This is an I-Heart podcast.

And we continue with our American stories.

And up next, Mike Levin, who was the president and chief operating officer of Las Vegas

Sands, and an all-around hotel superstar, one of the great hoteliers of all time. More important,

a personal friend and a wise man and wisdom, my goodness, in short supply these days. And he

transfers his wisdom through story, a Jewish guy

who loves storytelling like almost nobody else. Up next is Mike telling a story about how he puts

his customers in charge. I can tell sales stories, really, for the rest of the time we have together.

But at the end of the day, I really like the customers, just like my father.

My best lesson was very early.

And I think it's in my book.

It talks about the New York State Savings Association.

It's the guy named Bill Bodine.

A Bodine was his last name. It was my first booking. He says, funny you're in here, he said, because I need a lunch for 60 people. He said, can you find out? I said, sure, it was around the corner, he was on Fifth Avenue too. On the corner, I went back, checked the book with a guy guy banquet guy and we had a space rail with the

Madison room at the Roseville held 60 people for lunch I went back to him didn't use the phone

you know he had the cell phones or anything you went walk back said I got the room for you and whatever

it's four dollars and 25 cents for whatever was at that time, plus gratuity.

And he said, fine, he said, I need 10 tables of six.

And I said, okay, what do I know? Ten tables are, I didn't know ten tables of six.

I didn't know it, 12-inch round, 12-foot rounds from 10-foot rounds. I didn't know, and no one taught me anything.

So I go back

and I say to Herbert I'm in the banquet guy I said I need 10 tables of six can't do it

...