Transcript of interview with Jack Bullock by Julie Domonkos, March 15, 1981

UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock i An Interview with Jack Bullock An Oral History Conducted by Julie Domonkos Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas Special Collections Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock ii © Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 2017 UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock iii The Oral History Research Center (OHRC) was formally established by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada System in September 2003 as an entity of the UNLV University Libraries’ Special Collections Division. The OHRC conducts oral interviews with individuals who are selected for their ability to provide first-hand observations on a variety of historical topics in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. The OHRC is also home to legacy oral history interviews conducted prior to its establishment including many conducted by UNLV History Professor Ralph Roske and his students. This legacy interview transcript received minimal editing, such as the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. The interviewee/narrator was not involved in the editing process. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock iv Abstract Julie Domonkos interviews Jack Bullock, born 1916 in Gorman, Texas, in his home about his experiences living in Southern Nevada. Bullock talks mostly about his occupations in the gaming industry, some of which included being a dealer both in Las Vegas and other cities. Bullock also describes how Las Vegas and particularly the Las Vegas Strip have changed over the years since the forties when he arrived until 1981, when this interview was conducted. Bullock discusses what it was like working in casinos prior to corporations entering the gaming industry, and he mentions how entertainment has changed over time as well. Bullock’s wife Marjorie is also present during the interview and can be heard providing input on certain questions. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 1 The narrator is Jack Bullock. The interviewer is Julie Domonkos. The interview was done at 3338 Duece Street on March 15th, 1981. Where you born? Gorman, Texas in 1960. When did you come to Las Vegas? December 1944. What made you decide to come to Las Vegas? There was always work here, it was always open. And (unintelligible) work in the gambling business. What was your first impression of the city? Oh, I loved it. I just—open town and my style of life; I liked it. (Unintelligible) I still love it. What have your occupations been? Dealer in the gambling business; that’s all I’ve ever been: in the gambling business. I had a job when I was kid, but when I started, I had my first crap dealing when I was 16 years old in Midland, Texas. And from there you? From there, I dealt in several different places where it wasn’t legal. And I went in the service in ’41 and I got out of the service in ’44. And I went to Dallas and worked in Dallas, and from Dallas, I came out here. Okay. And what addresses have you lived in Las Vegas? Well, I lived on Garces Street, I lived in Monte Carlo Motel, which is not here anymore? UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 2 What is there now? It’s on Main and Oakey. It’s on the corner of Main and Oakey; it’s a big apartment that’s there now. And then, we lived (unintelligible) we lived in first? (Unintelligible) We lived at 1818 Fairfield. And what year did we move from there? [19]57. 3717 West Fortune. And we lived there till ’59, and we went to (unintelligible). Okay, were you married in Las Vegas? Yes. Where were you married and when? In the Flamingo Wedding Chapel at the Flamingo Hotel which is not there anymore. It’s where the Strip is right now. The Flamingo Hotel is still there. The highway’s there now on the Strip. Yes the highway where the chapel used to be is there now. Okay. And what was your wife’s maiden name? Marjorie Sessions. Did you meet her in Las Vegas? Yes. What types of entertainment did you enjoy, and what places did you frequently go to before you were married? Before I was married? UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 3 Or right after. Oh, I was mostly around Downtown at the casinos; I enjoyed the casinos and their shows, and we had seen every show that ever came here, I guess. Are all the places that you went to still there? No. The Bingo Club has been replaced by the Sahara. The theaters Downtown— All the theaters downtown have been replaced, which we used to go to. The Huntridge was closed up for a long time; now, it’s reopened. But we went to the hotels—we went to the El Rancho; we used to go to the El Rancho a lot, and it’s not there anymore. What is there instead? Vacant land, right across from the Sahara. That’s where the old El Rancho used to be. And we used to (unintelligible) worked all the time at the Last Frontier Hotel. It was replaced by the New Frontier, and the New Frontier was replaced by this Frontier that’s there now. Oh yes, the swimming pool was in front of the Frontier right next to the highway. And they enlarged the (unintelligible) swimming pool and the chapel where we were married. Was gambling an important recreational activity for you and your family? No. Okay, you say attended many shows by the top entertainers; how have those changed? Well, years ago, you could go see a second show for a Coca-Cola. And that’s, what is it now, $16 or $20 or whatever? But they used to have two shows a night, and we’d have dinner, leave the dinner, and it wasn’t crowded, and you could enjoy your—dancing up on the stage, I danced all the time. The couples went up on the stage and danced? UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 4 Yes, at the Frontier, the El Rancho, and the Sahara. Desert Inn. Yes, they had dancing at Desert Inn, too. Do you remember how much it cost you when you first went to your first show? Probably the price of a Coca-Cola. That’s all you had to buy on the second show, was just to buy a drink. That’s all you had to buy on the second show was just to buy a drink. (Unintelligible) Dinner was three or four dollars. The dinner shows? I would think so, yes. There wasn’t no minimum on the dinner shows or the second show. But you did have to eat something—you had to eat dinner but there was no minimum on what you had to spend. Was church activity an important part of your life? Yes, I would say so: Presbyterian Church. Okay, which Presbyterian church was that? It was the only one here at that time. Yes, it’s on West Charleston, and what’s that other street? (Unintelligible) Okay, have you attended the same church continuously? Not, continuously, no. We did for how many years? (Unintelligible) time we were way and since we’ve been back lately (unintelligible). Do you remember the reverend’s name when you first started going? Reverend Haney. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 5 Do you remember anything about the early above-ground atomic tests? Oh yes. The first one I remember is it felt like somebody was trying to kick my door in and tear it down. And just, the door was gonna shake off its hinges, I thought. And the whole room was like an earthquake. Everything shook and rattled. And when did this occur? It must’ve been (unintelligible). What time? It was the first time. What time? Four o’clock in the morning. And how many times can you remember this happening? Oh, several times. It happened several times. And we (unintelligible)—a lot of people were staying at the Frontier that worked out there, and we’d know when they were going to detonate a bomb, and we’d set up and watch for the flashing light. It’d be like daylight. You’d see that big mushroom and everything. What economic changes have you noticed in Las Vegas? Become bigger, and a lot of it’s just grown by leaps and bounds. There’s more places here—when I first came here, there was two places on the Strip, and now there must be about 16—15 or 16. And it wasn’t but four or five places Downtown. Now there must be 15 or 16. What environmental changes have you noticed? Well, the air is bad, for one thing, from the cars, I think. There’s less dust. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 6 There’s less dust now since it’s built up. And the winters are warmer now than they were years ago, I think. Much warmer. And the summers? Summers? They’re about the same: they’re always hot—120 in the shade and no shade. But, you know, the summers don’t bother now—everything’s air conditioned. At that time, it was all swamp coolers, as they called them. (Unintelligible) There wasn’t refrigeration, and the cars weren’t air conditioned—big difference. Going back to your work in the casinos, where did you learn to deal? Well, in Texas. Who taught you to deal? My uncle. Okay. Did you use much dealing in Texas? Oh, sure. You’d work two or three or four months, then they would close everything and go look for another job: Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, just wherever you could find work. Was it difficult getting your first job in the casino here? No, I came here, (unintelligible) one day and went to work the next. What about a person with no gaming experience? Was it difficult for them? Oh they couldn’t get a job in the casino if they didn’t have any experience in those days—just impossible. If they put you to work and you couldn’t deal, they’d run you out of the place. When you first started working, were there very many women or minority dealers? Well, there was two women on the Strip, I think, at that time at the old Thunderbird Hotel and there was maybe four or five women Downtown; that was about all. There was no minorities. Maybe a few Chicanos—no Blacks. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 7 Have you noticed any changes in the customers over the years in their appearance, their attitude? Well, they’re about the same (unintelligible) spend their money, but they don’t dress as good now as they did. ‘Cause years ago, people dressed better—wore coat and ties all the time. You??d never see anybody in a show unless they were dressed up. Now you see them in there with the (unintelligible). What kind of security system and security measures did they have when you first started? Well, same as they have now. Each place had its own security and security chief, and they took care of their own problems, and if the problem was that serious, they called the sheriff’s department at that time, which is now the Metro. Were there any certain measures they took to avoid problems? Oh, they’d just tell the guy, they’d call security guy and tell them to quiet down, and if they didn’t, they put him out. And if he was a guest in the hotel, they’d take him up to his room and put him to bed. What type of security measures were taken to keep the dealers honest? Well, if they got caught stealing, they got fired. That’s all. Were there any preventive measures? Well, that was the greatest preventive measure. They had certain rules on the way to deal the game, just like they do now. They show a clean hand when they leave the tables and things like that. But the greatest preventive measure was, they got stealing, they got fired. What were some of the methods the customers tried to use for cheating? Well, they’d press bets and they’d try to switch cards, and if they lost their bet, they might snatch the bet and run. (Unintelligible) UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 8 What games were the most cheating done on? Well, I’d say the slot machines had the most, where the most of the cheating went on. And how did they do that? Well, they drill ‘em and they’d put a coin on the string to hold the coin to keep it from dropping down. And years ago, they had what they call the rhythm system. Before they could—it wasn’t actually cheating, but finally the manufacturer put on a rhythm breaker on it so that you couldn’t do it. What was the rhythm system? The click of the machines inside—where they pull it, they could get a wheel up there and they could hold it and play it. How common was this? As common as could be (unintelligible). When you first started working, what was the relationship between the workers and the managers? Oh, great. Like one big family. Can you give some examples? Well, if you needed money, you could go to the owner and borrow money; he’d loan it to you. If you needed help of any kind, they’d help you. It’s not that way anymore. So it was a very lax system? No, it wasn’t lax; it was just a nice—just like one big family. If you had to be nice and wasn’t nice, they’d run you off, and if they didn’t like you they’d run you off. But if they liked you, they’d help you. It’s like any other thing. In those days—of course, it’s a big business now; they couldn’t care less. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 9 Okay, how have things changed, like being paid? Well, when I first came out here, I got paid every day. You go in, and that’s the first thing we do is sign up and get paid. And then, I guess in ’51 or ’52, they started by the week and every two weeks. Why did they pay you by the day? Well, that comes from the old school and working in other places. Apparently all the owners out here in those days had had gambling houses in other places where it wasn’t legal. And when you went to work there, that???s the first thing they did: paid you, so if you got closed up, you’d be paid. And you say you signed in? Yes, you signed on the sheet once you got your money. You didn’t clock in? No, no time clock. Like now, you work your full eight hours. In those days, if you worked six hours, seven hours, except when it was a real busy weekend, it was a long shift. The games would break down, they’d send you home. When did the corporations start to move in and how did they change things? (Unintelligible) (Unintelligible) Oh, I think so, yes. I think that was the start of the really important— (Unintelligible)? Howard Hughes Corporation (unintelligible) Corporation moved in. I think they started the big corporations moving in. I think they were the first to (unintelligible). And did that change things? UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 10 And they just started running everything by the book: corporate personnel and time clocks and what have you. So what changed the attitude in relationship? Well, it did for the old timers, but the new fella coming along today, they don’t know any better. They’ve all worked for the corporation; that’s all they ever done, most of them. What was your first indication that the underground was in the city? I guess when Bugsy Siegel first came here. You saw him? Yes, he used to—when he was building the Flamingo, he stayed at the Last Frontier. What was he like? Well, he was a nice guy. He had six bodyguards with him all the time. But nobody bothered him. When did you notice a change in the appearance of the casinos? Well, I don’t know. (Unintelligible) Oh, that’s right, yes. We worked in Western clothes up until the Flamingo was built, and (unintelligible) worked in white shirts and black ties. So that’s where the black-and-whites came from? I think so, yes. That’s where I think we started that. Okay, so you have Western themes, and then did that gradually just fade out? Mm-hmm. How long did that take? Well, the owners phased it out themselves. They just decided they liked to dress in different costumes or different things. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 11 Okay, when Bugsy Siegel built his Flamingo, how different was that from the existing? What were some of the differences? Well, it was a ritzy place, I guess, wouldn’t you call it? Real snazzy. It was more like a back east (unintelligible). Yes, back east, modernized. Was it larger? Mm-hmm. Oh yes, much larger than the ones that were then, not now. What was the approximate size of the first casino you worked in, the casino area? Well, that was at the old Las Frontier; it must’ve been, well, we had six 21 games and three wheels and three crap games and about, oh, I’d say 300 slots. So would you say it’s tripled or doubled? Oh, it’s quadrupled or maybe—well, I’d say that the MGM was ten times bigger than it was when were—maybe more. When did they start getting larger? How long? Well the first large one they built was, I guess, the Hilton, the International, wasn’t it? (Unintelligible) I think the first real big one was the International, which is the Hilton now. Kirk Kerkorian built it. When did they start adding the flare of the lights? Oh, they’ve always had it. To that extent? They just got bigger and bigger; each one got bigger though. UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 12 Has Las Vegas Boulevard always been called the Strip? Yes. From the beginning? As far as I know, yes. Just two hotels, it was called the Strip? (Unintelligible) Well it was called the Strip when I—everybody called it the Strip. What other name was there? The L.A. Highway, that’s what it was on. Some of them called it that sometimes. But it’s been called the Strip ever since I can remember. Can you think of anything you would like to add about any changes you have noticed? No. It just bigger and better, I guess, since the town has grown. Of course, I’d like to see the dinner show like they used to be instead of like they are now where you put three, four, five hundred people in there and try to feed you in, what, an hour? They throw it in front of you and say, “Here it is, eat it.” Did the type of entertainers change? Yes. It used to be all headliners, like one or two, a comedian and a singer. And then came Lido de Paris, and all those big productions. What was your favorite headliner of the forties? Well, I liked Liberace the first time he was here. The first time he was here. The first time he ever worked here in Las Vegas, he worked at the old Last Frontier Hotel and made $500 a week. What was your favorite entertainer of the fifties? Chucky Green. Who would I go see all the time? UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 13 (Unintelligible) Oh, the all-girl orchestra. They were very good. Castellano and his all-girl orchestra. He used to come at the Frontier every Christmas. They had a beautiful Christmas (unintelligible). And the first year or two I worked at the Frontier, Victor (unintelligible) there. And he used to sit on the box, worked the box for us while we were dealing. He wasn’t working, but he just clouded around. And he was a great guy. He still is. I haven’t seen him in years, but we had a lot of fun. Did they have many entertainers that this was their only spot, like Wayne Newton and Liberace? No, I don’t think so. They used to, wherever—they went back east a lot. In those days, Marta had a lot of— They went wherever they could go. I think Wayne Newtown is about the only one that I can remember that this is the only place he ever entertained, ‘cause a lot of ‘em, when they weren’t entertaining here, they’d be on tour. Not only that, Florida, they had (unintelligible). Yes they had big shows in Florida. In those days, which (unintelligible). Has Las Vegas always been a 24-hour town? Always except during ’45, during the war. They had ‘em close up, I believe it was one o’clock, maybe two o’clock. But then the only thing that was open from two till eleven o’clock, I think they opened up, was the restaurants. And that was for a couple months during the war, they were UNLV University Libraries Jack Bullock 14 closed. And boy, everybody went Downtown. Everybody (unintelligible). And that’s about the only time when it was—they closed up for Kennedy’s funeral; that’s the only other time they’ve been closed since it’s been legalized. Have all the casinos always been open all the time? All of ‘em? Well, there’s a few small ones that don’t have any graveyard shift, and the Frontier didn’t have a graveyard shift until about the latter part of ’45, maybe. We’d get off at three o’clock, but the rest of the places, the rest of the large places, had graveyards, and one Downtown. But some of the small places would close up. Okay, thank you.