You may not care, but here's what's happening with Wayne Newton. He's in big financial trouble, owes his former airplane pilot $480,000 in court-awarded unpaid wages, and a bunch of other people including a $3.5 million loan from the owner of NASCAR. His private jet sits on the runway in California, held hostage for tens of thousands in unpaid rents and fees.

"Mar. 24, 2010
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Newton defenses finally penetrated
Wayne Newton's financial difficulties played out in public Saturday when a process server slapped him with legal papers before his show.

It happened at the Tropicana, home of Newton's "Once Before I Go," which commemorates his 50 years in Las Vegas.

Newton had avoided several process serving attempts in recent months, public spectacles that included moving vans being turned away at his estate.

But this time the serving company came up with a way to get a foot in the door -- at a cost of $149.99 for the VIP package to gain entrance to a meet-and-greet session.

Spies tell me it played out like this: With about 20 people waiting in line to schmooze with Newton, his security guards approached a black man in his mid-20s.

Apparently on high alert after recent attempts to serve the Las Vegas entertainment legend, the security personnel started asking questions.

The young man said his parents were big fans and were in the process of parking the car.

When the line got down to a couple of people, the security guys returned and asked where the parents were.

"I just hung up with them," he said, adding they should be arriving any second.

In the time it took for that conversation, no one was left in front of the man, who excitedly greeted Newton with the words, "Mr. Newton, Las Vegas loves you." As applause broke out from others in the room, the process server added, "you are served!" and handed Newton the legal documents.

The bizarre scene ended with the man darting out of the room and the casino, with security in hot pursuit. They didn't catch him.

The serving company, sources said, was carrying out the mission on behalf of O. Bruton Smith, whose empire of NASCAR tracks includes the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Charging Newton with being delinquent on a $3.35 million loan, Smith filed suit Feb. 9 in Clark County District Court against Newton; his wife, Kathleen McCrone Newton; their company, Desert Eagle LLC; and Newton Living Trust.

Smith seeks foreclosure on the Newtons' 38-acre Casa de Shenandoah ranch, which the Newtons had put up as a guarantee, along with a Fokker F28 MK 1000 private jet."