Search Results
Transcript of interview with Walter Weiss by Claytee White, November 2, 2010
Date
2010-11-02
Archival Collection
Description
In this interview, Walter Weiss discusses how Judaism and boxing kept him out of trouble in his youth. Weiss grew up in the Boston area, and started boxing as a teenager. Weiss talks about his boxing training, becoming a runner for a bookmaker, and coming to Las Vegas in the 1950s to be a bookmaker for the Stardust Hotel, and working the slot machine floor. He had several different jobs in various casinos, and discusses different people involved in the gaming industry in Las Vegas.
Walter Weiss life story begins in a Malden, Massachusetts during the Great Depression. His early background was a blend of observant Judaism, secularism, and the effects of the era. He was a troubled youth whose older brother encouraged him to join him in boxing. As Walter explains: I was a wild kid and ... boxing saved my life. His aptitude for boxing led him to be a sparring partner in New York City's famous Spillman Gym. There he met and worked out with some of the greatest fighters of the era, including Rocky Marciano. He recalls how he turned professional while attending the University of Miami and how he first came to Las Vegas in 1958 to escape his personal troubles and find work with a local bookmaker. Thus began his diverse employment history in the casino industry. He details his various positions and the cast of famous and infamous characters of the times. For six years he return to New York and worked as a Wall Street broker before arriving back in Las Vegas in 1973. He talks about his property ownership, lobbying for an amendment to Senate Bill 208, his personal religious changes and a sundry of observations about the changes that occurred as the state took over gaming.
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Transcript of interview with Burton Cohen by Claytee White, January 9, 2009
Date
2009-01-09
Archival Collection
Description
In this interview, Burton Cohen discusses his involvement in the Las Vegas casino industry, including booking entertainment for various hotels.
Burton Cohen's long casino executive career began in the mid-1960s when he accepted a proposition to become involved with the transformation of the Frontier Hotel. He left his south Florida roots and law practice to become a co-owner/general manager of the Frontier Hotel. Thus, began his highly regarded Las Vegas presence. For nearly four decades he served in the management of some of the Strip's most famous casinos: Flamingo, Dunes, Circus Circus, Caesar Palace, Thunderbird and the Desert Inn, which remains his favorite. In this interview, Burt reflects on the positions he held, the celebrities he hired and befriended, and offers a unique look at the behind the scenes marketing and entertainment strategies that he helmed. He shares stories of becoming entrenched in casino operations, his reflections of union experiences, and even anecdotes about moving his mother to Las Vegas.
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Interview with Frankie Lou (Louise) Mayer, July 26, 2004
Date
2004-07-26
Archival Collection
Description
Narrator affiliation: Benefits Specialist, Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company (REECo)
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Lake-Eglington Family Papers
Identifier
MS-00142
Abstract
The Lake-Eglington Family Papers (1905-1983) consist of correspondence, school records, newspaper clippings, announcements, and receipts collected by Olive Lake-Eglington, a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1904 until the early 1980s. Items of unique interest in the collection include a 1907 temperance pledge and World War Two ration books from 1943.
Archival Collection
Dorothy Damrow Lee and Clark "Danny" Lee Papers
Identifier
MS-00841
Abstract
The collection is comprised of Dorothy and Clark "Danny" Lee's personal ephemera relating to their childhoods and high school experiences in Las Vegas, Nevada during the 1940s and 1950s. The materials focus mainly on Dorothy Damrow Lee's involvement with the Rhythmettes, a Las Vegas High School club. The collection highlights children's and young adults' experiences growing up in early Las Vegas as well as information on Las Vegas High School activities.
Archival Collection
Dr. Percy Poon oral history interview
Identifier
OH-01491
Abstract
Oral history interview with Dr. Percy Poon conducted by Lisa Gioia-Acres on February 05, 2007 for the UNLV @ 50 Oral History Project. Poon discusses arriving at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1989 to teach finance and his career as the dean of the College of Business. He also recalls the different styles and contributions of university presidents Robert Maxson and Carol Harter. Other topics discussed include early Las Vegas, Nevada.
Archival Collection
Earl Rockwell Papers
Identifier
MS-00145
Abstract
The Earl Rockwell Papers (1852-1978) consists of newspaper clippings, diaries, books, correspondence, and ephemera related to Las Vegas, Nevada pioneer Earl Rockwell. The collection documents Rockwell’s life in Las Vegas and Elmira, New York and also contains seven nineteenth-century diaries that belonged to Rockwell’s grandmother, Amanda Brees.
Archival Collection
Georgia Lewis Photograph Collection
Identifier
PH-00183
Abstract
The Georgia Lewis Photograph Collection contains black-and-white photographic prints and negatives primarily depicting Kyle Ranch, also known as Boulderado Ranch and Taylor Ranch, between approximately 1900 and 1950. The collection also features locations throughout Nevada such as Sloan, Panaca, Overton, and Indian Springs. Other images depict various individuals, including figures such as Grant Sawyer and J. Edgar Hoover, in Nevada locations and around the United States including Washington and Los Angeles, California.
Archival Collection