From the Roosevelt Fitzgerald Professional Papers (MS-01082) -- Drafts for the Las Vegas Sentinel Voice file. On PBS' "The Civil War" Documentary and Black history.
Lester Benjamin "Benny" Binion was born on November 20, 1904 near Dallas-Fort Worth, in Texas. In 1951, Binion purchased the Eldorado Club on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada and renamed it the Horseshoe Club. He established a reputation as a casino operator for providing customers with well-received hospitality and amenities. After his conviction for tax evasion in 1953, Binion sold the majority interest in the Horseshoe to Joe W. Brown, but later regained full ownership.