P Moss is a musician, businessman, and author. His latest book, “Screwing Sinatra” is a fun twist on the events surrounding the 1960 presidential election, in which John F. Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon — possibly with a mob influence and Vegas connection.
Why write historical fiction when real life is so ridiculous to begin with — especially politics?
“It’s fun. You get to make bad guys the good guys, and the good guys the bad guys. You get to put words in their mouth and make 'em do things they might not ordinarily do.
“There's a lot of Las Vegas in my novel. It starts with a Rat Pack show in 1960. Frank Sinatra, JFK, and gangster Sam Giancana conspire to rig the presidential election, which they do, but promises went unfulfilled. The mob got betrayed, Sinatra got blamed and was in trouble from all sides. It's crazy, and there's an unbelievably wild twist at the end.”
You own and operate the Double Down Saloon and Frankie’s Tiki Room, which could both be on the Mount Rushmore of Vegas bars. What do you think the other two should be?
“I like the Huntridge Tavern, I don’t know what number four would be, but I’m partial to dive bars. I feel comfortable there. When I was in high school and told my mom I'm going to the library, I’d find some dive bar that would serve me. When I opened Double Down, my aim was to create a bar where I, myself, would want to drink. It'll be 33 years in November.”
In the current era of the $22 cocktail, do we need dive bars more than ever in Vegas?
“You can equate us to the old Las Vegas, which was great. Everything was cheap. Rooms were cheap, drinks were cheap, food was cheap, shows were cheap. The casinos made their money at the gaming tables. They knew what they were doing.
“When corporations took over, that all changed. They’re all complaining, ‘Oh, we're losing money 'cause nobody's coming.’ Nobody's coming because you're charging $26 for a bottle of water in your mini bar. They just don't get it.
“Give customers a few $8 drinks and make 'em comfortable, and they’re gonna stay. It's a simple business because Las Vegas is a people-oriented place. Make people happy, they will spend money. Make people happy, they will come back.”
Hear more from P Moss during a reading and conversation with City Cast Las Vegas’ own Dayvid Figler tomorrow, Sept. 18, 7 p.m. at the Writer’s Block. Admission is free.
