Includes meeting agenda and minutes, a memorandum, and UNLV Career Day fliers

Includes meeting minutes and agenda, along with additional information about bylaws, advertisements, and letters.

Gus Mancuso (Ronald Bernard Mancuso), a talented impresario, was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania in 1933. Gus grew up in Hastings, Pennsylvania as the youngest of nine children. His father, an immigrant from Italy, Joseph Mancuso, owned multiple businesses and his mother, Josephine Ceranni toiled as a stay at home mother. Despite his father’s businesses, the family struggled financially. By the eighth grade Gus moved to Rochester, New York, where his mother joined him, after his parents separated. As a youngster Gus Mancuso learned to play the trumpet by ear. By age 11 he was encouraged to learn to play the drums so he could help earn money for the family. After two weeks of training, Gus Mancuso was earning $5 dollars as the replacement for his older brother Joe in musical performances in places like Moose Hall and the Elks Club in Pennsylvania. His performances were so legendary that an article was written about Gus entitled the “Eighth Grade Drummer”. He continued to demonstrate tremendous musical versatility even after moving from Hastings to Rochester where he received first chair trombone honors after impressing his high school band teacher. After graduating high school, in 1951, Gus went on the road with the Don Manning Trio. Shortly thereafter, a bass player position opened in his brother’s group the Ray Brand Trio. Despite the fact that Gus did not know how to play bass, when he received the offer to become a member of Joe’s band, he went on to learn yet another instrument and joined the Ray Brand Trio. However, while with his brother’s group, Gus was drafted into the army. He packed his trumpet, and despite initially receiving flack for playing in the latrine, the lieutenant exempted Gus from duty so he could perform in the morning and at night for his fellow troops. Shortly thereafter, Gus served in the army band as a piano player. His instrumental capabilities and proficiency helped pave the way for more opportunities. After the army he moved to Nevada and played trombone with Tony Pastor in Reno. He found his way to Las Vegas in 1955 when he opened at the New Frontier on Halloween night. Gus went on to open at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, playing bass, with Sarah Vaughn. They went on to tour Europe together. He also played bass for Billy Eckstine and Les Brown as well as worked in the music department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Gus Mancuso met Lauri Perri, a singer and his first wife, while playing for the Mary Kaye Trio in Lake Tahoe. They were married at the Little Church of the West in 1960. However, Gus is now married to Maggie Peterson an actress who worked on the Andy Griffith Show. He lives in Las Vegas and currently works three nights a week playing piano at the Bootlegger owned by his first wife and getting the job from his son Ronald.

Pat Moreo was born in the borough of Queens in New York City. His family moved to the Finger Lakes region when he was ten and he finished grade school and high school in Horseheads. He grew up in a close Italian family watching his mother and his grandparents cook both southern and northern Italian dishes. Pat shares his family history, explaining how his maternal grandfather was originally a tunnel builder but quit that trade to open a luncheonette in New York, own and run apartment buildings, and become the first Pepsi Cola distributor in Queens Other family members ran the Pepsi franchise after his grandfather died. Mr. Moreo graduated from New York City Tech in 1967. He worked that summer at various hotels and restaurants and then decided to get his bachelor's degree in hotel and culinary work. He and several friends applied to Oklahoma State and were accepted, but were convinced at the last moment to apply at UNLV. They were accepted as students by Jerry Vallen, the new chair, and arrived in Las Vegas on Labor Day weekend. Coming from New York to Las Vegas in September of 1967 was like landing on Mars Pat describes in detail the heat, the small campus, and the supportive staff at UNLV. People like Jerry Vallen, Boyce Phillips, George Bussel, and Bruce Balton made the newcomers feel welcome, inviting them into their homes and making sure they were comfortable. Pat lived in Tonopah Hall and found work in the student union while working on his degree. After graduation in 1969, Pat went on to work for Harris Kerr Forster and Company (now PKF Consulting) and traveled for them all around California. After a stint in the Naval Reserves, he worked for Howard Johnson Company in NYC, and at the same time completed his master's degree at Cornell University. In 1975 he returned to UNLV as an instructor, earned a PhD in Ed Administration under George Kavina and went on to work at Penn State and New Mexico State. Pat returned to UNLV in 2006 to head the hotel/culinary department and is working with faculty and staff to make revitalizing changes. He expresses his opinions about the importance of food in every culture, explains his position on making people feel welcome, and shares his thoughts on what the future holds for Harrah's College of Hotel Administration.

From the Clark County Economic Opportunity Board Records -- Series I. Administrative. This folder contains memos, agendas and minutes from meetings of the Clark County Economic Opportunity Board in 1966. 

Newsletter issued by the Las Vegas Rotary Club