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Leonard Nimoy: In 2018, legendary gambling and eating icon Potsy was seen in Southern California. There, his life a near secret, he seemingly vanished from all scenes. Time went on, and the absence stunned those professionals and amateurs in his circles. Since that time, unlike such legends as Bigfoot and The Abominable Snowman, there has yet to be a sighting. This is Leonard Nimoy. Join me as we go In Search Of...Potsy.
Narrator: This series presents information based in part on theory and conjecture.
The producer's purpose is to suggest some possible explanations, but
not necessarily the only ones, to the mysteries we will examine.
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Leonard Nimoy: The many characters of Las Vegas, and the effects that spill into other cities, tend to focus toward crime. But those who are part of what said characters call The Dance feature just as many intriguing personalities. One such personality, Potsy, had been known throughout the shores of North America.
Leonard Nimoy: What distinguishes these characters from the casual gambler, casual eater, or both, is the fervent need to find places known and, to the layman, unknown, to achieve satisfaction. To them, successes and failures blend together over a period of decades...perhaps even a lifetime.
Leonard Nimoy: A recluse who wishes to remain so yet maintain the opulent lifestyle might stay at a swanky hotel such as this resort. For someone established, the action comes to them. Yet for many, a character such as Potsy tended to drift toward the action. Such a pattern makes his disappearance all the more baffling to experts and fellow degenerates alike.
Leonard Nimoy: The study of such phenomenon, specifically in the living world, is not unique to academia. Yet it's here at UC San Diego, in the famed Geisel Library, where the research of Potsy's whereabouts began. That it was a university nearest his previous sighting was the largest reason for location. We spoke with Professor of Social Behaviors, Dr. Torsten.
Dr. Torsten: The behavioral pattern of the degenerate, though however unsavory, is one that as researchers we feel we can identify through our work. Here, this is a completely different case. All of the usual locations turn up nothing. It's a topic that confounds us for many reasons, not the least of which is the perception that a degenerate can completely change. That's never been seen or recorded, because even in instances where the gambling may become problematic, the dining aspects remain the same. That's not the case with Potsy.
Lenoard Nimoy: The motivation of Potsy has been attempted to be discerned ever since. Is it a fear of gambling-created enemies, living or dead? It is ironic, that a degenerate's motivation to disappear supersedes that of what we know of a degenerate.
Dr. Torsten: There are aspects of life that even someone at, say, their low ebb, can't avoid. And even so, you can't even say 'well, look at it like setting up a trap.' That is useless in this situation, because we're talking about someone who can simply glance at the day's lineup at Aqueduct or the line of a Big Sky basketball game, and make a move like we blink an eye.
Leonard Nimoy: When communication slowly faded, few were aware of how the future would play out. The first locations searched were those where he'd been seen. As far back as a decade ago, researches wondered if, like a deer returning to a salt lick, the search would be simple, and swift.
Leonard Nimoy: Though anyone who has ever walked through a casino floor or wandered through a sportsbook is all too aware of a constant movement of people, men often hiding in plain sight. While this may not be the intention of many, it makes the searching all the more difficult.
Leonard Nimoy: Searching a hotel, from garish lobby to the many stories of suites, smoking and non-smoking, is an endless task. No more successful than searching for a person on the street from 8 floors above.
Dr. Torsten: It was established that there was no sighting at the major casinos. And in that moment. I felt it was the quickest, surest way to know this was going to be a problem that was immense...that we may never get through. He was an off the strip man, so that's the next step, though it has to be said we felt, and I can speak for myself, inside...that this was futile. I was optimistic, but all too aware of the reality.
Dr. Torsten: The motel manager, particularly the night manager, is used to inquiry, and even confrontation. If you're the law, he or she will help you. But if you're an academic, if you're curious about a guest's whereabouts, and the guest isn't causing any trouble, then you're at the end of the road. It was at this point that we felt lost, that this was the rare case that was unsolved.
Leonard Nimoy: The terminology that has been used in some circles may even sound of that of a policeman, looking for clues of a crime. But no crime has been committed here...only that of defying logic. It is precisely that shattered logic that baffles scientists, researchers, even fellow degenerates.
The Message: TOLD Y'ALL! Y'ALL AIN'T GONNA FIND HIM. Y'ALL KEEP LOOKIN' BUT...WHO WE TALKIN' BOUT?
Leonard Nimoy: It was here, at this fast food restaurant, that Potsy was last seen by the outside world.
Leonard Nimoy: A man who seemingly never had his fill would do well to dine at an establishment with affordable prices. But whether it was the food, the location, or the jolly sign, Potsy was drawn to this establishment before moving on. And yet the question remains: to what? And why? And, most importantly, where.
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Leonard Nimoy: In Search Of...cameras are traveling the world, seeking out the great mysteries. This program was the result of the work of scientists, researchers, and group of highly skilled technicians.
