Many of Dean Martin's old show business buddies attended a private service on Thursday in Los Angeles for the television and movie crooner who died on Christmas Day.
Several Las Vegas hotel-casinos - the Sands, the Flamingo, the Stardust and others on the famous Strip in the gambling and entertainment mecca - dimmed their lights for 10 minutes Thursday night in honor of the legendary performer.Martin died Monday at his Beverly Hills home. The memorial service was held at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park, the same cemetery where fellow stars Eva Gabor and Marilyn Monroe are buried.
Among those in attendance Thursday were Martin's longtime friend Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart and Shirley Mac-Laine. Frank Sinatra did not attend the service, but he was represented by his wife, Barbara.
Lewis, Martin's partner for many years, skipped his stage role in "Damn Yankees" in Denver to attend the service.
Prior to the funeral, Martin's longtime agent, Mort Viner, said the service would be "in keeping with Dean's personality and wishes - a very up and fun celebration as opposed to a maudlin one."
Viner said that in lieu of flowers, mourners had been asked to make donations to a charity - Barbara Sinatra's Children's Center at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Martin, who rose to fame as straight man to Lewis's comedic characters, died Monday of respiratory failure. He was 78.