Cal-Neva Pit Crew 1942

The Cal-Neva casino at North Shore Lake Tahoe was the finest property at the lake. The main building had an excellent bar with a circular view of the lake and a restaurant with chefs hired from San Francisco’s finest restaurants. A dance floor with top-notch entertainers and musicians was in action from May through September. Lodging was a different story.

Unfortunately, the Cal-Neva had only a few cabins for its guests, and even the La-Vada Lodge nearby only offered a few rooms. They did offer a shuttle service, and players were treated like royalty – Kings and Queens got everything, Jacks and Princes got most everything, Jokers got the boot.

For workers, local lodging was usually found, but several managers and bosses commuted over Mt. Rose to Reno.

The men in the photo were snappy dressers, quick with decisions, and well paid. Bones Remmer, shown third from the right in the front row, was the casino manager. He was a Graham-McKay Pit Boss dating back before legalized gaming in Reno, Nevada. To his right is a roulette dealer known as “Honest John,” and next to him is a dealer named “Tar Baby” Torano. He went to prison for trafficking heroin.

To Remmer’s left is Walt Parman, a partner with Bill Abelman at Tahoe Village on the south shore, and at the Christmas Tree along the drive-up Mt. Rose. He was also a boss at the Mapes casino in the ’50s.

In the back row, second from left is Mike Newchalk, a dice and card dealer, and Andy Desimone, also a dealer, who worked in Reno years later. Second from the right is Bert Burdick, a dealer and occasional Pit boss. Bert also helped with surveillance later in his career.

Thank you to the families of Paul Gallo and Walt Parman for the group photo. Here’s more on the Cal-Neva.