Text
Oral history interview with Thomas Barbarite conducted by Dennis Chamberland on March 03, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Barbarite discusses his time at the Four Queens Hotel and the Dunes Hotel as a dealer as well as his work as a pit boss at the Flamingo Hotel, the Aladdin Hotel, and Caesars Palace. Barbarite also discusses the involvement of the mob in Las Vegas, particularly the influence of Bugsy Siegel in the operation of various properties.
Archival Collection
The Joan Gordon Family Films (approximately 1930-1939) consist of two color 16mm films from the 1930s which feature Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and his daughters in a swimming pool in Los Angeles, California and other locations in Southern California. Also included are two reproductions of black-and-white photographs featuring Esther, Milicent, and Barbara Siegel along with Joan Gordon, her sister and mother. Joan Gordon grew up in Los Angeles, California and her family was neighbors with Benjamin and Esther Siegel and their daughters Millicent and Barbara.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Mary Habbart conducted by David R. Patt on March 07, 1975 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. This interview offers an overview of life in Las Vegas, Nevada in the early days, which included: atomic testing, floods, prostitution on Block 16, early Fremont Street and Duck Creek. Also discussed during this interview: Sunset Park, The Roosevelts, Bugsy Siegel, local government and the Hoover Dam.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with William Verzani conducted by James Little on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Verzani discusses his personal history and being a rancher in Searchlight, Nevada. Verzani describes life in Searchlight during the 1930s, and later moving to Las Vegas, Nevada. Verzani goes on to describe living in Las Vegas, and how the city has changed and expanded. He also talks about the murder of Bugsy Siegel, hunting in Nevada, and his career as a truck driver.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Edward A. Collins conducted by Steven L. Smith on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Ed Collins discusses gender equality in the culinary industry of Las Vegas, Nevada and the changes he saw in the industry over the years. He also speaks about Bugsy Siegel's influence on the emergence of big shows on the Las Vegas Strip. He then discusses Las Vegas before and after the appearance of Howard Hughes and Bob Maheu.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with John Haines conducted by Thomas S. Hager on March 25, 1972 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Haines discusses moving to Reno, Nevada in 1931 and later to Tonopah, Nevada to be a card dealer. He describes building the Town Hall Casino, and explains how local troops stationed in Tonopah were the customer base until the bombings in Japan during the end of WWII. Lastly, Haines discusses his employment at the Frontier Club, mobster Bugsy Siegel, and how the mob influenced the gaming industry.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Charles F. Sells conducted by Noble B. Young on March 13, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Sells describes his personal history in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sells discusses how Las Vegas has changed, the jobs he has held, and the death of his wife. Sells also discusses his enjoyment of going out with his wife to gamble at the casinos when he was younger, meeting Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, playing in a local softball team, and his business, an industrial laundry cleaning plant.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Rose and Librado Ramos, Jr. conducted by Robert S. Clark on March 15, 1981 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. Rose and Librado Ramos begin by discussing Rose's father who immigrated from Mexico to Nevada to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. They describe life in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1940s, how the city has changed and grown, and nuclear weapons testing. The two also discuss the history of Nellis Air Force Base, the killing of Bugsy Siegel, how the casinos used to treat their customers, and the economic impact gaming and tourism have on Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Oral history interview with Nadine Tobin conducted by Pamella Perry on February 10, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview, Tobin discusses her personal history and the history of Las Vegas, Nevada. Tobin describes moving to Las Vegas as a child in 1941, life in the city, and how the city has changed and grown. Tobin then talks about the arrival of Bugsy Siegel; new casinos in Las Vegas; and the El Dorado Ranch, a divorce ranch. She goes on to discuss her career as a photograph lab technician, how photographs were developed, new printing technology, and printing photographs for the Atomic Energy Commission and Nevada Highway Patrol. Lastly, she discusses her recreation activities and the Helldorado Parade.
Archival Collection