Oral history interview with Estelle and Julia Elliott conducted by Vanessa Concepcion and Stefani Evans on December 2, 2021 for Reflections: The Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Twins Estrellita "Estelle" and Julieta "Julia" Elliott share their personal histories growing up in Cebu City, Philippines with their grandparents. They discuss moving to the United States to live with their parents after the death of their grandfather, and how they preserved their "tricultural" Castilian Spanish, Filipino, and American identities. After graduating from Stevens College, an art and academic school in Missouri, Estelle recounts marrying her husband and moving to Las Vegas where she gave birth to her daughter. Julia shares how she followed Estelle a few years later to Las Vegas, and the two women share their experiences as entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip. Both Estelle and Julia joined Minsky's Burlesque before becoming a permanent act in Siegfried and Roy's show at the Frontier Hotel. They also discuss their performances with Kirby VanBurch at the Aladdin's Abracadabra Show, dancing at the Playboy Mansion, and how Siegfried and Roy helped to diversify Las Vegas entertainment by incorporating dancers and performers of color, like the King Charles Troupe, into their shows.
The ABC Stores sign sits at 23 East Fremont Street inside the Fremont Street Experience. Information about the sign is available in the Southern Nevada Neon Survey Sheet. Site address: 23 Fremont St Sign owner: Sidney and Minnie Kosasa Sign details: The idea of the ABC stores originated in Hawaii with their first store opening in Waikiki in 1964 as a traveler convenience store selling groceries, cosmetics and souvenirs. The company now has location here in Las Vegas as well as Guam and Saipan. The owners wanted a name that everyone could remember so they named it ABC. The building that houses this ABC Store on Fremont was originally constructed in 1940. The property opened as the ABC Stores in November of 2001. Sign condition: 5- relatively new and in good condition. Sign form: Flat bullnose sign, though nearly a canopy sign Sign-specific description: Above their entrance are big silver plumes that are all lined with chasing incandescent. At night these plumes look like a iridescent pearl color. There is one big plume in the middle and two on either side of the big one. On the middle plume there is a blade sign stating "ABC (vertically) Stores (horizontally)" which is also lined in incandescent on the roadside portion of the sign. The blade portion is a backlit plastic sign. Above the silver plumes is "ABC STORES" in channeled block font letters. These letters are outlined in blue neon (argon) and have gold colored incandescent that are flashing. Sign - type of display: Neon, incandescents and backlit plastic signs Sign - media: Plastic and steel Sign - non-neon treatments: Neon, incandescents and backlit plastic signs Sign animation: Chaser for the incandescents on the plumes and flasher on the incandescents in the ABC letters above the plumes. Sign environment: This property is on Fremont in between Main and First Street. To the east would be the site of the old Famous Pioneer Club and La Bayou was to the west, but has been torn down in the past year. Across the street was the Glitter Gulch. Sign manufacturer: YESCO Sign - date of installation: 2001 Sign - thematic influences: The plumes that this location has look very similar to the 1970's Raul Rodriguez Flamingo feathers. Sign - artistic significance: Could be reminiscent of the 1970's Flamingo Feathers designed by Raul Rodriguez. Though it is also remnant of the old showgirl outfits with their plumes and big feathery outfits. Survey - research locations: ABC website http://www.abcstores.com/about/ , Acessor's Page, contact with Lovella Joy C. Romulando the Assistant Property manager. Surveyor: Emily Fellmer Survey - date completed: 2017-09-01 Sign keywords: Neon; Incandescent; Backlit; Plastic; Steel; Chasing; Flashing; Bullnose