Clifford Perlman
Portrait of Former Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer (left) greets Clifford Perlman (right).
Clifford Perlman was extremely influential in shaping Las Vegas into the town it is today. Perlman served as President and CEO of Caesars Palace and was the first chairman of MGM Grand Inc. He passed away at the age of 90 in 2016.
Perlman was born March 30, 1926 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Perlman served in the Army during World War II and was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, and three Battle Stars. He earned a law degree from the University of Miami in 1951 and practiced law in Florida for nine years.
Perlman purchased Caesars Palace in 1969 and made history when Caesars became the first publicly held company in the Las Vegas casino market which ushered in the corporate age of local gaming. He also purchased the Thunderbird hotel and casino in 1972 and sold it five years later. Perlman’s reign saw Frank Sinatra performing regularly for 10 years at the Caesars Palace, he worked with Don King to bring some of the biggest boxing fights of the 20th Century to Caesar’s, and the Alan King Tennis Classic. The Perlmans sold their interest in Caesars in July 1982.
In 1997 CBS made a made-for-TV movie based in part on his life, titled A Match Made in Heaven. John Stamos played the Clifford Perlman character.
Sources:
Koch, Ed. “CLifford Perlman, Caesars Palace exec who ushered in corporate age of Vegas gaming, dies at 90” Las Vegas Sun. 9 Sept 2016. Web 28 Nov 2016.
Tredwell, Glenn, and Barbara Tabach. An Interview with Glenn Tredwell: An Oral History. Las Vegas, NV: Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project, Oral History Research Center at UNLV, U Libraries, 2014. Print.
Unger, Mike, and Barbara Tabach. An Interview with Mike Unger: An Oral History. Las Vegas, NV: Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project, Oral History Research Center at UNLV, U Libraries, 2014. Print.
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