Las Vegas Weekly

April 28, 2009 · 8:08 PM

Steve Wynn goes public with new girlfriend Andrea Hissom

By Robin Leach

Billionaire Steve Wynn stands in the atrium of the Encore.

Photo: Barbara Kraft

On a day that casino mogul Steve Wynn admitted he’d be interested in snapping up his previously owned MGM resorts on the Strip, he went public with his new British girlfriend, Andrea Hissom! She is the divorced mother of two teenage sons. The couple was spotted this afternoon and early evening in the swank Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

One of my good friends was seated in the booth adjacent to them and reported exclusively for me: “She is very elegant and looks very nice! It is very cute. He grabs her waist, and she leads him into the restaurant -- all very open and public.

They order butternut squash soup and Fiji waters, and Steve asks for coffee. They also order ice cream for two. She is doing most of the talking, and Steve listens attentively and nods in agreement. They are obviously very much a couple, and they are not concerned at all as to who sees them and greets them.”

Steve was in Los Angeles for Wall Street wizard Michael Milken’s financial conference. Steve told delegates that there were signs that the Las Vegas economy might stabilize soon, and that “if price is right,” he could be interested in buying back the Bellagio or Circus Circus from cash-strapped MGM.

Photo: Barbara Kraft

The Wynn and the Encore.

You will find those intricate details on the financial pages of the Las Vegas Sun Web site. Steve has an interesting take on Strip numbers and current economic fortunes, real estate values and future predictions. Apparently, longtime friend and superstar entertainer Paul Anka will join Steve and his new girlfriend tonight for dinner.

Andrea, from London, is said to be in her 40s, and Steve and she were first spotted on his yacht on New Year’s in the Caribbean. She is the daughter of globetrotting Victor Danenza, who fled to France in 1976 during a federal investigation for securities irregularities. Coincidentally, he was known to introduce young, beautiful women to wealthy men -- and was closely associated with billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and organizing many of his parties where young eye candy was a star attraction.

The 67-year-old Las Vegas billionaire reportedly left his wife of 46 years, Elaine, several months ago. Divorce papers have been filed. At his request, a Las Vegas judge has agreed that for now, they will remain sealed.

Michael’s global conference in L.A. today was attended by many Wall Street heavyweight figures, including Viacom’s Sumner Redstone. If Steve were to buy back the Bellagio from MGM, it would help solve some of its current financial problems surrounding CityCenter’s construction debt and looming bank loans.

In a sense, it would be retribution against billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who Steve blamed for engineering his demise from MGM Mirage before he started his own Wynn and Encore hotel projects!

We’ll keep watch on this developing story right from our front-row eyewitness. For now, though, in this very first public sighting, Steve and Andrea have just left the Polo Lounge, and, according to my eyewitness, they were “well attached” saying goodbye to friends.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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