‘Simpsons’ co-creator, Vegas gambler Sam Simon dies

Sam Simon, who died at 59 on Sunday, didn’t just co-create “The Simpsons.” He came to Vegas to play cards for charity and for fun. He was a dog savoir. And he funded anti-whaling boats.

Not long ago, he said he monthly gave away almost all his money as soon as checks came to him for co-creating the “Simpsons,” and for co-producing “The Drew Carey Show,” “Cheers” and “Taxi,” and writing on “Barney Miller” and “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.”

I virtually begged to interview him in 2011, when he was on the Strip raising money for the One Step Closer Foundation battling MS, a disease a friend of his had.

Simon (funny, charming, and not yet diagnosed with colon cancer) agreed and told me one incredible story after another.

• There was the time Drew Carey convinced him to play $1,000-a-hand blackjack at Mandalay Bay while each man waited for casino servers to bring Carey a burger and Simon (a vegan) a grilled cheese sandwich. By the time their food arrived, they’d lost about $200,000 total.

“How’s your hamburger?” Simon said at Carey, frustrated by his losses.

Carey smiled widely and exclaimed happily, “It’s pretty good!”

• Simon lost so much money at the Venetian, he told his casino host he had been listening to “Phantom” music overhead for so long, he knew all the words, so he wanted to perform as the masked Phantom that night. The casino host, who had promised him “anything we can do for you,” said no.

“In the old Vegas, they would have done it,” Simon told me with a laugh.

• Simon married the January 1997 Playmate Jami Ferrell at the Little White Wedding Chappel. That marriage lasted a very short time. But Simon remained dear friends with ex-wife Jennifer Tilly (he spoke of her with great fondness), and they played in charity poker tournaments here often.

He told me the most gratifying thing he ever heard from people was when they told him his SamSimonFoundation.com changed their lives. The foundation in Malibu not only rescues and finds homes for dogs, and spays and neuters dogs for free, it doesn’t accept donations, because Simon funded it in perpetuity.

“I could have bought a yacht. My neighbor buys Army surplus jet planes, and he flies them,” he told me.

“But there is nothing that would give me more pleasure than (charity),” he said. “To me, this is a luxury.”

Contact Doug Elfman at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman. Follow him on Twitter: @VegasAnonymous