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'Caesars 24/7': Crass guests bring down interesting premise

Caesars Palace in Las Vegas encompasses enough land and people to be its own city. What happens within Caesars' borders tells the story of the city that promotes glitz and glamour. And A&E's new reality series examines the inside story of what makes this city, and specifically Caesars Palace, such a tourist destination.

"Caesars 24/7" introduces viewers to the employees who keep the hotel running, and the guests who keep the casino in business. The result is a rather pathetic look at American behavior. Instead of making the casino seem glamorous, the place looks like a fancy trailer court that caters to drunks and those hoping for a one-night stand.

The show is at its best when it focuses on the employees. Joe Comastro is the pit boss, also known as the floor supervisor. After 30 years, Joe knows how to welcome guests and make sure they are legitimate gamblers.

"You always got to be on your toes cause you never know what's going to happen," says Comastro, who looks like he just stepped out of Martin Scorsese's film "Casino."

Kate Mayorga has to have the most interesting job at the casino. She is "The Grape Goddess." Her job is to strut around the pool in a bikini and feed frozen grapes to pool patrons. She's not the only one who plays a role. Jim Hogan dons Roman costumes to be Caesar, a dominating figure who will pose for pictures and reign over weddings. Hina Reed is the slots queen. The oldest of 22 children from Tahiti, Reed roams the floor making sure the slots machines run smoothly and patrons keep using the tokens. The recurring "cast" also includes Brandy, the shadow dancer at a casino bar; Valentino Crespo, a master butler who has served royalty and many celebrities; and Chuck Esposito, a "legal bookie" who is the head oddsmaker for Caesars Palace Entertainment.

They are just a sample of the 5,000 employees who work on the 87-acre casino. The resort boasts 2,000 cameras watching their 60,000 guests. Caesars is a big business, and it quickly becomes apparent that business is the main priority.

Comastro is always on hand to remind the dealers that customer winnings should not be large, although he does become concerned when nice people lose big at the tables.

Reed cringes when she hears that a man won on a slot machine for $1 million dollars. She is stunned when the man returns to the slot machines a few hours later and wins another $75,000. The casino's loss is tempered when she hears that the man has cancer and has only been given a few months to live.

But most of the guests behave like they just left "The Jerry Springer Show." Men try to pick up women with classy lines like "I'm frisky like a kitten." Women fight in the casino lobby over a philandering man. Most of the casino's patrons are loud, obnoxious and desperate. As they pout and pose for the camera, the question arises if any of their responses are genuine.

The interviews with the patrons cheapen the casino's atmosphere and remove any sense of glamour Las Vegas once held. After watching "Caesars 24/7" viewers may be canceling their plans to fly to Sin City, if only to avoid their fellow Americans.