Holding aloft copies of Las Vegas Guide and a ripe orange, Angelo Rosado stakes out his favorite corner along Las Vegas Boulevard to pass out the literature and greet people. Tens of thousands of people from all over the world stroll along the sun-drenched street known as the "Strip". Photo by Todd Wessell

Working Vegas

A Leisurely Stroll Along Famed Las Vegas 'Strip' Will Bring You Face-To-Face With Some Unusual People

If ever there was a place that brings together different people of various shapes, sizes and whatever else, it's Las Vegas.

We all know from either having been told or from personal experience of the one-arm bandits, mega-casinos and titillating night life. What some of us may not be aware of is the extreme diversity of people that abounds along both sides of the "Strip". These are the people who either make a living along the wide roadway or have some other purpose for being there.

As tens of thousands of visitors to "sin city" stroll up and down Las Vegas Boulevard day and night, the busy bee workers hawk everything from female companionship to stories from the Gospel. They all were friendly when we approached.

We recently met four of these unique individuals during a daytime hike from Desert Inn Road where the new Wynn Resort stretches toward the sky, south to Tropicana Avenue near New York-New York Resort. Along the canyon of casinos stands Harrah's, Flamingo, Caesar's Palace, Bellagio, MGM Grand and many others.

The first of the four we came upon was Angelo Rosado, a smiling, 5-ft., 8-inch tall middle-aged man who staked out his corner space at Harmon Avenue.

"This is my office," says Angelo as he neatly jogs his inch thick piles of Las Vegas Guide brochures for hand distribution. "There's no porn in this. Good corners don't have to deal with preachers."

Angelo explains that his job is to hand out the guides to passersby eager to discover places to go and things to see. The colorful guide details all sorts of happenings in and around Las Vegas during that time of year. He considers his job a service to people looking for interesting things to do. The busy corner has been his daytime home for the last three months. All in all, he's been doing this kind of work in Las Vegas for five years. He does not say how much he is paid.

A few blocks away, across the street from the Monte Carlo Hotel, we come upon a place called "Crazy Toys" where everything from remote controlled model-size cars to flying tops are neatly arranged in rows for people to gawk at and, hopefully, buy

Demonstrating one of the "flying saucer" toys is Roi, a native of Israel whose been in town for a month trying to make some money to pay for future travels. Roi says his plan is to travel to China when he leaves Las Vegas. After From there,, he will go back to Israel.

"I got this job through a friend," Roi explains. "Yes, people really do buy these toys." Whirring above was the flying saucer which Roi easily controlled by moving a knob with his right hand.

From Roi we met Randy, a tall unusual looking middle-aged man who was polite. Everytime he smiled, his braces would gleam in the bright sunlight of the desert.

As resident of Las Vegas, Randy's job is to spread the word of the Bible by passing out small brochures and talk to anyone willing to listen.

"You come across an unusual variety of individuals out here," Randy tells us. "Some people take out their frustrations on us, some don't. We do what we can do."

Finally, we sprint across Las Vegas Boulevard to the Boardwalk, a cluster of small, unusual shops earmarked for imminent demolition. The new $7 billion City Center redevelopment of hotels, condominiums and stores is planned for the 66 acre site where one acre of land is worth $22 million. What catches our eye is the huge clown face relief outside the Las Vegas Cigar Co. store. Just inside the doorway sits Herman, manager of the shop where display cases of sweet smelling cigars form a semi-circle in cramped quarters. Herman's been manager of the store for the last eight years. He reads the local paper as people zip by or peer inside for a quick look.

"We're going to have to find a new spot," says Herman, who struggles to hide his disappointment. "They're going to start work here in four to five months."

The Boardwalk closed about a year ago and construction on the City Center is moving along at a rapid pace. Huge cranes are in place moving building materials left and right, up and down. The first phase of the project calls fro a 4,000-room hotel and casino, three, 400-room boutique hotels, 1,650 luxury condo units and 55,000 sq. ft. for retail, dining and entertainment. When done, the City Center is expected to employ 12,000 people and be home to 10,000 residents.