Sonny Liston 'The Last Days'

Though Sonny wasn't in the so-called limelight, he was still a popular and well-liked
individual along the Las Vegas Strip.

He was welcomed in the Las Vegas community, and was the most popular
person at the Stardust Country Club.

Though he had developed a serious drinking problem, his thug-image had long been gone.
But he did have some connections with loan-sharks and gambling types, and
was a so-called 'hired gun' to collect gambling debts from late-payers.
It was easy money.
Several of his trips to Los Angeles, were for that reason alone.

One issue, he was still involved with a major law-suit for $325,000 against Bill MacDonald's Estate,
the promoter who stiffed Sonny Liston and I-C-P back in February 1964.

And that court hearing was coming up in January.

 

Tito,

Satruday Evening, the 26th, after Redd Foxx's show, Sonny was out with
Redd Foxx and his group, at The International Hotel Lounge.

Several other celebrities were present. According to the Hotel Staff, the group broke up around 3:00 AM.
And Sonny was seen on the elevator with Redd Foxx and a few other people.
No one saw Sonny leave the Hotel, but Redd Foxx was seen sometime around
11:00 AM Sunday morning, and Sonny was not with him.
The guess is, that Sonny Liston left sometime around 7:00 AM.

Accoring to Geraldine Liston, she did talk to Sonny sometime Sunday Morning, but was not sure what time. Her guess was around 10:30 AM.

 

Grady said 'He saw nothing'

 

Sonny Liston was at The International Hotel, Sunday Afternoon, December 27th, in the Keno Room.

He was actually working for the Hotel that day, as a Security Floor Walker.
And later that evening, as a Celebrity Body Guard for Redd Foxx.

Some reports were that Sonny had sold some small amounts of Cocaine to Hotel
guests and Hotel employees during that evening.
Whether he was dealing, or was a go-between for someone else was never established.

He was at The International Hotel until his shift ended at Midnight.
After that, he left and headed out to meet one of his friends John Bass, at the Silver Slipper Casino.
He was at the Casino until 2:00 PM, and left alone to go home, according to John Bass.

 

Monday, December 28,

Sonny had a breakfast appointment with Davey Pearl, his friend and advisor.
They met at 8:30 AM, at a place called Harrie's on the East Side for breakfast.
Sonny had to go to Los Angeles for 2-days, and would be back Wednesday the 30th.

During the breakfast get-together, Davey went over Sonny's early January scheduled
trip to Japan.

Sonny was back home around 11:00 AM, as he did talk over the telephone to both friends Gary Bates and
John Bass.
Sonny invited Gary Bates to come over to his home on Wednesday night, after Sonny returned from
Los Angeles.

Sometime around 2:00 PM, Sonny left for Los Angeles (5-hour drive), in his black Cadillac.
Sonny Liston did have reservations at the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel that evening.

According to his car telephone billing/call records (which were never released) Sonny did make several calls, including
2 to his wife Geraldine, who was still in St. Louis, several to The International Hotel in Las Vegas,
one to Paramount Studios, and one to Finis Henderson (booking agent)

Sonny had a Monday Night 8:30 PM meeting with booking agent representative Finis Henderson, to discuss possible guest appearances on several weekly TV Shows for the upcoming 1971 season.
Liston and Henderson dined at The Biltmore Restaraunt that evening, and were seen at the Bar/Lounge
for a couple hours after. The bartender had them both there, until 11:30 PM, when he closed the Bar area.

The Biltmore Front Desk Mangager, Keith Horwich, according to Hotel records, had the Office Receptionist place
a wake-up call to Liston's room at 8:00 AM.

Sonny Liston was seen in and around the Biltmore Hotel throughout the mid-morning and early-afternoon Tuesday.

At 2:30 PM, according to Hotel Valet records, a Taxi Cab was provided for Sonny Liston.
Liston had a 3:30 PM meeting at Paramount Studios, with casting director Jim Merrick and booking agent
representative Finis Henderson.

Jim Merrick's office did confirm a meeting with Sonny Liston and Finis Henderson that afternoon.
Both Liston and Henderson left together at 5:10 PM, according to the Front Gate Security log-book.

Sometime around 11:00 PM Tuesday Evening, Liston was dropped off at the Hotel, by a Taxi Cab.
According to the Front Desk at the Hotel, Sonny Liston checked out of The Biltmore after midnight, at 12:45 AM.
There were no records of calls made from his car telephone, during his last day, Wednesday December 30.

It appears that Liston was heading back to Las Vegas in his Cadillac. If he left at 1:00 AM, he should have
reached home in Las Vegas at approximately 6:00 AM, Wednesday Morning.

 

Small-time drug-selling at The International Hotel yes, but not 'big-time' dealing.

Minor strong-arming, but no risky life-threatening stuff.

The collector for some bookies, trying to get cash out of some 'dead-beat' gamblers,
yes, but no to muscling in on someones turf.

Sonny did like to party a little, maybe things got out of hand in December 1970.