Search Results
Thomas Barbarite oral history interview
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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
Kevin Brady oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Kevin Brady conducted by David Schwartz on September 07, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Brady discusses his experience in negotiating with vendors for new slot games on the floor, what makes a good slot manager, and the changes in technology since he first started in the slot industry. He also describes his personal gambling and his own advice to young people who might want to go into slot operations.
Archival Collection
Steve Keener oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Steve Keener conducted by David G. Schwartz on October 07, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Keener discusses his background in the slot positions at Tropicana Hotel, in Atlantic City and the Dover Down Hotel in Delaware. Keener also discusses the expansion of video over stepper, server-based gaming, and the increase in riverboat gaming. He also mentions the role of free play, skill-based, and 3D gaming being introduced into slot machines.
Archival Collection
David Rohn oral history interview
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Oral history interview with David Rohn conducted by David G. Schwartz on October 20, 2016 for the Slot Operations Oral History Project. Rohn discusses working in arcades and slots within properties such as Wildhorse Resort and Casino, and Midnight Rose Hotel and Casino. He then provides his philosophy on what he believes customers are looking for in casinos, and how slot operations have changed over time, particularly through ticket-in ticket-out and the use of free play.
Archival Collection
Patricia Bryan oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Patricia Bryan conducted by Stephen Kulifay on February 20, 1979 for the Ralph Roske Oral History Project on Early Las Vegas. In this interview Patricia Bryan discusses her education at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Northwestern and her move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947. Bryan also discusses her family’s involvement in the soda bottling industry and eventual involvement in real estate. She goes on to describe a wide range of topics including the first hotel properties in the city, the entertainers at the time, minority communities, the railroad, shopping, and housing. She also discusses the popularity of Las Vegas, with a focus on tourists and gaming. Digital audio and transcript available.
Archival Collection
Randy Daybell oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Randy Daybell conducted by Patricia van Betten on April 01, 2010 for the History of Blue Diamond Village in Nevada Oral History Project. Daybell opens his interview by describing his birth and early upbringing in Heber City, Utah. He then discusses his education, his missionary work with the Mormon church, and his move to Washington, D.C. to work as director of the Mormon church's educational outreach program. He points out that he lived in Blue Diamond Village between the ages of three and six, and recounts memories from that early period in his life. Some of those memories include living in a trailer near the gypsum board plant, playing in the desert and the community pool, and being temporarily trapped by a large bull while playing with a friend. Lastly, he comments on his memories of his aunt and uncle, Barb and Verl Conover, and the many changes to the Village since he lived there as a child.
Archival Collection
Rossi Ralenkotter oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Rossi Ralenkotter conducted by Claytee D. White on August 4, 2022 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Ralenkotter describes migrating to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1951 with his parents at the age of four. He shares early memories of the city, and talks about how it brought him to be president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Ralenkotter is responsible for marketing and branding Las Vegas and Southern Nevada as the world's most desirable destination for leisure and business travel. Under his leadership, the LVCVA launched the most successful branding campaign in tourism history, "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas." In 1971, Ralenkotter earned a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and in 2008 was selected as Alumni of the Year. In 2009, he was honored with UNLV's Distinguished Nevadan Award. Throughout the interview, Ralenkotter recalls his many memories of the city throughout his life, including cruising Fremont Street, swimming at Lorenzi Park, participating in Helldorado parades, and watching the transformation of sports in the city.
Archival Collection
Ted Quirk oral history interviews
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Oral history interviews with Ted Quirk conducted by Claytee D. White on December 15, 2017 and December 20, 2017 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In the first interview, Quirk discusses his early life in Ithaca, New York and arriving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1973. He talks about his employment at Shell Oil, working in a chemical plant, and oil drilling. Quirk describes practicing law for patents, licensing, and contracts. He talks about his career in the housing development industry, and his involvement in the development of the Spanish Trails County Club. In the second interview, Quirk talks about Boys and Girls Club of America and being involved with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He remembers forming the UNLV Golf Foundation, the Runnin’ Rebels Club, and the UNLV Research Foundation. Quirk explains the situation regarding UNLV’s Basketball Coach, Jerry Tarkanian, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Lastly, Quick discusses the historical importance of the
Archival Collection
Sasha Semenoff oral history interview
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Oral history interview with Sasha Semenoff conducted by Claytee D. White on April 29, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Semenoff begins the interview by discussing his early life in Latvia and learning to play the violin as a child before the Nazi invasion. He describes being a Jewish Holocaust survivor, surviving the ghettos and concentration camp where he was held, and explaining how he immigrated to the United States after he was liberated. Semenoff then discusses moving to New York City, New York, where he joined the musician's union before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1959. He details his career as a prominent lounge and big band violinist in Las Vegas, where he played at several different casinos, including the Desert Inn Lounge, the Dunes Hotel and Casino, and the MGM Grand Hotel. Semenoff also talks about the musicians he has played with, such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, his work at the time of the interview, and the presence of organized crime in Las Vegas.
Archival Collection
Kevin Chung oral history interview: transcript
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Archival Collection
Description
Oral history interview with Kevin Chung conducted by Cecelia Winchell, Stefani Evans, and Jerwin Tiu on December 18, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project. Kevin Chung discusses his upbringing in Southern Vietnam and how he and his family were forced to leave the country during the Vietnam War. Chung talks about his family's migration to Minnesota and how they adapted to American culture. He shares his educational background, his professional pursuits as a teacher, and the reasons he and his wife decided to move to Las Vegas. Chung reflects on the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in education with an emphasis on the arts and shares his teaching philosophy. He also gives details of his family's lives and talks about the importance of bringing together his Vietnamese and American cultures to connect the different generations of his family.
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