Frank Marino (female impersonator)
Encyclopedia
Frank Marino is a female impersonator dubbed Ms. Las Vegas for his longtime starring role as Joan Rivers
in the Las Vegas
drag
revue
Frank Marino's Divas Las Vegas, playing at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino
on the Las Vegas Strip
. Famous for his lavish on-stage wardrobe (much of which was designed by Bob Mackie
, who has also done fashions for Rivers), Marino has received two Las Vegas Walk of Fame
stars and received another star as well as having a street named after him when Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman
honored his hard work and commitment to the Las Vegas performance world with "Frank Marino Day" on February 1, 2005.
Marino has been playing Joan Rivers in Las Vegas drag shows since 1985 and, according to his 2005 appearance on the Discovery Health Channel
series Plastic Surgery: Before and After, once held the unofficial record for the longest continuous performance run at a single casino in Las Vegas when he played Rivers for more than 20 years at the Riviera Hotel and Casino
in the long-running drag show An Evening at La Cage; according to his website, he now holds the record as the longest-active and longest-running headliner on the Strip. He has appeared both as his Joan Rivers persona and as himself in several movies and TV shows. Once sued by Rivers for $5,000,000 (US) in the 1980s, the pair have since reconciled and have even appeared on TV shows together.
Marino and his longtime partner Alex [Shannon] Schechter currently reside in Las Vegas. In late 2004, Marino, his birth mother Mary Mastrangelo, and Alex's mother Malka Schechter were filmed for a feature for Plastic Surgery: Before and After, having a family outing at Dr. Goesel Anson's plastic surgery practice; the trio's plastic surgery results were shown for the first time on national TV in May 2005.
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
in the Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
Frank Marino's Divas Las Vegas, playing at the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino
Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino
Imperial Palace is a 2,640 room hotel and a casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The hotel and casino were owned by Imperial Palace LLC until purchased by the current owner, Caesars Imperial Palace Corporation a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment Corp..-History:From 1959 to...
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. Famous for his lavish on-stage wardrobe (much of which was designed by Bob Mackie
Bob Mackie
Robert Gordon Mackie is an American fashion designer, best known for his costuming for entertainment icons such as Judy Garland, Cher, Diana Ross, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner, and Mitzi Gaynor...
, who has also done fashions for Rivers), Marino has received two Las Vegas Walk of Fame
Las Vegas Walk of Fame
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, started in January 2005 using 18-inch bronze gaming chips to honor the people who helped make Vegas famous.The venue was started as part of Las Vegas' 100th Centennial celebration....
stars and received another star as well as having a street named after him when Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman
Oscar Goodman
Oscar Baylin Goodman is an American lawyer and politician. He was the mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1999 to 2011. Mayor Goodman is an Independent and a former member of the Democratic Party.-Biography:...
honored his hard work and commitment to the Las Vegas performance world with "Frank Marino Day" on February 1, 2005.
Marino has been playing Joan Rivers in Las Vegas drag shows since 1985 and, according to his 2005 appearance on the Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel
Discovery Health Channel is a website owned by Discovery Communications, created for people interested in health and wellness. Until December 31, 2010, it was a U.S. cable television specialty channel dedicated to television programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness...
series Plastic Surgery: Before and After, once held the unofficial record for the longest continuous performance run at a single casino in Las Vegas when he played Rivers for more than 20 years at the Riviera Hotel and Casino
Riviera (hotel and casino)
The Riviera is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The hotel has over 2,100 rooms, many located in a 23-story tower. The casino has of gaming space.-History:...
in the long-running drag show An Evening at La Cage; according to his website, he now holds the record as the longest-active and longest-running headliner on the Strip. He has appeared both as his Joan Rivers persona and as himself in several movies and TV shows. Once sued by Rivers for $5,000,000 (US) in the 1980s, the pair have since reconciled and have even appeared on TV shows together.
Marino and his longtime partner Alex [Shannon] Schechter currently reside in Las Vegas. In late 2004, Marino, his birth mother Mary Mastrangelo, and Alex's mother Malka Schechter were filmed for a feature for Plastic Surgery: Before and After, having a family outing at Dr. Goesel Anson's plastic surgery practice; the trio's plastic surgery results were shown for the first time on national TV in May 2005.