Primm Valley Resort in Nevada
Super Easy Aces Field Trial
The King’s Castle
How's this for a great shot from the early '70s? This postcard is from Reno Tahoe Specialty, Inc. Nate Jacobson built the King's Castle Casino at Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), Nevada after selling his part of Caesars Palace in 1969. A former insurance salesman, broker, and owner, Jacobson faced charges from the Securities and Exchange... Continue Reading →
Searchlight, Nevada and The King of Casinos
Don't feel bad if you've never heard of Searchlight, Nevada. It's the proverbial black spot on a map. It's an unincorporated town 13 miles square somehow holding 500 hearty souls. To be fair, ah, well, it's a dot, that's all. Really, if you are accidentally in Needles or Blyth, California, you might drift off towards... Continue Reading →
Reno’s Northern Club
Reno’s Northern Club was one of the first casinos in the state licensed for gaming in 1931. Located on the ground floor along Center Street in Reno, the casino was run by Felix Turillas Sr. and John Etchebarren in the Commercial Hotel. Women were rare players in the 4,000 square-foot club when it opened with... Continue Reading →
El Rancho – First on the Las Vegas Strip in 1941
The El Rancho in Las Vegas was built by Thomas Hull as an addition to his chain of “El Rancho” hotels in Gallup, New Mexico, and Fresno and Sacramento, California. The 63-cabin resort was designed as a way-station, a break for families to enjoy on their trip through Nevada, not as a casino property. Still,... Continue Reading →
Harold’s Club – A Reno Classic
Harold's Club in Reno was the Nation's best-known casino in the 1940s and 1950s, but how did that happen? Well, the story is told in much greater detail in Nevada's Golden Age of Gambling, but here's the start! Raymond "Pappy" Smith Raymond I. Smith spent thirty years of his life running carnival games from a baseball... Continue Reading →
Bill Harrah at Lake Tahoe
Harrah's Tahoe - Opened in 1957 Bill Harrah was already a successful casino operator in Reno when he expanded to Lake Tahoe. The expansion is a little confusing, because, over the years, the Harrah's name graced both sides of Highway 50 at Stateline. Hopping from spot to spot was a pattern Harrah had used in Reno,... Continue Reading →
Reno in July – No Crowd – So Sad
A slow day in Reno and at the casinos in July.
Meyer Lansky’s Mob Influence
Meyer Lansky was influential enough to draw hundreds of inquiries from law-enforcement agencies during his lifetime, from the FBI, CIA, Highway Patrol offices in dozen's of states, local police, detective agencies, you name it, somebody wanted to know more about him. Strange, because as dirty and sticky as his hands were for the Mob, no... Continue Reading →
Reno’s Club Harlem
Club Harlem was one of the first integrated casinos in Nevada. Located at 221 East Douglas Alley, the bar first opened in 1946 under the watchful eye of its owner, William Bailey. Although cited for illegal gaming, the small property was later licensed in 1948 for slots and 21. Bailey moved to Reno in 1934... Continue Reading →
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