On December 30, 2015, a few months after her 100th birthday celebration, Gertrude Rudiak, with the help of her son Richard Rudiak and granddaughter Dani Ramage, reminisced about living in Las Vegas since 1946, nearly eighty years. They explore the ancestral roots of Gertrude (n?e Rightman) and of her deceased husband George Rudiak. Their courtship and marriage at the brink of World War II and George?s enlistment in the US Army Corps is what brought the couple to Las Vegas and the gunnery school which is now Nellis Air Force Base. After his tour of duty, George settled into a law practice where he specialized in quickie-divorces, but also carved out a reputation supporting civil rights and working for legislation to eliminate working and living discrimination of blacks in Nevada. Gertrude was an active member of Las Vegas. She played the pipe organ, hosted large Seders at Passover and managed the Rudiak household that grew to include five children. Over her long life, Gertrude embraced many positions on community boards, including being Temple Beth Sholom?s first female board member. She was also a teacher in both secular and Jewish education. Her efforts have been recognized by the Jewish National Fund, the United Jewish Appeal, and the Anti-Defamation League. Additionally, Mayor Carolyn Goodman presented Gertrude with the distinguished honor of a key to the city of Las Vegas in 2014. The city declared August 2, Gertrude's birthday, Gertrude Rudiak Day in recognition of her long-standing commitment to Las Vegas.
Las Vegas, Nevada producer, manager, and agent Matthias Gregory Gluchowski (a.k.a. Matt Gregory) was born November 21, 1921 in Araucaria, Parana, Brazil. He was the son of an aristocratic Polish diplomat serving as Ambassador to Brazil. Matthias was raised in southern Poland on a large estate that bordered Czechoslovakia. He was educated at the Marian Fathers Lyceum in Warsaw, Poland, and later came to New York during his father's tenure as diplomat to the United States.
This collection has been removed from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries Special Collections and Archives' holdings by order of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The collection was returned to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Please contact special.collections@unlv.edu for further information.
The collection was comprised of photocopies of materials documenting investigations undertaken from 1973 to 1977 by Dennis Gomes, in his role as Nevada Gaming Control Board Division Chief and Law Enforcement Officer. The collection included investigative material on organized crime skimming at the Stardust, the Tropicana, and other Nevada casino-hotels.