Posted on: September 16, 2025, 01:41h.
Last updated on: September 16, 2025, 02:01h.
- Vinnie Favorito was regarded in Las Vegas as a successor to Don Rickles
- Aside from his comedic talent, Favorito was a dedicated gambler known for soliciting money from audience members
- A new documentary highlights Favorito’s journey through his career and gambling struggles
Back in the Rat Pack era, if a cocktail server faced a financial crisis, Frank Sinatra would generously tip her a hundred dollars. However, in the early 2000s, the dynamic shifted — particularly for some attendees of Vinnie Favorito’s numerous Las Vegas Strip shows.
The former headliner from the Strip would often approach anyone he suspected had financial means, asking for loans.
“Vinnie Plays Vegas: The Con Man of Comedy,” currently available on Amazon Prime, delves into the rise and fall of an entertainer who exploited audience members to sustain his gambling compulsion.
“I wanted to repay everyone,” Favorito confessed to director Brian Burkhardt, a friend and fellow comedian, during the film, “but the deeper I went, the more I lied. It became a vicious cycle.”
An insult comedian once heralded as the next Don Rickles, Favorito has always capitalized on audience interactions. This involves asking spectators about their origins and professions before crafting tailored jokes.
However, unlike Rickles, Favorito sought out marks in addition to comedy content.
After performances, he would approach audience members with stable, high-income jobs, asking for loans that typically ranged from $1,000 to $15,000.
“It’s kind of [the] same skill,” explained Mike Weatherford, a co-writer of the documentary, who covered Favorito’s antics as an entertainment reporter for The Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He made sure to connect with the doctors, suggesting, ‘Let’s hit the golf course together.’”
Favorito engaged in this act (and scheme) across venues like Binion’s, O’Shea’s, the Flamingo, and the Westgate for nearly two decades.
Even after being let go by the Flamingo for borrowing from a waitress, he persisted. Some victims featured in the film recounted providing him funds multiple times.
“I’m not trying to justify my actions,” Favorito remarked. “But when you’re chasing quick cash, everything spirals downwards, and you don’t grasp the extent of it until it’s too late. I found myself drowning in debts and scrambling to keep my story in line … But the jackpot never arrived.”
Comic Redemption
In September 2016, Favorito filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, seeking a fresh start. More than 60 creditors were vying for a fraction of the over one million dollars he owed in documented debts. The unofficial debts owed to friends, co-workers, and fans remain unknown.
“How many people out there have faced credit card debts they couldn’t pay off, whether it was years ago or now?” Favorito questioned. “It’s pretty much the same situation. You’re borrowing money, fully aware you can’t repay it, and later, you’re trying to escape the cycle.”
Weatherford shared with Casino.org that he believes merely confessing to his addiction may not suffice to rebuild Favorito’s reputation — “unless he embarks on an apology tour and raises funds for Gamblers Anonymous.”
Favorito appears to concur with this sentiment.
“I’m the lowest of the low for what I did,” he told Burkhardt. “People will always see me as the gambler. ‘Don’t lend Vinnie money’ will be my legacy.”
Despite everything, Favorito continues to perform in Las Vegas, currently showcasing his act at the 170-seat Robin Leach Lounge at the Notoriety Live theater downtown.