Augustus Bertrand "Gus" Greenbaum (1894-1958) was a Las Vegas, Nevada casino executive with ties to organized crime. A longtime associate of Meyer Lansky, Greenbaum moved to Las Vegas in the early 1940s as an investor in the El Cortez and the race wire. In 1946, he became involved in the Flamingo, and after the June 1947 murder of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, he assumed control of the property along with Morris Rosen and Moe Sedway. Greenbaum turned Siegel's financial losses into a $4 million profit within a year.

Rabbi Malcolm Cohen was born on October 7, 1973 in London, England. His mother worked as an office assistant, and his father ran a bookshop and also prepared youth for their bar and bat mitzvahs. It was his father’s dedication to Jewish education and service that influenced his career path. After earning a degree in psychology from Southampton University, Cohen went on to get a professional qualification in youth and community work.