Ed Walters was born and raised in New York, New York. Walters was a pool and card hustler in New York when he was in his twenties. In 1959, he was asked by a major crime boss to go to Las Vegas, Nevada to find out if a card dealer was cheating. Ed did figure out that the dealer was cheating, so the crime boss got him a job learning the Western card games at the Fremont during the day and being a pit boss at the Sands at night. He worked at the Sands until 1967 and then at various other casinos until approximately 1981.
J. Carey Burke was born December 13, 1936 in Columbus, Ohio. His family moved to Henderson, Nevada in 1945, then to Las Vegas, Nevada four years later. Burke held jobs as a janitor, a fry cook at Nellis Air Force Base, and a lifeguard at the Twin Lakes Lodge as a teenager. He worked for McCarren Airport as a passenger service agent for many airlines, including Hughes Airwest and Bonanza Airlines.
George Burns was born May 10, 1902 in New York. He lived in Florida and California before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1945. He held various jobs including cook, dishwasher, clerk, pipe fitter and salesman. Burns was involved with the beginning of Camp Bonanza in Reno, Nevada.
Joe Burton was born February 26, 1940 in Texas. He moved to Las Vegas, Nevada around 1960. He raised his six kids with his wife while starting a business called Mrs. Redd’s Pies.
Vernon S. Caples (b. August 7th, 1891 in St. Johns, Oregon) lived in Riverside, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Vernon was a Sanitary Engineer at Nellis Air Force Base.
Barry W. Becker’s father was a well-known land developer and real estate broker throughout the Los Angeles area. Howard Hughes told Barry’s father to purchase all the land they could in the West Charleston area of Las Vegas which initiated Becker Enterprises, Incorporated, in Southern Nevada and brought Barry and his family to the area in 1971.