A Las Vegas chef who ended up homeless and now lives in the city’s filthy labyrinth of flood tunnels is featured in a new documentary revealing his harrowing story.
The kitchen assistant – who does not reveal his name – appears in a short film made by the YouTube creator Drew Binksywhich examines the so-called “mole men” of Sin City.
The nomadic community of around 1,500 people resides in a network of concrete tunnels beneath the glitzy hotels and casinos, originally built following a catastrophic and costly flash flood in 1975.
In one scene, after walking through a dark section of tunnel, Drew meets the chef and stops for a while to learn more about his life.
The former cook, from O’ahu, Hawaii, explains that he used to work at the prestigious Wynn Hotel and earned $87,000 a year, but things got worse.
A Las Vegas chef who ended up homeless and now lives in the city’s filthy labyrinth of flood tunnels is featured in a new documentary revealing his harrowing story.
The kitchen helper, who is not revealing his name, appears in a short film made by YouTube creator Drew Binksy, which examines the so-called “mole men” of Sin City.
The former cook, from O’ahu, Hawaii, explains that he used to work at the prestigious Wynn Hotel and earned $87,000 a year, but things got worse.
She makes it clear that she doesn’t like the workplace culture, telling Drew, ‘Everyone is up their asses and super pretentious.
‘I wasn’t like a normal chef, I used to cook for Mr. Wynn… He just likes mozzarella omelette with burnt onions.
In addition to being a chef, the man says he also worked as an Uber driver, which he describes as “fun.”
When asked how he ended up in the tunnels, the man simply explains that it was to “get away from the police,” but does not offer any further details.
Although conditions in the tunnels are precarious, the man says he is quite happy with his living situation and that the only things he “really misses” are his car, his “huge bathroom” and his “first-class kitchen.”
In the film, Drew’s camera pans to show how the man has built a makeshift kitchen with a large frying pan resting over a wood fire.
When asked if he would ever consider returning to a stable job, the man makes it clear that he has no desire to return to a commercial kitchen.
Explaining his reasoning, he says: “YesYou end up working like 16 (or) 18 hours a day just to pay for (a house) that you’re not using.
When asked how he ended up in the tunnels, the man simply explains that it was to “get away from the police,” but does not offer any further details.
In the film, Drew’s camera pans to show how the man has built a makeshift kitchen with a large frying pan resting over a wood fire.
The man, who has been living in the tunnels for over a year, also reveals that he can do something similar to cooking, searching for treasures above and below ground.
In one scene, the chef shows Drew his haul of salvaged goods, and some of his most prized finds include a box of Jordan sneakers and a $5,000 bicycle.
He explains that he also had a backpack with about 2 pounds of silver and half a pound of gold that he was going to pawn, but the bag was recently stolen.
When asked about his most valuable find, the chef says he once came across a Cartier Ballon Bleu watch that was worth around $10,000.
Unfortunately, this was another item that was stolen while he was looking for a pawn shop to take it to.
In the Las Vegas tunnels, drug abuse is a major problem, but Drew says while talking to the former chef that he doesn’t appear to be using any substances.
However, the man clarifies and tells her that he uses drugs “all the time”, with methamphetamine being his favorite.
The nomadic community resides in a network of concrete tunnels beneath the glitzy hotels and casinos, and were originally built after a catastrophic flash flood in 1975.
Drew was granted safe access to the Las Vegas tunnels through a non-profit organization called Shine A Light. Pictured is Drew’s guide, Rob
The documentary ends with Drew telling viewers to remember that “next time you’re in Las Vegas, there’s a whole world that exists right beneath your feet.”
After spending several hours in the Las Vegas tunnels and talking to other underground dwellers, Drew ends his film with a call to action.
He concludes: ‘After being in the tunnel for a few hours my feet are completely soaked, they smell awful and what am I complaining about?
‘These people have nothing… they are drug addicts. It’s very, very sad. They need help.’
‘Beneath the glitz and glamour of Sin City lies a dark side that no one talks about, and today I got to witness it firsthand.
‘Homeless people across America need our help and they need better resources to combat drug addiction and mental health issues.
“No one should have to live this way… confined in darkness and forced to search for food to cover their basic needs.
Drew was given safe access to the Las Vegas tunnels through a non-profit organization called Shine a light.
He The homeless support and placement service, which began in 2009, provides assistance to hundreds of people. with a variety of much-needed supplies including bottled water, food, socks, flashlights, headlamps and batteries.
Drew’s guide, Rob, previously lived in the tunnels, but now works for a nonprofit helping others recover from drug addiction.
The documentary ends with Drew applauding the work of the nonprofit and telling viewers to remember that “next time you’re in Las Vegas, there’s a whole world that exists right beneath your feet.”
