Nothing Lasts Forever When George Wingfield arrived in Nevada in the final years of the nineteenth century, the state was still more frontier than settled society. The great silver bonanza of the Comstock Lode had faded into legend. Towns that once blazed with lamps and speculation had sunk into dust and memory. Yet Nevada remained … Read more
Reno’s Bank Club casino opened in the Golden Hotel basement in 1929. The property was owned by George Wingfield, Nevada’s richest man, whose wealth of $ 50 million in the early 20th century reflected his mining success in Goldfield and Tonopah. His achievements and Reno’s growth are detailed in The Roots of Reno. Winfield received … Read more
The Tahoe Village at South Shore Lake Tahoe circa the 1940s – Video here Bert Riddick Bert Riddick was a Native Nevadan, born in the tiny mining town of Carlin. His wife, Vivian’s family, was from Ely, Nevada, and Bert and Vivian spent their lives in Northern Nevada, traveling between Tonopah, Ely, and Reno. Riddick … Read more
Reno became the Divorce Capital of the World in the 1930s because its laws allowed quick, easy divorces, attracting thousands seeking a fresh start and significantly shaping the city’s social fabric. Pictures from the ’20s and ’30s depict Reno visitors in cowboy garb, even if they had just taken the train in from New York … Read more
Reno’s Northern Club, licensed for gaming in 1931, stands as one of the earliest casinos in Nevada, marking the beginning of the state’s gaming era. Located on Center Street, it was operated by Felix Turillas Sr. and John Etchebarren within the Commercial Hotel. Women were rare players at the 4,000-square-foot club when it opened, featuring … Read more
Harold’s Club in Reno was the Nation’s best-known casino in the 1940s and 1950s, symbolizing Nevada’s rise in gambling prominence and inspiring pride among enthusiasts. 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 … Read more
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 from South … Read more
When Lucky Luciano organized the first Commission of the American Mafia, the cities with representation were all large, heavily invested in the riches from Prohibition, and had a ready delivery system for the booze that came in, usually along waterways and docks controlled by gangs. Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland (although each currently seeing a decline … Read more
