Don Laughlin was born and raised on a farm seven miles northeast of Owatonna, Minnesota. In about 1953 he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. In about 1966, he moved to the area that is now Laughlin, Nevada and purchased what would become the Riverside Resort Hotel and Casino.

Julia A. Payne was born in the 1940s in Santa Monica, California. Her parents had moved to southern California from Columbus, Ohio. After Julia graduated from high school in 1963, the family decided to move to Las Vegas where it was “less hectic.” Her father was one of the first African American athletic trainers for a professional football team. Her mother was swim team captain at Ohio State University and knew Dr. Ralph Bunche. For Julia, adjustment to Las Vegas was difficult. The city was not as diverse as Los Angeles.