Gil Cohen was born August 26, 1947 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1957, his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. His father, Yale, had been recruited to work at the Stardust Hotel and Casino, which opened its doors in 1958. His mother, Toby, stayed at home to raise him and his sister, Debbie. After graduating from Las Vegas High School, Cohen turned down several golf scholarships to attend the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR).
Stan Irwin was born March 28, 1920 in New York City, New York. His life story spans many decades and includes attending New York University, doing stand-up comedy, being a pilot during World War II, working at Club Bingo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and building up the entertainment at the Sahara Hotel and Casino. Irwin was an entertainment manager active in Las Vegas from 1946 until the late 1970s. For many years, he served as the vice president and executive producer of entertainment for the Sahara.
Michael Tell succeeded his parents Jack and Beatrice Tell in the managing the Las Vegas Israelite newspaper and became the second generation of ownership.
Stella Butterfield's family, the Goldbergs, was Jewish, and she was born in the Bronx. During World War II she worked for the Coast Guard in the steno pool in Washington, D.C. Stella moved to Santa Monica a few years later while the war was still going on and worked briefly as a riveter for Douglas Aircraft and then as a teletype operator for the Air Force but at Douglas Aircraft. Because she had a hard time getting a job because of antisemitism, she changed her name to Gilbert.