Sammy Davis Jr. Mansion Estate Sale

For the first time, the Sammy Davis Jr. Mansion will be open to the public this week to hold a giant “Rat Pack Memorabilia Estate Sale.”  The estate sale starts and runs Nov 21-24th (Thur-Sun / 9am-6pm).  The mansion is at 221 Dalmatian Lane;   Las Vegas, NV  89107 –  – near I-95 & S. Rancho Drive, in the Rancho Bel Air gated community. Details and maps are further explained on www.SammySammySammy.com.

THIS IS A PRIVATE ACCESS SALE BY APPT ONLY:  To get access to the open house and private estate sale you must call to make an appointment. Please contact Dave Keenan to schedule a time for viewing in our gated community.  We have a very strict entry point with a guard at all times - you must tell the guard you are a "guest of Dave Keenan at 221 Dalmatian" for entry at your scheduled appointment time. Call Dave for any questions you have ---> 512.228.1829

RAT PACK ITEMS ARE BEING SOLD:  Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, and Peter Lawford all partied with Sammy and left behind personal items in the mansion, including: books, records and clothes. These items are all for sale. Guests can also buy two major “props” from the 1960’s Rat Pack movie Ocean’s 11: a Steinway grand piano and a pool table will be sold. Both were used in background shots and have “Warner Bros. Property Department” inventory numbers stamped on them. 

Interestingly, Warner Bros. was not going to sell either item to Sammy, BUT with Frank Sinatra’s strong influence, the studio agreed and also sold Sammy some of the crystal doorknobs and marble used on the movie set. The estate will also be selling early stereo records collected by Dean Martin, Caesars Palace creator (Jay Sarno), and the current owners.

PURCHASE CAESARS FIXTURES:  As visitors walk through the estate, they will be able to purchase many items that were originally from Caesars Palace and Circus-Circus.  Caesars Palace items include:  7 feet tall crystal chandeliers, elegant Persian carpets, statues, planter boxes and classic paintings. Circus-Circus items include:  several light fixtures from their original coffee shop, as well as a large Midcentury Modern light from their gift shop. 

DESIGN EXCELLENCE:  Sammy Davis Jr. and his wife Altovise spent three busy years building their mansion on Dalmatian Lane, finding the best builders and artists in Las Vegas. The couple personally chose the marble, stained glass, crystal, and exotic woods found throughout the estate. Because his wife loved roses, Sammy  had several fragrant rose gardens planted.  Sammy also commissioned five stained glass windows that feature a white rose. This unique stained glass required 24 carat gold to create the red “fire” color when sunlight hits the custom windows.  Sammy also spent over a year trying to convince Jay Sarno to sell two of the giant crystal chandeliers hanging in Caesars Palace. Sarno finally agreed when he decided to remodel the casino in 1979.

IRS PROBLEMS SURFACE:  The week Sammy was to move into his mansion and estate, the IRS froze his assets. They explained that Sammy’s accountant was embezzling and skipping tax payments. They presented Sammy with a tax bill exceeding one million dollars! The family was devastated.

Sammy’s friend Jay Sarno – creator of Caesar’s Palace – stepped in and bought the estate for Sammy, promising  that Sammy and his Rat Pack friends could hold parties any time they wanted. Thus, Jay Sarno became the official owner of the Sammy Davis Jr. Mansion – regularly hosting poolside parties for “the gang.”

CAESARS INFLUENCE: Jay soon added many more Caesars Palace items to Sammy’s design. Jay also created two “Safe Rooms.” One room is on the second floor, complete with emergency phones and a panic button. The basement wine cellar converts into the second Safe Room, complete with air filtration and one week of emergency food supplies. Both rooms were highly advanced for the Seventies.

SINATRA’S PHONE:  Perhaps the most unusual feature in the estate is Jay Sarno’s  red 1960’s dial telephone.  Frank Sinatra used the phone to tell the Sands Casino that he was quitting and moving to Caesars Palace (performing on the Circus Maximus stage). As Sinatra shouted, “hey…and you can tell Howard  F*****G  Hughes that I quit!” Sinatra screamed.   “I built this joint (the Sands Casino), I used to own it. I don’t give a  $**T  about the new accountant rules.  Frank Sinatra continued ranting. “I built this place from a sand pile, and before I am through that’s what it is going to be again,”  Sinatra finished by slamming down the red phone.

RAT PACK ADMIRERS UNITE:  We are serious about finding good homes for my dad’s Rat Pack collections. We will offer special discounts for those who can prove they are true fans of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. or Peter Lawford.”

IN SUMMARY:  Everything in the mansion is included in the massive open house & estate sale: memorabilia, signed records, Ocean’s 11 movie props, rare Caesars Palace artifacts and more. The estate sale will start November 21-24th (Thur-Sun / 9am-6pm).  The mansion is at 221 Dalmatian Lane;   Las Vegas, NV  89107 –  – near I-95 & S. Rancho Drive, in the Rancho Bel Air gated community. Details and maps are further explained on www.SammySammySammy.com. Call Dave, cell.512.228.1829, for further press information.