A Las Vegas chef who wound up homeless and now lives in the city’s dirty labyrinth of flood tunnels features in a new documentary in which his heart-wrenching story is laid bare.
The kitchen hand – who does not reveal his name – appears in a short film made by YouTube creator Drew Binksy, which looks at Sin City’s so-called ‘mole people.’
The nomadic community of around 1,500 people reside in a network of concrete tunnels below the glitzy hotels and casinos, originally built in the aftermath of a catastrophic and costly flash flood in 1975.
In one scene, after navigating a dark stretch of tunnel, Drew comes across the chef, and he 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 was earning $87,000 a year but things took a turn for the worse.
A Las Vegas chef who wound up homeless and now lives in the city’s dirty labyrinth of flood tunnels features in a new documentary in which his heart-wrenching story is laid bare
The kitchen hand – who does not reveal his name – appears in a short film made by YouTube creator Drew Binksy, which looks at Sin City’s so-called ‘mole people’
The former cook, from O’ahu, Hawaii, explains that he used to work at the prestigious Wynn Hotel and was on $87,000 a year but things took a turn for the worse
He makes it clear that he did not like the workplace culture, telling Drew: ‘Everybody’s up their a**es and super pretentious.
‘I wasn’t like a regular [chef], I used to cook for Mr Wynn… he just likes mozzarella omelet with burnt onions.’
Along with being a chef, the man says he also worked as an Uber driver which he describes as being ‘fun.’
When quizzed about how he ended up in the tunnels, the man merely explains that it was to ‘be away from the cops’ but he does not offer any further details.
While the conditions in the tunnels are squalid, the man says he is fairly happy with his living situation and the only thing he ‘really misses’ is his car, his ‘huge bathroom’ and ‘bada** kitchen.’
In the film, Drew’s camera pans around to show how the man has made a makeshift kitchen with a large pan propped up over a wood fire.
Asked if he would ever consider returning to a steady job, the man makes it clear he has no desire to return to a commercial kitchen.
Explaining his reasoning, he says: ‘You end up working like 16 [to] 18 hours a day just to pay for [a home] that you’re not using.’
When quizzed about how he ended up in the tunnels, the man merely explains that it was to ‘be away from the cops’ but he does not offer any further details
In the film, Drew’s camera pans around to show how the man has made a makeshift kitchen with a large pan propped up over a wood fire
The man, who has been living in the tunnels for more than a year, also reveals that he can do a similar amount to cheffing by treasure hunting above and below ground.
In one scene, the chef shows Drew his haul of scavenged goods, with some of his prize finds including a case of Jordan sneakers and a $5,000 bike.
He explains that he also had a backpack with close to 2lbs of silver in it and half a pound of gold that he was going to pawn, but the bag was recently stolen.
Quizzed about his most valuable find, the chef says he once came across a Cartier Ballon Bleu watch worth in the region of $10,000.
Sadly, this was another item which got 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 he is talking to the ex-chef that it doesn’t seem like he is using any substances.
However, the man sets him straight and says he uses drugs ‘all the time,’ with crystal meth being his favorite.
The nomadic community reside in a network of concrete tunnels below the glitzy hotels and casinos, and they were originally built in the aftermath of a catastrophic flash flood in 1975
Drew was given safe access to the Las Vegas tunnels through a non-profit organization called Shine A Light. Pictured, Drew’s guide Rob
The documentary ends with Drew telling viewers to remember that ‘the next time you’re in Vegas, there’s a whole world that exists right under your feet’
After spending several hours in the Las Vegas tunnels and speaking to a number of other subterranean 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 drenched, smell like crap and what am I complaining about?
‘These people have nothing… [they are] addicted to drugs. It’s really, really sad. They do need help.
‘Beneath the glitz and glamour of Sin City there is a dark side that nobody is talking about and today I got to witness it firsthand.
‘Homeless people across the US 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 to darkness and forced to scavenge for basic needs.’
Drew was given safe access to the Las Vegas tunnels through a non-profit organization called Shine A Light.
The homeless outreach and placement service, which started in 2009, provides hundreds of people with a range of much-needed supplies, including bottled water, food, socks, flashlights, headlamps and batteries.
Drew’s guide Rob previously lived in the tunnels but now he works for the non-profit helping others get back on their feet and kick drug addictions.
The documentary closes with Drew applauding the non-profit’s work and he tells viewers to remember that ‘the next time you’re in Vegas, there’s a whole world that exists right under your feet.’
