SANDY HACKETT REVEALS
AS GUEST COLUMNIST FOR ROBIN LEACH
IN ‘LAS VEGAS WEEKLY’ THAT HIS HEARTACHE
LINGERS LONG AFTER HIS
LEGENDARY FATHER BUDDY’S DEATH

In an exclusive blog post written for Las Vegas Weekly August 2, Sandy Hackett—one of many local celebrities guesting for Robin Leach, who is on vacation in Tuscany–reveals a painful side of being the son of one of the world’s most beloved comedians.  

When Buddy Hackett died in 2003, he left behind an accumulated wealth in the millions. He told Sandy about estate planning when the two would tour together, but, the younger Hackett says, he didn’t take his own advice. Buddy simply trusted Sandy’s mother to fulfill his wishes and manage the trust he set up for his kids 35 years before his passing when his kids weren’t old enough to make decisions.

Sandy reveals that a new man he calls “The Felon” made his way into his mother’s life. Twenty-four years her junior, this man has served time in prison for stealing from others and has conned her into making him a co-trustee on the Hackett assets.

Sandy, whose acclaimed production “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” debuted at the Sahara Hotel & Casino’s Main Showroom in 2009, writes: “He’s already gotten her to give him millions, and recently I came to find out he got her to marry him. My sister and I were forced to file a petition in L.A. Superior Court to safeguard my father’s legacy, protect my mother from the undue influence of ‘The Felon’ and prevent him from fleecing her of everything and leaving her destitute.

“My mother refuses to talk with me or my sister despite our repeated attempts to open the lines of communication. I have lost a mother, and ‘The Felon’ is trying to manage my father’s legacy. It’s all so pathetic and not what my father wanted.”

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, officially declared May 26, 2010 as “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Day” in a proclamation ceremony inside City Hall. “Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show” is produced by Sandy and his wife, producer/singer/songwriter Lisa Dawn Miller, daughter of legendary songwriter Ron Miller. The show celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the original Rat Pack in Las Vegas and recently wrapped a stint in San Francisco that is part of its celebration tour.