On a whim, my neighbor Nick, my son Ben, and I planned a trip to the Big Smoke in Las Vegas in November of 2006. While on our way in to the Big Smoke I had lost my ticket. I had stopped in the restroom before going in and had left it in there. Half way to the entrance, (which was quite a distance), I remembered and went back for it while Nick and Ben went to get in line. No luck in finding it! I even checked with security with no luck. Here I am, without my ticket that I had paid $175 for and a trip we had planned for a year. All I kept thinking was how this has just ruined our trip.

I went back to the entrance to get with Nick and Ben and buy a new ticket. I saw Nick in line with a couple of guys we had met the night before while on Freemont Street. He calls me over and asked if I had found my ticket? I told him “no” and was on my way to buy a new one. Nick tells me to talk to Ben he has worked something out. I run into Ben while heading to the counter to purchase a new ticket. He asked me it I had found my ticket. I told him “no” and I needed to purchase a new one. He said, “don’t, I can get in as a vendor so here take mine”. I don’t understand? Ben says, “ I can get in for free, I will tell you about it later”. So I took his ticket and got in line. I could not believe what was happening. This could turn out to be a great night after all. They finally opened the doors and we all went in. Nick and I were going to all the vendor’s booths and getting our cigars. We finally run into Ben and he is working a booth. I could not believe what I was seeing. People kept going up to him like he was the most popular vendor in the place. All Nick and I could do was watch in amazement. How did Ben get in as a vendor?

The night ended and we could not believe what had just happened. Ben told us all about it. He told us how he approached the vendors booth, said he was here to start working, and they put him to work. We laugh out loud in disbelief of what had just happened. He told us the supervisors were questioning him; “Who are you, Where did you come from, What area do you work in? He had an answer for every question.

The next day on our way back home we were still talking about the trip. Nick told Ben, “I bet they’re still wondering who you were. One minute you’re a hard working vendor and the next your gone. I bet they’re wondering if you were even there or not. It’s almost like you were a ghost.” At that very moment, we formed the club, ‘Ghost Smoke’, which is now the name of our business.