How did Vegas Pauly C become a household name in Las Vegas?

It is a random Monday in downtown Las Vegas, and Paul Contino is posing for a newspaper photographer at the Carousel Bar outside the Plaza hotel-casino. A couple walking by with adult beverages in their hands stop to take a second look before the man wonders aloud if Contino is “Walter White’s doppelganger,” despite a bald head being the only noticeable resemblance to the Breaking Bad television character.

Contino answers, “No, I’m Vegas Pauly C-eeeeeeee,” in the unmistakable voice and cadence that has helped make him quasi-famous, and the man instantly realizes who he is speaking to.

“Holy crap! Can I buy you a beer?” the male tourist excitedly asks.

Contino politely declines. It is only a few minutes past 11 a.m., and the social media influencer better known as Vegas Pauly C has other things to do that day, including sitting down with the Review-Journal for an exclusive interview about his improbable and unexpected rise to Sin City notoriety.

“I can’t explain it either,” he said with a chuckle. “But it’s very interesting because everything I do is totally organic.”

Contino’s scattershot style and no-holds-barred approach have made Vegas Pauly C one of the city’s biggest social media influencers. His Instagram account has more than 460,000 followers.

Contino is an unlikely social media influencer, particularly in a city obsessed with image and carefully crafted messaging. He is a 60-year-old, self-described compulsive gambler with a genetic mutation (CCAATT), an undeniable New York accent and a penchant for offering strong opinions. He does not focus on creating a singular type of content. A sampling of Vegas Pauly C videos includes tours of casino suites, prolonged bubble craps sessions, impromptu interviews with a ’90s pop star, pointed criticisms of gambling companies, strip club recommendations and a first-person POV of a $5,000 dining experience at Papi Steak.

Contino admittedly revels in the rush from the digital engagement, both good and bad, resulting from the content he posts online.

“I’m an empathetic narcissist,” he says matter-of-factly. “So, I love the attention of being on (social media), but as an empath, I want to hear people’s opinions. I want to hear what people have to say. It’s one of my greatest strengths.”

The climb to the upper echelon of Vegas social media influencers has not been completely smooth sailing.

A long-standing feud with another well-known local influencer led to accusations of questionable business practices, attempted character assassinations and cyber-bullying. The back-and-forth between the two influencers remains unsettled, and Contino still occasionally makes unprovoked comments disparaging his Vegas adversary.

On a different front, Contino chronicled his involvement with a failed taco shop in Las Vegas, in which he claims he was the victim of an unscrupulous partner who has not, to date, been charged with any crime. Contino is also behind another yet-to-be-fruitful endeavor called Casino Comp Wallet, which is the handle of his Instagram account.

Even his latest business venture, Vegas Tacos Siiii in Henderson, is struggling, he said.

When it comes to money, Contino is upfront. He said the monetization of his social media accounts nets him about $5,000 a month, which, as he describes it, is “as far as I can take it. I can’t take it (any) further, because I’m failing. I’m broke. I borrowed money from everybody I know.”

Nonetheless, Vegas Pauly C has become a household name.

Among the Vegas notables who recognize Contino’s draw is Jonathan Jossel, the chief executive officer of the Plaza hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas. Neither Jossel nor Plaza has any formal business dealings with Contino, but the casino executive is cognizant of the social media influencer’s broad appeal.

“He’s entertaining,” Jossel said about why he believes Vegas Pauly C has become so popular. “And he’s not afraid to speak his mind. It’s not always accurate, not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s real, and that’s refreshing in today’s world.”

Contino’s approach has come with benefits.

There is a blackjack table at the Rio hotel-casino with “Vegas Pauly C” emblazoned on the felt. In the past few months, Contino has received VIP treatment at a casino nightclub, complete with a mini marquee that reads “LIV Loves Vegas Pauly C. ” He was an invited guest to the opening of the Palm Tree Beach Club at MGM Grand and joined a Vegas high-roller on a vacation to the Bahamas.

His biggest win, however, is the conclusion of his years-long, one-sided internet “beef” with Resorts World Las Vegas. After getting banned from the Strip megaresort for relentlessly criticizing management, Resorts World’s now-former chief executive officer, Alex Dixon, reached out to Contino and buried the hatchet. A picture of Contino and Dixon shaking hands on the casino floor at Resorts World got nearly 15,000 “likes,” a testament to his followers’ investment in the saga.

“He’s a sweetheart,” Contino said of Dixon. “(They) disarmed me with Alex. They were clever. But (the property) is still gonna (sic) go down the (expletive) because they’re never going to give him the tools to succeed.”

Contino might be adding “casino prophet” to his Instagram bio. A few days after this interview was conducted, Resorts World moved Dixon into a new role and appointed Carlos Castro as property president and chief financial officer.

The ups and downs of his Vegas journey are part of the appeal for Contino. It is why he keeps doing what he’s doing.

“It’s some sort of dopaminergic reaction to being authentic. I don’t know,” Contino said. “You could sit here and ask me any effing thing, and you’ll get answers that you don’t even want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @ac2vegas-danzis.bsky.social or @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.