Asshat Topples Manneken Pis Statue at The D
A Life is Beautiful music festival reveler toppled and seriously damaged a beloved statue at The D casino in downtown Las Vegas, Manneken Pis.
A group of people surrounded the statue, located near the valet entrance to The D casino, presumably to capture video to share in their social media channels.
The alleged dipshit then took it upon himself to jump up on the base of the Manneken Pis statue, resulting in the statue falling over, seriously damaging both the statue and the fountain below.
We were the first to share news of the mysterious disappearance of Manneken Pis. It turns out the police were investigating the incident, so it took some time for details to trickle out.
The owner of The D, Derek Stevens, who also owns Golden Gate and Circa, broke the seal of secrecy when he shared video of the incident on his Twitter account.
Here’s the video. The original didn’t include the music, but we couldn’t resist.
Judging from the video, it appears the damage was caused by accident, but that doesn’t make the asshattery any less frustrating for Derek Stevens or his team.
Derek Stevens, estimates it could cost $200,000 to repair Manneken Pis and the fountain.
Manneken Pis holds a special place in our heart because we were the first to toss a coin in its fountain for good luck. The Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, was second. You snooze, you lose!
Manneken Pis, which translates as “little man pee,” was installed at The D in 2015. Photo below.
The statue is a replica of a famous statue in Brussels. The Stevens brothers, Derek and Greg, are of Belgian descent.
One story of the origin of the original statue claims it depicts a boy who saved Brussels from destruction by urinating on the fuse of an explosive. An alternate origin story asserts the boy is the victim of a witch’s spell, a punishment for peeing on her door.
At The D, Manneken Pis is a symbol of playfulness, irreverence and cheeky fun. Ironically, “playfulness” is what took Manneken Pis down.
The 500-pound Manneken Pis statue is currently at a foundry and repairs are underway.
The Manneken Pis (yep, it’s pronounced as you’d suspect) brouhaha is just the latest in a growing list of misdeeds involving objects owned by Derek Stevens.
In July 2015, another bonehead stole the Blarney Stone at The D. The stone, a holdover from The D’s days as Fitzgerald’s, was returned shortly after it was pilfered.
In Feb. 2021, another dimwit stole a bust of Kirk Kerkorian from the Legacy Club at Circa. The bust, too, was recovered a short time later.
Drunk people gonna drunk.
Manneken Pis is expected to return to his rightful place soon, although we’re told the damage to the statue base, fountain and statue itself are more extensive than is readily apparent.
While The D has insurance, it’s unlikely the insurance value will cover the repairs.
Vegas and The D are all about having a great time, but we can’t get onboard with dumbassery. We suspect the Stevens will have a moment of decision when the culprit is identified and apprehended. Arrest seems extreme, but a reasonable degree of accountability is appropriate given the circumstances.
Nevermind that Manneken Pis looks like it could’ve been knocked off its base by a pigeon landing on it. What the hell was somebody doing up there molesting it, even in a moment of jubilation? That’s not how we jubilate in Las Vegas.
No matter the outcome of the ongoing investigation around this incident, we’re Manneken Pissed Off.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
Feel free to dance like nobody’s watching, but please do so without wrecking our Las Vegas landmarks and curiosities, thanks.
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