East Coast family band packs venues across the nation. Their Las Vegas adventure comes full circle this month at South Point Casino…
Patrick Rivera Photography
The name sounds like a street gang. The music defies categorization. The band consists of three family members, two longtime friends, and a lot of leather. They’re The Bronx Wanderers. And after eight years in Las Vegas, this bunch of good-looking “bad boys” is celebrating a milestone that any band would envy.
If you’ve never seen The Bronx Wanderers, now’s the perfect time to come aboard. Formed twenty years ago, the show is a musical journey through the career of big papa Vinny Adinolfi. A music executive with a Midas touch, Adinolfi influenced the careers of stars like Tony Orlando, Dion, Reba McEntire, and Billy Joel. The only musical success story yet to achieve was his own.
Adinolfi’s journey from boardroom to center stage is the foundation of The Bronx Wanderers experience. Part comedy, part biography, and a heaping helping of unforgettable songs, their production is a nonstop festival of classics from decades past. If “yacht rock” is an afternoon on the lake, then The Bronx Wanderers is a New York City block party.
Actor Chazz Palminteri (A BRONX TALE, THE USUAL SUSPECTS) is a friend of the Adinolfi family. Supportive of Vinny’s ambitions, he convinced the family patriarch to include sons Vincent John and Nick in the band. Despite being gifted musicians and vocalists in their own right, they were mere boys (11 and 14) when THE BRONX WANDERERS was founded.
Patrick Rivera Photography
While some bands rely on stunts to set themselves apart, the inclusion of two young boys was organic. Even so, Adinolfi worried that it wouldn’t be well-received:
“When the idea of…playing with my kids came along, I had no idea this would be the vehicle to getting us here. I remember looking up, asking ‘Please don’t let this be a flash in the pan. Make every sacrifice count”, he recalls. “Let me show everyone I was right.”
Various members have come and gone since The Bronx Wanderers first hit the stage, and the number of players has fluctuated through the years. The current line-up includes Joe Bari (keyboards and sax) and bassist Fernando Tort, who’s joined Vincent John on several solo and side projects. Together they record, perform, have fun, tour, and grow closer. A true family unit, with Mama Carol keeping everyone in line.
Despite their love for New York, The Bronx Wanderers included relocating to Las Vegas in their long-term plans. Papa’s fascination with Elvis Presley was undoubtedly a catalyst, but the entire band agreed to the challenge. That wasn’t always the case:
“Every band I’ve ever been in, I told my players the goal was to get to Las Vegas. That’s the endgame. Most would stay a while and buy into what I was preaching. But in the end, they grew up and just quit.”
Vincent John (Patrick Rivera Photography)
“We always knew deep down that we would succeed out here”, says Vincent John, who serves as Musical Director for the band. He also provides lead vocals and plays keyboards, guitar, and the occasional drum solo. “A top 10 show out of 250+, I’ll admit we didn’t see that coming and repeating itself year after year.”
With so many bands, productions, and deejays vying for those top spots, it could have been an uphill battle. But when you have such a unique and satisfying show, sometimes what’s needed is just an open door. The entertainment regime at South Point Casino Hotel provided one.
As the senior Adinolfi tells it, the band’s manager Abby Koffler was seated on a plane next to Grant Griffin. A seasoned entertainer with Vegas connections, Griffin arranged for Koffler to book South Point Showroom. That single gig sold out, immediately raising The Bronx Wanderers‘ marketability in the city. The resort’s entertainment director, Damian Costa (The Composers Room), was impressed enough to have them back regularly.
Producers Alan and Kathi Glist (MENOPAUSE: The Musical) became fans of the band and offered their services. Soon, The Bronx Wanderers were moving north along the Strip to Caesars Entertainment properties. Attendance grew, requiring larger and larger showrooms. Bally’s gave way to Linq Hotel, followed by Harrah’s Las Vegas.
Then in May 2021, the “Great Caesars Entertainment Massacre” hit the city, and two dozen shows and showrooms were shuttered. Big names like Wayne Newton, Anthony Cools, and Dionne Warwick were sent packing. Undeterred, The Bronx Wanderers loaded their bus and rolled further north, landing at Westgate Las Vegas.
The Bronx Wanderers was honored to perform at the iconic resort, gracing marquees that once promoted the historic Elvis residency. But seven nights a week proved exhausting, and a decision was made to focus on touring…with fewer Vegas appearances. Outspoken Vincent John elaborated on the factors in this searing op-ed for VEGAS 411:
“Come next year, we’re doing what’s right for us. Not working seven days a week, not paying ridiculous fees, not supporting million-dollar companies and hotels – we’re going to support us and find a hotel that believes the same. Luckily, we did.”
Once again, South Point Casino welcomed The Bronx Wanderers into the family. The gorgeous showroom features a stellar line-up of resident and rotating acts that include The Righteous Brothers, Rita Rudner, Human Nature, SixtiesMania, Sheena Easton, Chris Ruggiero, Herman’s Hermits, Gatlin Brothers, and Frankie Moreno.
The Bronx Wanderers now tour nationwide, with one monthly block devoted to South Point audiences. This June they’ll perform their 2,000th Las Vegas show, a landmark achievement. Vincent John believes that keeping true to their goals has allowed them to reach this mark:
“We have fans who have seen us 200 times in Vegas! Blows our minds! But we never rest on our laurels and say the show is done. We constantly tweak things, add new stories, and change the setlist from night to night.”
“We are one of the hardest-working shows in this town, and this 2,000 milestone is a testament to that. We’re honored to still perform in the Entertainment Capitol of the World in the best hotel, The South Point, and not have to do it 7 days a week anymore.”
Papa Vinny sees a certain sense of beauty in their journey down the Strip and back again:
“If you take a circle and follow it around, you will always end up right where you started. That is what’s so beautiful about our story. We are right back where we started, surrounded by the people who always believed in us. We can never thank Michael Gaughan, Ryan Growney, and Michael Libonati enough for allowing us to come back to where we started.”
Now that he’s achieved his goals and made The Bronx Wanderers a rip-roaring success, is their founder content to rest on his laurels? Of course not. There’s always a milestone left to achieve, and this one is a doozy:
“I love Wayne Newton. It’s my goal to try and do as many shows as Wayne’s done over his Las Vegas career. I’ve calculated that I should get close to Wayne’s number when I’m 147 years old!”
The Bronx Wanderers perform June 6th through 9th at the South Point Casino Showroom. Tickets start at $45 (plus taxes/fees) and can be purchased at the South Point box office or by clicking here.
