUPERVISORS WITH GAMING LICENSES TO OPEN. A NICE $5000 SIGN ON BONUS AND $180 PER DAY ... I TOOK THE MONEY AND OPENED THE CLARIDGE. PARK PLACE CASINO HIRED WILLIE MAYS AS A SPORTS HOST ... LATER THE CLARIDGE HIRED MICKEY MANTLE ... THE TWO CASINOS HELD A SPORTS CELEBRITY GOLF EVENT FOR HI-ROLLERS AT THE ATLANTIS COUNTRY CLUB NORTH OF A.C. .... I WORKED WITH MICKEY ...HE WOULD VISIT PLAYERS IN BACCARAT AND TAKE PHOTOS ETC. UPSTAIRS THE CLARIDGE HAD AN ARCADE GAME ROOM ...IT WAS KIND OF HIDDEN AND MICKEY AND I WOULD PLAY PIN BALL AND SNEAK A DRINK ... ONE NIGHT I CAME ON DUTY IN BACCARAT AND MICKEY WAS PLAYING $25 BJ .... HE HAD ONE TOO MANY COCKTAILS ... WE GOT HIM TO THE PIT BOSS LOUNGE TO SLEEP IT OFF ... BACK THEN YOU COULD LOSE YOUR GAMING LICENSE FOR GAMBLING ... EVEN WORSE, YOUR OWN CASINO. A FEW DAYS LATER MICKEY CAME UP TO ME AND SAID THANKS FOR KEEPING IT QUIET .... WHO WOULD'NT ... YOUR MICKEY MANTLE. I GOT TO PLAY GOLF WITH HIM AND WILLIE MAYS AT ATLANTIC CITY COUNTRY CLUB ... WILLIE MAYS WAS A BETTER GOLFER THAN TIGER WOODS .... REALLY HE COULD HAVE BEEN A GOLD PRO. I ASKED WILLIE HOW COME HE DID PURSUE GOLF? ... HE POINTED TO HIS SKIN! ... I FORGOT ABOUT THE RACIST RULES BACK THEN IN SPORTS. I SAVED MICKEY'S PHOTO CARD FROM THE CLARIDGE ALL THESE YEAR'S ... CAN YOU BELIEVE I NEVER ASKED FOR HIS SIGNATURE OR PHOTO? ... I GUESS I THOUGHT HE WAS HARRASSED ENOUGH BY HIS FANS .... I GOT TO MEET HIS BROTHER HERE IN LAS VEGAS ... HE WAS A PIT BOSS AT THE VACATION VILLAGE CASINO. NUMBER 7 WAS AN AMERICAN HERO TO MOST ALL OF US AND A REALLY SUPER REGULAR GUY. HE HAD A TOUGHT TIME WITH HIS ADDICTION AND IT ALL CAME TO A SAD ENDING ... AND THAT'S MY MICKEY MANTLE STORY ... MAY HE REST IN PEACE .... THANKS FOR READING MY POST ... RICH BURGEL