Four women, Cynthia Cicero, Betty Brown, Tina Boag, and Jan Ravetti, recall coming to Las Vegas to obtain jobs during the period of mob ownership in the Las Vegas hotels. Each had a different reason for coming. A recession in Buffalo, New York, brought Cynthia and her husband to Las Vegas to obtain employment; Jan Ravetti’s family moved from Pennsylvania due to her father’s illness and possible employment; parents of Tina Boag, who was born in Paris, were entertainers who travelled and performed extensively; and Milton Prell, opening the Aladdin Hotel and Casino, encouraged Californian Betty Brown to work for him. Cynthia Cicero obtained a job with the City of Las Vegas, but the other three worked on the Strip in the casinos. Their experiences in the hotels show the differences between mob and corporate management since they were working there before and after Howard Hughes purchased six of the large Vegas hotels. The four ladies tell about their work on the Strip from Betty’s experience as a genie at the Aladdin to Tina’s position as a twenty-one dealer. They were acquainted with the casino owners and managers, entertainers like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin, and show girls. They also knew first-hand the interactions between mobsters and the public. Food, for example, was a giveaway, an enticement for people to come into the hotel to gamble. They also knew stories about high rollers, the robbery of the baccarat tables at Caesars Palace, and the importance of “taking a fall” including the rewards attached. The ladies describe the shops on downtown Fremont Street and the Strip such as Nina Clark’s, Ronzones, Dillards and Chic Hecht’s as well as Penneys and Sears. A young woman shopped at Suzie Cream Cheese, for example, for the right outfit to wear to Pussy Cat A Go-Go, the rock and roll club on the Strip. Las Vegas also had many good gourmet and ethnic restaurants, piano bars, hotel lounges, and pubs with excellent entertainment. The ladies also describe the difference in the treatment of women during the 1960s and 1970s by men in clubs. Women rarely bought drinks nor did they pay for dinners when with gentlemen. Finally, the ladies compare areas where they lived including McNeil Estates, Heritage Square and the Chisholm-built homes in the Jones-Vegas Drive area. Not to be forgotten, however, are the terrible rain storms that flood streets and the Strip. Serious gamblers in the casinos refused to leave the tables while drenching rains washed cars from the hotel parking lots during the 1970s. Neither did they leave the MGM casino when the hotel caught on fire in1980.
In recalling his career in the public sector, Boulder City native Jacob Snow credits fellow Nevadans Robert Broadbent and Bruce Woodbury as two mentors who helped shape his world view. After attending Boulder City schools and serving a religious mission in Hong Kong, earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees at Brigham Young University, and working as community development planner for the City of Provo, Utah, 1987-1989, Snow has lived and worked in Clark County. Snow's degrees in geography and urban planning and his experience in transportation directly benefited Clark County residents from 1989 through 2015; we continue to derive indirect advantage of his knowledge through his current consulting business. In this interview, he speaks to the ways infrastructure accommodated Southern Nevada's growth. He discusses McCarran's Terminal Three, the Las Vegas Monorail, UNLV's football stadium, the Bruce Woodbury Beltway, and the Fremont Street Experience. He explains the ethos of McCarran Airport; why the Monorail will likely never go to McCarran Airport; how Clark County financed the CC-2015 Bruce Woodbury Beltway, and why we see the concept of "complete streets" applied more in the City of Las Vegas and the City of Henderson than in Clark County. Snow discusses his work under Clark County director of aviation Broadbent as assistant director of aviation for planning at McCarran International Airport; his career as general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission, where he worked with Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, and his three years as city manager for the City of Henderson. In speaking of all three roles, Snow draws upon his knowledge of transportation as it grew and was shaped by his previous positions. And in all three roles, Snow exemplifies the lesson Broadbent impressed upon him early in his airport career: "[Y]ou've got to be able to bury the hatchet and build bridges.
The Downtowner Motel sign sits at 129 North Eighth Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet. Site address: 129 N 8th St Sign owner: Robert and Ada Cohen Sign details: Original Construction year of this building was 1935 and maintains the Art Deco design to the building. This location was originally built for a motel or apartments, but has mainly been used for motels since its construction. Sign condition: 5- In great condition and looks as though it may have been restored or repainted recently because of how good it looks Sign form: Double sided Porte Cochere (Facing both sides of the street) Sign-specific description: This sign is above their two story building, as used as a directional sign for the tunnel passageway to the parking lot since there is a linear arrow pointing diagonally from the top of the sign to where the drivers would need to go. This arrow is lined with chasing incandescent light bulbs. To building side of the arrow there is a long thin red parallel trapezoid that spells out "MOTEL" in a painted white block font that is lined with Skeletal Neon that illuminates red at night. Underneath this one about a foot down is another long thin red parallel trapezoid that has white painted letters stating "Downtowners APTS." the downtowner part is a cursive font that illuminates blue at night,a and the Apts. part is in block letter that illuminates red at night. Sign - type of display: Neon and incandescent light bulbs Sign - media: Steel Sign animation: Chasing Notes: incandescent light bulbs Sign environment: This location is on N 8th Street just a few blocks north of the Fremont Street East District, but near Ogden. Sign - date of installation: Roadside Architecture website http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas2.html says it has been there since at least the mid 1960's Sign - thematic influences: This sign is remnant of the vintage motorcade motel signs that one could see along any highway during the traveling era of the 50's/60's. Sign - artistic significance: The arrow is reminiscent of the 1950's/60's directional arrows. Survey - research locations: Assessor's Page, Roadside Architecture http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas2.html , Downtowner Motel website http://downtownerlv.com/ Survey - research notes: The building showcases remnants of Art deco style and mid-century modern architectural styles. The panels in between the doors/windows have the art deco design and then the canopies above the windows and doorways have a mid-century modern curvilinear canopies. Surveyor: Emily Fellmer Survey - date completed: 2017-09-06 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Steel; Chasing; Directional; Pole sign
Ronzone Family Papers (1900-1991) include newspaper clippings, business documents, correspondence, certificates, yearbooks, publications, artifacts, and photographs. The papers document their lives in Nevada, their department store, and Dick Ronzone's involvement in local politics.
The Arlene Mathews Smith Photograph Collection (1910-1945) is comprised of photographs of people and places in and around Panaca, Nevada. The collection contains a photograph album featuring Smith, her family and friends, and various residents and events around the area. Included as part of the collection are photographs from the Last Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The El Sombrero Mexican Bistro sign sits at 807 South Main Street. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 807 S Main St Sign owner: Irma Aguirre Sign details: This modest, family-owned restaurant has been in town since the 1950's. It was then sold to the current owner, Irma Aguirre, and closed for a brief moment for renovation in 2014. They have been serving favorites like burritos, enchiladas, taco, and tamales for six decades. Even with their modern updates, they are still staying as true to their past as they possibly can. Sign condition: 5, the sign is still in beautiful condition. Sign form: Hanging sign Sign-specific description: The sign for the business extends out from the property towards the street. The rectangular sign is a bright blue that matches the color of the building. On the top outer corner of the sign sits a sombrero with a red and white striped band in the middle portion of the hat. The words "El Sombrero" are painted on the brim of the hat. There are skeletal neon tubes outline the hat and the words "El Sombrero." Next to this is a small sign, within the overall design of the rest of the sign, that is designed to look ripped on both sides and reads "Mexican Food" in red letters. Neon tubes outline these words. Underneath these elements of the sign is the word "CAFE" in bold white text with a thin black border. Neon tubes fill these letters as well. Extending from the bottom of the sign is a small rectangle with the building number "807" painted in black. Sign - type of display: Neon Sign - media: Steel Sign environment: The area that this restaurant sits is right between the Arts District and the excitement of Fremont Street. The locations nearby is a bail bond store, a supply stores for gaming, lawn equipment, and discount appliances. It is also a short distance from the North Premium Outlets. Sign - date of installation: Circa 1950's Sign - date of redesign/move: Possibly 2014, they closed this year to renovate the building and the sign looks different today from earlier images of the sign. Before they renovated the building the sign included some sort of striped scarf/cloth underneath the sombrero. However, after the renovation this must have been painted over. Sign - thematic influences: The sombrero on the sign also lends itself to the name of the property and the "Mexican Food" sign within the sign explicitly tells you what type of restaurant this is. It tells you the theme right away. Sign - artistic significance: The sign itself is very simple, but the few specific design elements of the sign are very distinct to the property. The sombrero is a nice touch to emphasize the name of the restaurant and the "Mexican Food" sign is helpful in letting both motorists and pedestrians know what type of food they serve. Survey - research locations: Las Vegas weekly article https://lasvegasweekly.com/dining/reviews/2014/nov/19/revamped-el-sombrero-cafe-mexican-downtown/ , Review Journal article https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/el-sombrero-a-mix-of-modern-classic/, asessor's page Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro Survey - date completed: 2017-08-28 Sign keywords: Neon; Steel; Hanging; Cantilever construction
On March 3, 1977, Richard Strahan interviewed Phillip L. Cook (born 1939 in Las Vegas, Nevada) about his life in Southern Nevada. Cook first talks about his parents’ move to Nevada and then describes how the school system has changed over time. He then describes the first businesses that opened up in the Downtown and Strip areas in Las Vegas before discussing prostitution, Block 16, and recreational activities available to youth. Cook also talks about the first television sets and telephone systems made available, and he moves on to talk about the prices of things such as movies and haircuts when he was younger. The interview then moves to discussions on the Old Ranch, racial discrimination, school integration, the crime rate, and the school system in Las Vegas.
On March 13, 1981, Lisa Mades interviewed Sharon Gutzman (born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1935). Gutzman talks much about early Las Vegas, Nevada, including early businesses, the first casinos, and the first airport. She also discusses educations, shopping, recreation, entertainment, and gambling.