"Seminole leaders and officials at the tribe's Hard Rock resort have let out a collective sigh of relief.

Why? The first of several upcoming books about Anna Nicole Smith's last hours before OD'ing at the Hollywood hotel leaves the tribe and its business crown jewel relatively unscathed. The Marilyn Monroe wanna-be was found unconscious in her room there shortly after 1 p.m. Feb. 8 and was pronounced dead less than two hours later.

And while the advance hype for former TV host Rita Cosby's Blonde Ambition focused on the alleged sex between ANS hangers-on Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead, the book points out one interesting oddity: Emergency services cannot be called directly from a room at the hotel-casino. The book delves into how a guest in trouble needs to call the operator first, who in turn calls several hotel officials, including the director of operations, before dialing 911.

Precious emergency minutes wasted?

"Our emergency procedure was followed every step of the way," said tribe spokesman Gary Bitner."

Get the Story:
Jose Lambiet: Going Easy on the Hard Rock? [first item] (The Palm Beach Post 9/14)