William Flangas was born in Ely, Nevada, in 1927. He attended grade school through high school in White Pine County. In his junior year, he left school to join the Navy. After the war, he enrolled at UNR on the G.I. Bill, and graduated with a degree in metallurgical engineering. In 1951, Bill worked for Kennecott in a 'deep root' project, spent a summer in Chile working in a smelter, and then went back to work for Kennecott in underground operations. On the basis of this experience, he wrote a thesis and earned an EM degree (Engineer of Mines). Bill was approached in 1958 by Mr. Reynolds of the Reynolds Electric/Engineering Company with a request that he come help them out at the Nevada Test Site. He refused at first, but after a second call and a visit to the tunnel site, he accepted the job, pulled together a first-rate group of experienced miners, and stayed on to enjoy a 40 year career concurrent with the job at the test site, Bill was appointed to the State Planning Board, later renamed the State Public Works Board. The function of the board was to list public buildings in order of priority. In 1984, the College of Engineering at UNLV made the priority list. Bill helped set up three point contact among the university personnel, the architectural firm, and the Public Works Board. This was to ensure that the building met the needs of the engineers but did not go over budget.

In 1960, the same year the original Ocean’s Eleven was filmed at the Sands Hotel and Casino, Robert “Bob” Genovese moved to Las Vegas to pursue a career in music. Bob’s band, The Jets, quickly got a gig at the Fremont Hotel, working opposite Wayne and Jerry Newton. Seven years later, Bob met and married Ann. The couple spent much of their early years of marriage on the road for Bob’s work, with Las Vegas always as their home base. A few years later they bought a home in McNeil Estates, and ceased their nomadic life when their eldest son, Joseph, started school. Over the years, Bob’s music career flourished, and he played showrooms across the valley, including Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, and the Driftwood Lounge, working opposite legends like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. Bob and Ann’s personal life also thrived, and they had three sons: Joseph “Joe” Genovese, Patrick Genovese, and David Genovese. By all accounts, the children enjoyed an ideal upbringing. Neighbors watched out for neighbors, and all the children were friends, and spent equal parts getting in and out of trouble. After her sons grew up, Ann used her skills to start and run a travel agency. Joe, Pat and David have all remained in Las Vegas, and live back in their childhood neighborhood in the heart of the city. Joe is a successful land developer; Patrick worked for the City of North Las Vegas’ Parks and Recreation Division for 12 years before joining Gibson Guitars; and David has spent his career working at the Station Casinos. Following in both their father and mother’s musical footsteps, the Genovese sons formed a band as young adults and continue to play together informally. Having lived in Las Vegas for several decades, the Genoveses all have a unique and informed perspective on the growth and development of Las Vegas. They have witnessed hotels and casinos being erected and being demolished; experienced schools being segregated and then integrated; and seen the city transition from mob-run to corporate-dominated. The family remains committed their community, and being a part of its renaissance to ensure that it is still a great place to be a local.

Del E. Webb, part-owner of the Yankee Baseball Team, (left) with Mickey Mantle, Yankee baseball player. Webb himself played on minor league baseball teams in California in earlier years. (1940s-1950s)