Steven Eisen (1966 - ) is the oldest son of Barry and Beverly Eisen, who were part of the migration of Jews from St. Louis to Las Vegas in the 1960s. He is married to Stacy Fisher and the older brother to Andrew and Robert Eisen. They are members of an early group of born-and-raised Las Vegans. Growing up Jewish, he became a bar mitzvah, belonged to B?nai B?rith Youth Organization. In this oral history interview, Steve recalls enjoyable stories of growing up in Las Vegas and humorous anecdotes of mistaken identity since the three brothers bear such strong physical resemblances. Today he finds himself enjoying his career as CEO of the Children?s Heart Center since 2001 and talks about the success and reputation of the pediatric medical group. It was his first job as a fourteen year old helping Theodore Manos and Michael Cherry during the MGM fire litigations where he learned about the legal world and being organized as a path to success in whatever he might pursue. Steve graduated from University of Missouri, attended law school at Washington University in St. Louis, and received his business degree from UNLV. Throughout the interview, he recalls the steady and strong involvement of his parents in their sons? educations. He also describes their active connection with the Jewish community and organizations. Steve?s wife Stacy is a professor in physical therapy at Touro University.
Jane Radoff?s sophisticated eye and creative energy follow her wherever she goes. Her interior designs have anonymously touched most all who have walked through many of the Strip casinos and hotels. Her working partnership with interior designer Roger Thomas for Steve Wynn properties are among the most iconic of recent era. Born 1940 in Pittsburgh, PA, to Adelaide and Meyer Sachs, Jane was destined to lead a colorful life. Her mother was a local radio/TV personality with her own show and her father was successful real estate entrepreneur. Jane attended the University of Michigan where she honed her design skills. Before moving to Nevada, Jane?s career path included Restaurant Associates, a short stint as a girl Friday for Johnny Carson, and freelance product design while starting a family. Then in 1978, her husband William ?Bill? Radoff accepted a purchasing director position from Billy Weinberger and Neil Smythe at Caesars. With her signature wry humor, she reflects on her early observations of Las Vegas, and eventually working with Roger Thomas. In time, the duo worked together to bring groundbreaking interiors to the Strip, primarily with Steve Wynn. As most Jewish transplants, the Radoffs first belonged to Temple Beth Sholom. Later she was the interior inspiration for Congregation Ner Tamid where Jon Sparer did the architectural design. She is a quiet icon of Las Vegas?s turn to elegance and warmth in design of public spaces.
In this oral history Michael Mack discusses his early memories of Las Vegas such as attending the Fifth Street School and activities him and his friends participated in. The interview also includes his memories of different members of the Mack family and their activities. He reminisces about his many visits to the Flamingo Hotel as well as being taken by his parent to floor shows. He also discusses what it was like to grow up Jewish in Las Vegas and the way Jews helped build the community.
During this interview, Natalie shares stories of operating the bus station, a brief ownership of Commercial Deli (1987-1990), and her long career working collections for the casino industry. Her first position was at the Tropicana Hotel and has worked for MGM Properties, a loyal employee at the Mirage since 1990, starting a few weeks after the casino opened.
In 1976, Jacqueline "Jaki" Baskow was an aspiring actress when she and a friend accepted an invitation to worked in a movie studio in Las Vegas. She had three-hundred dollars to her name, a dream and lots of dynamic energy. Though the movie studio offer did not quite materialized as she hoped - the invitation had come from Batman co-creator Bob Kane - Jaki's trajectory into Las Vegas, working with talents and planning events became an over forty year career. In this interview, she talks about growing up Jewish in Camden, New Jersey where her father was a murder victim; her tenacious effort to find the perpetrator included the help of celebrity detective Joe Schillaci. She shares stories of the colorful array of A-list entertainers she has worked with to build her successful business, Baskow and Associates. She has built a niche of handling large corporate events, hiring talent and attention to details for exciting events. She reflects on the people and moments that impelled her on; mentors such as Bobby Morris and Frank Sinatra and Jilly Rizzo.
Michael Jay Shane is a natural musician and entertainer. Born in New York City in 1961, Shane is a graduate of the famous High School of Performing Arts, and later attend Peabody Conservatory of Music, before leaving to launch his musical entertainment career full-time. Shane has had a varied and full career ever since as a musical entertainer, working as emcee, comedian, voiceover actor, and musician, showcasing the piano, guitar, saxophone, clarinet as well as vocals. He moved to Las Vegas in 1995, and jobs have included playing the piano at Wynn?s Tower Suite Bar, Bootlegger, and currently, Italian American Club. In this interview, Shane shares about his family and a childhood filled with music. He discusses his career trajectory, and the influence Judaism has had in his upbringing and work. He details differences between working in New York City and Las Vegas, what makes Las Vegas unique for any musician or musical entertainer, and talks about changes in the local entertainment scene since corporations took over the gaming industry. He also shares stories about his career, including working with Jerry Lewis and following Andrew Dice Clay?s standup act.
Lovee Arum is the Chief Financial Officer of the Morris A. Hazan Family Foundation and Director of Hospitality for her husband Bob Arum?s boxing promotion company Top Rank. She holds a Nevada Real Estate Broker Sales License and was a partner in Western Linen (a Las Vegas linen rental and laundry company) for many years. Arum is a volunteer and philanthropist in the Las Vegas, Nevada community and works with organizations such as Temple Beth Sholom and the Nathan Adelson Hospice. In this interview, Arum reflects upon her childhood in Beverly Hills, California, and first experiencing Las Vegas after her father, Morris Hazan, established Western Linen. She discusses adjusting to Las Vegas life after moving to the city with her first husband, Larry duBoef, in 1963, and raising her daughter and son within the local Jewish community. Arum also talks about meeting her current husband, Bob Arum, and her various philanthropic activities, including Junior League, United Jewish Appeal, Keep Memory Alive and establishment of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
In 1961, at the age of thirteen, Gerald ?Jerry? Gordon became a bar mitzvah. This typical coming of age celebration was unusual in that he had simultaneously studied in both his home state of California and his adopted home of Las Vegas, where he spent summers with his grandparents. 1961 is also the same year that the Gordons made Las Vegas their permanent home. Jerry graduated from Las Vegas High School, attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas and earned his law degree from University of California, Los Angeles. His gregarious and trustworthy personality led him to career building steps in the legal community of Las Vegas that included illustrious names such as Louis Wiener, Jr., David Goldwater, Neil Galatz, and many others. His personal law specialty became bankruptcy, especially dealings with hotel/casinos. As a member of the Jewish community, Jerry?s energy and expertise to organize was instrumental in the construction of Congregation Ner Tamid, the reform synagogue, at its site on Valle Verde and I-215. It was a multi-year process and includes a vast array of stories?a cash donation from Moe Dalitz, finalization of receiving of a donation land from the Greenspun family during the High Holy Days, and the ongoing challenges of a building campaign during a recession. In addition, he explains that CNT included two unique negotiations: 1) a cell tower and 2) a solar field on the synagogue?s property. Jerry and his wife Yvonne met while attending UNLV. Yvonne taught math at various levels in the Clark County School District. They raised their two children, Sara and Jeffrey, in Las Vegas, and forged an important role together in Congregation Ner Tamid. In April 2017, they were among those honored for their work with the synagogue.
Rabbi Sanford Akselrad, Gerald Gordon, Bob Unger, David Wasserman, Renee Diamond and Gilbert Shaw discuss the founding of Congregation Ner Tamid in 1974. It became the first Reform synagogue in Las Vegas. The conversation includes discussion about the first meeting, the move into the current location, and the hiring of Rabbi Akselrad.
Rochelle (nee Winnick) Hornsby was born in New York in 1937. Her father was a scrapyard and auto parts dealer and her mother was a homemaker. She has one brother, Roy Winnick. After high school, Rochelle attended the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology and then accepted a position with a T-shirt manufacturer. During this experience, she discovered her inspirational talent as a sales person. When she married her former husband, Len Hornsby, she followed him in his successful sales career. When his job moved him westward, they lived briefly in Beverly Hills, California. Soon Len saw a better career fit in Las Vegas in radio ad sales for radio. The next step was to take him into sales and management positions at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Meanwhile, Rochelle enjoyed getting involved with the Jewish community, volunteering with the Temple Beth Sholom Sisterhood, playing tennis, and starting her own business furnishing models for conventions. In this oral history, Rochelle shares stories of her various jobs in Las Vegas and of eventually thriving as a real estate agent with Century 21, a company that she continues to work for at the time of this interview. She and Len had one child, Even Scot Hornsby.