FLYING SAUCER ENTERTAINMENT™
Chairman/CEO Johnny Edward McMahon
Parent Company JEMC
RELEVANT HISTORICAL EVENTS
Around 1992, after numerous conversations with my late best friend, Producer/Director, screenwriting collaborator and Sci-Fi/Horror aficionado, Wade Williams III, I came across his movie and poster “Flying Saucer,” part of his vast collection of nostalgic films in the Wade Williams Collection. The poster kept drawing me in to create and design a themed casino resort venture, and thanks to my late mentor/tutor and friend, Jay Sarno (Caesars Palace, Circus Circus) envisioning must-see themed casino resort ventures on Las Vegas Blvd., with unimproved property valued at $40 million dollars an acre, all the stars and planets must be aligned.
By 1997, I had tapped into a $37 billion dollar annual Sci-Fi/Horror market created and designed Flying Saucer Resorts (FSR) (5) five hotel casinos with 10,000 suites an Exposition Center (FSEC) targeting the unimproved property on the south end of Las Vegas Blvd., to employ 10,000 people. The main reason that nothing had been constructed on the property, abutting the Tropicana Hotel Casino, was due to the numerous property owners, as FLT Trust holding 7 acres, and the Schuffies holding 5 acres.
In 1998, I incorporated FSR in Nevada as a sub-C corporation. During the course of over the next three years FSR’s (5) five hotel casinos, (3) three professional sports complexes: Flying Saucer Stadium (FSS) constructed for NFL football; Flying Saucer Field (FSF) constructed for MLB baseball; and Flying Saucer Exposition Center (FSEC), a mixed venue for NBA basketball, soccer and concert shows. And running north to south, 200’ underground Las Vegas Blvd. the Underground Vegas with related entertainment venues.
During the course of over the following three years FSR came together with visual aides and contracts, with the unrelenting assistance of Jeri Reeser, and artistic renderings, of both the ventures and outdoor marquee signage by Adolfo Gonzales, both with YESCO; Trish Watkins, with IGT, rendering themed slot machines on IT CAD programs; Jim Silvers, a scratch kit model builder, who put the visual aides in place, constructing a 1 = 1/144 scale table model to be displayed in McCarran International Airport showcasing future attractions; and, Gayle Hook, from Kansas City who designed FSR web site viewed by thousands.
However, something was missing – the hook, so after praying to God and my spiritual guide and Saint, Father Edward J. Flanagan, of Boys Town, everything came together with the creation of the Rapid Transit System™ (RTS) an underground tunnel system to connect all FSR venues, and running underneath Las Vegas Blvd. from Hacienda Ave. to Sahara Ave. beginning at the McCarran baggage claim area and descending down 200’, via escalators, enabling the 1.5 million monthly inbound/out bound guests to filter through FSR 10,000 suites and venues within minutes with pets and luggage, as opposed to waiting at the baggage claim carousel for luggage, then waiting in line outside for taxi cabs, buses, or alternative transportation, whereby greatly reducing airport congestion and air quality conditions on LV Blvd.
Several local attorney’s representing FSR worked diligently to bring the venture to fruition. Attorney, Sam Lionel, of Lionel, Sawyer, Collins secured FAA and airport approval for RTS, logistical advantage abutting the airport. The approximately 10 miles of connecting tunnels, and Underground Vegas venues, would be constructed and engineered by Black & Veatch from Kansas City. Attorney, E.G. Marshall, a former Clark County District Attorney, who hired former LV Mayor, Oscar Goodman, worked with City, County and State representatives. Lou Weiner, represented FSR negotiations with all prospective license sponsors as; Lucasfilm, ILM, Steven Spielberg, Wade Williams III, and Paramount Pictures involving Star Trek venue. Attorneys, Bob Massey and Bucky Buchanan were legal consultants. General Contractors as, Dick Corporation, Marnell Correa, Perini and Bombard using union labor to construct the venues. Architectural firm Klai-Juba. Mr. McMahon negotiated with Warren Buffet and Charles Monger, of Berkshire Hathaway along with Laurence Fink, CEO of Blackrock (Merrill Lynch’s Venture Capital Arm valued at $7.6 trillion dollars) to secure the real estate with mergers and acquisitions of all publicly traded gaming companies on LV Blvd., to form a REIT to control the real estate, and Starfish Capital Partners a holding company for JEMC.
A business plan/feasibility study was conducted by Piercy, Bowler, Nye estimating taxable revenue for City, County and State of $700 million dollars per annum, and IP revenue to JEMC of $65 million dollars per annum, and by 2010 JEMC would control the gaming, hospitality/leisure industry on Las Vegas Blvd., and with strategic partners by 2020 with REIT control the real estate property on Las Vegas Blvd. from Hacienda Ave. to Sahara Ave.
By the summer of 2001, with the strategic partners in place, FSR was ready for targeting a gaming suitor to hold the gaming licenses for all FSR venues. Harrah’s Entertainment was chosen to hold the 10 year gaming licenses. I, along with Harrah’s Corporate Director of Development, Jim Baum, presented a power point presentation of FSR to Harrah’s Board of Directors, CEO, Phil Satre, and COO, Gary Loveman, to raise $9.5 billion dollars in private stock offering with stakeholders of Harrah’s Entertainment. The Board unanimously approved the funding predicated on stakeholder approval and SEC underwriting for trade. The great majority of contractual agreements with merchandising companies were contingent on Harrah’s Entertainment funding the construction of FSR ventures.
In September 2001, I conducted a power point presentation of FSR to Harrah’s Entertainment Stakeholders in New York City, including, David Bonderman, CEO of Texas Pacific Group. On 9/10/2001, the Stakeholders unanimously approved the underwriting to raise the $9.5 billion dollars to construct FSR. On 9/11/2001, I and Harrah’s stakeholders witnessed the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. On the following day Harrah’s Entertainment rescinded all contracts. JEMC, FSR and RTS lost millions in capital expenditures and billions of dollars in future earnings.
In 2002, I filed for bankruptcy protection in Kansas City taking down FSR. In 2007, I incorporated Flying Saucer Entertainment for the reconstruction of all venues, to accomplish something that hadn’t been obtained by entrepreneurs from Benjamin “Bugsy” Seigel, Howard Hughes of Summa Corporation, to Steve Wynn, complete control of the gaming hospitality/leisure business on Las Vegas Blvd.
PHASE I
Rapid Transit System™ (RTS) a sub-terrain transportation system 200’ below ground, consisting of 10 miles of tunnels connecting all FSE venues within minutes of landing, at now, Harry Reid International Airport. Over 1.5 million guests fly in and out of the airport on a monthly basis, and FSE hotels would maintain a 90% occupancy rate, with the over flow going to Caesars Palace and Harrah’s Entertainment, with sub-level connections on LV Blvd. Mr. McMahon, additionally devised a gaming point system to separate gamblers from tourist/conventioneers. A system used a decade later by Fan Duel and Draft Kings for on-line wagering. The RTS will shuttle guests from Hacienda Ave to Sahara Ave under LV Blvd through the Underground Vegas, unrestricted venues consisting of brothels, hooka smoke bars, adult strip clubs, drag review venues, comedy clubs, jazz clubs, rock and hip hop venues, with hundreds of themed slot machines and holographic 21 blackjack dealers. RTS will additionally shuttle guests to and from Phases VII-IX.
PHASE II
Flying Saucer Exposition Center (FSEC) a 60,000 seat arena featuring state of the art monitors, lighting and sound systems for concerts, sporting events, etc. Projected venue for NBA basketball and professional soccer. Consisting of a 360° surrounding rotating slot machine bar, with retail shopping venues and restaurants. A sub-level exposition center will showcase all corporate high tech innovations, products and services. The NBA team will be renamed the Las Vegas Gamblers.
PHASE III
Flying Saucer Entertainment (FSE) displaying an alien spaceship saucer, part of the twice nightly outdoor spectacle, flanked between (2) two themed hotel casinos: Star Wars™ Hotel Casino, a themed venture showcasing characters indigenous to the films of George Lucas, additionally showcasing holographic 21 blackjack dealers
PHASE IV
U.S.S. Enterprise Resorts (USSER) a themed Star Trek™ Hotel Casino, displaying a full scale replica of the 1701-A space craft, which will appear at the beginning of the outdoor show and at the conclusion will fly into the convex-shaped facade and disappear at warp speed. USSER will showcase characters that are indigenous to the series. The top floor will showcase an alien bar with characters.
PHASE V
R.M.S. Titanic Resorts (RMSTR) a public domain venture displaying a scaled replica of the historic ship, in a moat, the nautical-themed hotel casino will showcase a controlled waterfall and background monitors. An outdoor strip-side area seating for guests to witness a re-creation, twice a night, of the sinking of the Titanic. A glass enclosed underwater tunnel for guests to tour a replica of the sunken vessel. Rain, a combination dance club and wedding chapel venue, will allow newlyweds to leap into the moat.
PHASE VI
America Capitol Resorts (ACR), a public domain venture, on the former property of the Tropicana Hotel Casino. ACR a themed casino resort showcasing a scaled replica of the Washington D.C. Capitol Bldg., with surrounding hotel twin towers with a contiguous connected top floor restaurant/skating venue, an exterior long water pool and choreographed runway showcasing bathing bikini beauty contestants and showgirls, with an outdoor seating area, a strip-side marquee of Washington Monument with live bald eagles flying between the marquee and Capitol dome. Abutting ACR, in rear, the Pacific Stock Exchange (PSE) a security trading venue, sponsored by Blackrock and Merrill Lynch. Abutting PSE, Butterfly Cafe a domed glass venue and the Intergalactic Bank & Trust Bldg, an inverted pyramid Bldg. with FSE corporate offices and a top level Galaxy Gems a high end jewelry store, and a sub-level pyramid stacks of gold bullion bars sponsored by Barrick Gold Corp.
PHASE VII
Flying Saucer Stadium (FSS), reconfigured to include an exterior horse racing track surrounding FSS with access to both venues. FSS was created and designed on the same location as the current Allegiant Stadium, a decade earlier with 180 acres to be rezoned, for both complex Phase VIII and Phase IX, and NFL football.
PHASE VIII
Flying Saucer Field (FSF) a major league baseball complex with ample parking for all venues. FSF will additionally showcase a robotic baseball team played before scheduled games. FSE will pursue securing a major league team, or the A’s, by franchise expansion, or purchase outright, renaming the team Las Vegas Aliens.
PHASE IX
Flying Saucer Hip Hop Resorts (FSHHR), a themed music-related hotel casino, akin to the Hard Rock venues, situated at the far west end of the 180 acre complex with three major outdoor stages for concerts to entertain over 100,000 guests, with RTS connections, showcasing several themed rap venues, comedy/magic clubs, and alternative drag runway fashion shows, restaurants, shopping venues and on-site recording studios.
FSE ADDED ATTRACTIONS
A non-denomination church, Church of Jesus Christ the Astronauts, with halographic imagery and themed daily mass and scriptural shows. Johnny Rockets, a chromed art deco locomotive cafe venue; the Trilon and Perisphere, a 1939 Worlds Fair attraction, the round globe Perisphere seating 10,000 showcasing an interior/exterior LED monitor for advertising FSE related shows and entertainment. The same concept was replicated decades later in LV, called the Sphere. A pair of marquees at both FSE entrances, displaying V-2 rockets with flying saucers on top with holographic aliens inside and underneath the saucers LED monitors advertising shows and coming attractions. All FSE hotels will include full service amenities as; spas, fitness centers, sports books with interactive AI on-line and suite gaming, both live and robotic room service, pet-friendly outdoor parks, swimming pools, restaurants, shopping venues, slot machines indigenous to the themed venues, outdoor rickshaw transportation, strip-side a LV sidewalk Hall of Fame dedicated to past and current performers and stars, also strip-side, on the facade of the outdoor seating venues, memorials to the related disasters and heros.
MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
The Business Plan/Feasibility Study will be amended to not only put FSE in complete control of the gaming hospitality/leisure business on Las Vegas Blvd., but will destroy the bottom line of the Mandalay Group surrounding properties. God Bless and stay tuned!
Johnny E. McMahon
Chairman/CEO JEMC