Oral history interview with Larry Ruvo conducted by David G. Schwartz on January 27, 2009 for the Remembering Jay Sarno Oral History Project. Ruvo begins by discussing his position as a front desk clerk at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1970s. Ruvo then describes how Jay Sarno changed the casino industry by designing Caesar’s Palace with a single theme. Ruvo then chronicles how gaming gradually was legalized in more areas throughout the world and how Sarno capitalized on making Caesar’s Palace an iconic casino which made people want to travel to Las Vegas. Lastly, Ruvo discusses Sarno’s focus on offering both gaming and entertainment options for guests at Caesar's Palace.
The Somerset Shopping Center sign sits at 252 Convention Center Drive. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site address: 252 Convention Center Dr Sign owner: Somerset Shopping Center CO LP Sign details: This shopping center was built in 1966 next to the Somerset House Motel. The motel was demolished in 2011; however, the shopping center is still around. Some businesses that reside in the shopping center include: a hair and nail salon, a dry cleaners, an Ethiopian restaurant, and a place for banquets to name a few. Sign condition: 5, the sign is in beautiful condition. Sign form: Pole Sign-specific description: This pole sign sits close to the street so motorists and pedestrians can view it easily. A light blue pole holds up the main portion of this sign, as well as back lit plastic signs on each side of the pole that display what businesses are in the shopping center. The sign itself consists of a yellow ring that encircles three other signs. This yellow circle is covered in incandescent light bulbs that chase when the sign is lit up at night. Also, extending from this yellow circle are light blue poles in various lengths that are surrounded in neon tubes and oscillate around the yellow circle when the sign is lit up at night. In the center of the circle are three signs. The first sign is an elongated oval that has the word "SOMERSET" painted on it in bold white letters with a black outline on a light blue background. Neon tubes outline these letters. The sign under that is a large rectangle shape with each of the sides curving inward. There are also incandescent light bulbs lining the outer edge of this sign that chase when the sign is lit up. This sign has the word "SHOPPING" painted on it in bold white text against a red background. Neon tubes outline each letter of this word. The sign under this is another elongated oval that is a similar size to the "SOMERSET" sign. This sign reads "CENTER" in bold white text against a red background and neon tubes outline this word as well. Sign - type of display: Neon, Incandescent light bulbs and back lit Sign - media: Steel and plastic Sign - non-neon treatments: Plastic portion of sign Sign animation: Oscillating, chasing Sign environment: The shopping center that this sign is located in is about a block away from the Strip and is near a few monumental properties. It resides close to the Las Vegas Country Club, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and the Guardian Angel Cathedral that Paul Revere Williams designed. It is down the road from casinos like the Wynn, Encore, Circus Circus, and the Westgate. The Peppermill, an iconic Las Vegas restaurant, is down the street as well. It was down the street from the Stardust when that property was up and running. Sign manufacturer: YESCO Sign - date of installation: Most likely 1966, 1960's era Sign - thematic influences: The design of this sign is very eye-catching from the road, as are many roadside signs throughout this era of the city. Bold text and light animation make this a standout sign to attract motorists and pedestrians to the shopping center. Sign - artistic significance: This sign appears to have some Googie design influence throughout it. It has a space age feel to it because of the yellow circle that surrounds the "SOMERSET SHOPPING CENTER" signs and the blue poles that extend from it also add to this style. Survey - research locations: Assessor's Page http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/assessor/Pages/searchbybusinessname.aspx , Vintage Las Vegas website http://vintagelasvegas.com/search/somerset , Roadside architecture website http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas.html Surveyor: Lauren Vaccaro Survey - date completed: 2017-09-01 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Steel; Plastic; Oscillating; Chasing; Pole sign
The Desert Moon Motel sign sits at 1701 Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Data Sheet. Site name: Desert Moon Motel (Las Vegas, Nev.) Site address: 1701 Fremont St Sign owner: Jerzy and Celina Kosla Sign details: The building was constructed in 1942 (Assessor). According to one commentator, the Desert Moon motel opened on the site in 1952 (Roadside Architecture.com). The cars on a vintage postcard of the motel appear to date from the late 1940's or early 1950's (Ebay). The same vintage postcard (Ebay) shows the motel as a member of United Motor Courts, an early motel referral chain founded in 1933 which published a travel guide until the early 1950's (Wikipedia). Based in Santa Barbara, California, United Motor Courts was made up of "a friendly group of independent owners of motor lodges..." (Historic Highways). The Quality Inn motel franchise was a spinoff of United Motor Courts (Wikipedia). The motel has been renovated by its current owner, Polish immigrant George (Jerzy) Kosla (Glionna, 2017). Sign condition: The sign is Condition 4, good. The paint appears slightly faded but there is no flaking or peeling. The cabinets, reader boards, and fiberglass moon are all in good condition. The neon is intact. Sign form: Pole sign Sign-specific description: The sign pole and metal cabinets are painted pink. The design and lettering are the same on both sides of the sign. The trapezoid-shaped lower cabinet extends horizontally toward the street. It contains a rectangular white plastic lightbox which states "FREE ADULT MOVIES" in red sans serif letters and "FLAT SCREEN TV'S in smaller black san serif letters. To the left of the letters is the black silhouette of a female figure. On the metal below the plastic screen are clear sans serif neon letters which spell out, "NO VACANCY" in red when illuminated. The upper metal cabinet hangs from the street side of the pole. White painted san serif letters, covered by clear sans serif neon letters which glow red when illuminated, run vertically down the cabinet to spell out, "XXX MOVIES". Five metal cabinets attached to the street side of the sign run vertically to spell out, "M-O- T-E- L" in white painted sans serif letters covered by yellow sans serif neon letters. On top of the pole is a white p Sign - type of display: Neon, Lightbox Sign - media: Steel, Plastic, Fiberglass Sign - non-neon treatments: Lightbox Sign environment: East Fremont Street, surrounded by other motels. Sign - date of installation: c. 1950s Sign - date of redesign/move: The now pink or faded red sign cabinets were painted blue in a 2003 photograph Sign - thematic influences: Desert, Space Age, Western Sign - artistic significance: The current sign appears to have taken the Western/Lunar theme from the previous sign and transformed it into a 1950's/1960's Space Age/Lunar theme Survey - research locations: Assessor's website Survey - research notes: Ebay. Las Vegas NV Desert Moon Motel roadside Nevada vintage linen postcard ca 1940s. Retrieved from https://picclick.com/LAS-VEGAS- NV-Desert- Moon-Motel- Roadside-Nevada- 141923576051.html Glionna, J. M. (2017 April 23). Motel, once a haven, now a crime-ridden jungle in downtown Las Vegas. Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las- vegas/downtown/motel-once- a-haven- now-a- crime-ridden- jungle-in- downtown-las- vegas/ Historic Highways. (2007 July 14). Archive for the "Motel Associations" category: Looking for a motel in 1933. Retrieved from https://historichighways.wordpress.com/category/motel-associations/ Roadside Architecture. com (n.d.). Las Vegas Signs: Desert Moon Motel. Retrieved from http://www.roadarch.com/signs/nvvegas.html RoadsidPeek.com. (n.d.). Downtown motels Las Vegas: Desert Moon Motel. Retrieved from http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/nevada/vegas/lvmotel/lvdownmotel/index5.htm Wikipedia. (n.d.). Motel: 2.6 R Survey - other remarks: A postcard circa early 1950's features a different sign with a saguaro cactus and quarter moon (Ebay). The current sign appears to have taken the Western/Lunar theme from the previous sign and transformed it into a Space Age/Lunar theme, which may indicate that the sign dates from the date from the late 1950's or 1960's. Surveyor: Mitchell Cohen Survey - date completed: 2017-08-22 Sign keywords: Neon; Steel; Plastic; Fiberglass; Pole sign; Light box; Sculptural