944

The Faces Behind the Places That Light Up Vegas Nights

They're the ones who make it the place to be. They're the ones who hold the keys to the V.I.P. Once again, 944 has cut through the hype to find the individuals who are driving the nightlife scene to new heights and shaking up the status quo. Meet the people who go bump in the night.

Lauren Kleban - The GoGo
"As a GoGo dancer, I get to be the star of my own show each night," boasts Lauren Kleban, the lead GoGo for Moon and Playboy Club at the Palms. The 29-year-old has graced the platforms of countless Las Vegas nightlife venues, has danced at the Can Can Cabaret at Paris, and is a member of the The Lost Vegas Crew (dance crew). Aside from seducing the masses, Kleban also teaches hip-hop and cabaret classes at UNLV and a jazz fusion class at Aradia Fitness Studio. "Unfortunately, GoGo dancers have a short 'shelf life' so I will eventually have to move out of the nightclub industry," she says, "Nobody wants to see a 65-year-old in booty shorts!" When Kleban's time as a performer expires, she plans to run her own dance and yoga studio.

P Moss - The Punk Rock Proprietor
After moving to Las Vegas in 1992, P Moss decided to open a bar that would reflect his eccentric style and personality. His concept developed into what is now one of the longest-standing, most celebrated hangouts in town - The Double Down Saloon. In March 2006, Moss debuted a second Double Down Saloon in New York City, and then created Frankie's Tiki Room in Vegas last December. "I love the 24-hour action of this industry, plus I get to drink at work," he jokes. Aside from his eclectic taste in music, which ranges from psychobilly to punk and garage, Moss is an avid collector of black-and-white crime movies, of which he owns nearly 2,000 titles. Additionally, Moss will be releasing his first short-fiction book, Blue Vegas, this October.

Ronn Nicolli - The Marketing Maven
As the Director of Strategic Marketing for Tryst, XS, and Drai's, it is nearly impossible for anything to catch Ronn Nicolli off guard. However, one night will always remain a stand-out in his mind. "I will never forget the night at Tryst when I witnessed an epic bottle war between two groups of individuals who collectively spent more than a quarter of a million dollars," Nicolli says. "It is crazy to comprehend the amount of money that people will spend to simply make a Vegas memory." Though moments of leisure are far and few between for Nicolli (he spends countless hours brainstorming fresh ideas and working on new projects), he admits to keeping a low profile outside of work. While others are out about town, Nicolli prefers to spend his cherished free-time in a dim-lit room, cloaked in a Hugh Hefner style smoking jacket while indulging in 15-year aged Brandy, and reading classic novels.

Natasha Meade - The Cocktail Server
"I love giving great service and making sure people are always happy and having a good time," says Natasha Meade, cocktail server at The Bank nightclub. "However, there are some downsides to working a lot of hours and hurting your body from no sleep, drinking, and wearing six-inch heels!" 24-year-old Meade is one of the few who was actually born and raised here in Las Vegas, and she is saving up her hard-earned cash to open a boutique with her sister. Outside of The Bank, Meade loves to spend her time off indulging in great restaurants and great wine, though she admits to having the most fun prancing around with her girlfriends and fellow cocktail servers at Jet nightclub every Monday.

Michael Snedegar - The One to Know
Anyone who is at all familiar with the star-studded events that take place at Tao, Lavo and Tao Beach has undoubtedly seen Mike Snedegar's production magic at hand. Snedegar moved to Las Vegas in 2001, and squeezed into the nightclub business as a busboy at Foundation Room. A mere three years later, in what seems to be the fastest upward movement of anyone in the field, he became one-half of the entertainment marketing team at Tao Group, specializing in celebrity relations, marketing, PR and advertising. He is now regarded as one of the most influential people in town. "I love the inter-connectedness of the nightlife industry, and I love to connect people together who can help each other out," Snedegar says, "Plus I get to work with celebrities and other people in the entertainment industry that I admire."

DJ Hollywood - The DJ
Leandro Vlastaris Jr., better known as DJ Hollywood, is currently the corporate programming director for Pure Management Group, as well as the co-owner of The Beat Clan artist management group. "The [nightlife] industry seems to be fearless and has no plans of stopping!" he exclaims. This is the case for Vlastaris as well, whose future agenda includes ownership of a venue or two. Outside of music, you can find Vlastaris perfecting his poker face at one of the many high-stakes tables around town.

Sara Bradley - The Socialite
If anyone deserves the Miss Hard Rock crown, it is 24-year-old Sara Bradley. By day, Bradley takes on the legendary Hard Rock pool parties, Rehab and Relax, as a Cabana Candy girl and Hart & Huntington promotional model. By night, the pool goddess delivers cocktails and bottles to the throngs of partygoers at Carey Hart's Wasted Space nightclub. "Being in Vegas is like living on vacation," Bradley says, "I meet people from all over the world, and I help to make their vacations memorable." Though Bradley is a passionate hairstylist at heart, she is definitely taking advantage of the lucrative offerings of the nightlife industry, and is saving up to relocate back to her hometown, Seattle, to fulfill her dream of opening her own salon.

Andrew "AC" Cohen - The Mix Master
Esteemed bartender, professional poker player, thriving entrepreneur, and devoted family man - Andrew "AC" Cohen is making headlines across the entire Las Vegas spectrum. Though you may recognize him as the man behind the booze at N9NE Steakhouse, he is also the brains behind Thesolesociety.com, an online shopping mecca for shoe, sneaker and handbag addicts. "I am completely obsessed with sneakers, and have been addicted to shoes all my life," Cohen says. "The nightlife industry has afforded me the opportunity to create a much needed business out of that addiction, and I am so thankful for that!" Cohen checked off a lifelong goal recently by garnering one of the most coveted titles in Las Vegas - "World Series of Poker Bracelet Winner."

Makeup by Natasha Chamberlin | Styling by Melinda Thompson | Location at Desert Ice Studios

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