Interviewed by David Schwartz. Clifford Conedy played on the football team at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, beginning in 1973. The university got him a job working security as part of the youth patrol at Circus Circus Hotel-Casino. He lived in Washington State and came back to Las Vegas in 1977 and worked security for the Fremont Hotel and Casino and for the Stardust. He became a dealer for the Fremont and also worked for Little Caesars Casino, the Mint Hotel and Casino, El Rancho, the Imperial Palace, the MGM Grand, the Flamingo Hilton, and Casesars Palace. Subjects: Circus Circus; Fremont; Little Caesars; Fremont; Mint; El Rancho; Imperial Palace; MGM Grand (new); Flamingo; Caesars Palace
Interviewed by David Schwartz. Jimmy Wike's family moved to Las Vegas in 1958 when he was nine years old. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Jimmy started as a dealer at the Las Vegas Club and was also a dealer at the Fremont Hotel and Casino, at the Stardust, and at the MGM Grand that later became Bally's. He was a supervisor at Bally's and also taught in a dealers' school while he worked there, he became a pit manager, and ended up a vice president. Jimmy also worked in management at the Hilton and at Casesars Palace. Subjects: Las Vegas Club, Fremont, Stardust, MGM Grand (original), Landmark, Fremont, Bally’s, Hilton, Caesars Palace
Interviewed by David Schwartz. Howard Dreitzer grew up in Miami. He came to Las Vegas in 1974 and went to dealer school on the GI Bill. Howard starting in gaming dealing craps at the Nevada Club and worked at several casinos downtown. Then he became a box and floor man at the Flamingo Hilton. Howard moved to Atlantic City and was a pit boss and later a shift manager at several casinos there. Then he worked at the Harrahs New Orleans Casino & Hotel until it went bankrupt. Howard was hired by the Hilton and worked at the Jupiter Casino and other properties in Australia, then was hired by Seminole Gaming in Florida to set up table games at various properties. Subjects: Nevada Club, California Club, Mint, Flamingo, Frontier, Sands AC, Golden Nugget AC, Golden Nugget LV, Trump Plaza, Showboat AC, Harrah's New Orleans, Conrad Jupiters, Seminole Gaming
Interviewed by David Schwartz. Chris Tonemah came to Las Vegas with her husband. Her marriage didn't work out, so she went to dealer school and got a job as a dice shill and a dealer at the Four Queens before women were really accepted in those jobs. She worked at the MGM Grand and talks about the fire in 1980. Chris also worked at Caesars Palace, the Venetian, and the Palazzo. Subjects: Four Queens, MGM, Caesars Palace, Venetian/Palazzo
Interviewed by David Schwartz.Ron Saccavino was born in Connecticut and came to Las Vegas in 1970. The Las Vegas Club taught him to deal craps, and he went to work there. He was a casino manager for the Landmark, Lady Luck, Foxy's Firehouse, and the Paddlewheel. Ron also worked at the Riviera, Hacienda, Jackpot, Royal Inn, Dunes, and O'Shea's. He worked for the Teamsters unionizing dealers, started the Crescent School for Bartenders and Dealers, was the first to come up with the idea of having temporary dealers and had a temp employment agency, edited a newsletter for dealers titled The dealers news, and wrote a book titled Everything you want to know about Las Vegas dealers.
Interviewed by David Schwartz. Gary Sanoff grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to college to study to be a teacher, but never finished. Gary went on the road with his band, but decided to do something else. His parents had moved to Las Vegas, and his father was a dealer. In 1979 he moved to Las Vegas and went to dealer school to be a craps dealer. Gary started at the Nevada Hotel and worked there for two weeks, then he worked at the El Cortez, then went to the Union Plaza where he was a box man and then a floor man. He moved to the Desert Inn and was a dealer and then a floor man there. Next he moved to the Bellagio, was a pit manager, assistant shift manager, shift manager, Interim Vice President of Table Games, and was director at the time of the interview. Nevada, El Cortez, Union Plaza, Desert Inn, Bellagio
Charlie Lombardo, originally from Buffalo, New York, came to Las Vegas after joining the Air Force where he worked as a machinist. Lombardo’s start in the gaming industry involved installing and operating coin wrapping machines for a local company that served various casinos. He then worked for Glory, a Japanese coin wrapping company, in several positions. Lombardo later became a slot technician at the MGM and stayed there after it was sold to Bally’s in 1986 where he later became assistant slot manager, slot manager, director, vice president, and senior vice president at that property. The interview with Lombardo starts with a brief description of his background and experience working with coin wrapping machines. He also talks about his experience in witnessing and surviving the MGM fire of 1980 and his subsequent work in reopening the property, a process that allowed him to learn the operational and technical aspects of slot machines. Lombardo later speaks about what he believes makes both good and bad slot managers. He also describes his experiences in laying out slot floors as well as his philosophy on what he believes makes a good slot floor. Lombardo then describes his experience working with vendors and how he developed successful relationships with them in bringing in new slot machines. He also describes some of the changes in slots and slot management over the years, including the early history and background of both the Megabucks and Pot of Gold slot jackpots. Lombardo concludes the interview by answering the question of whether he gambles, and he provides advice to those who are interested in going into slot management as a career.
Mike DeJong grew up in Michigan and moved to Las Vegas in 1990 at the age of 21. DeJong attended and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and entered the casino industry as a pit clerk at The Mirage. He also worked as a floor representative for Club Mirage, the casino’s players club, before going into the MAP program which allowed him to learn about and transition into supervisory roles. DeJong became an assistant shift manager at The Mirage and eventually became shift manager at that property until moving to Bellagio as it was opening to become a slot manager in 1998. DeJong then became director of slot operations at Bellagio and in 2005 went to the New York-New York property as director of slot operations and marketing, which eventually led him into the position of vice president of casino operations and marketing. DeJong currently works at Wynn Las Vegas as vice president of slot operations and marketing. In his interview, DeJong discusses the different aspects of his various positions in Las Vegas Strip casinos, and he talks about the qualities of both good and bad slot managers, specifically in terms of making decisions and interacting with customers. He also describes his philosophy on what makes a good slot floor and how target clientele is considered. DeJong also talks about the transition from coins to ticketing in slot machines and his experience witnessing both resistance and the realization of benefits from that change. He also discusses how the casino industry has changed overall and what he believes the future of the slot floor will look like in ten years. DeJong finalizes the interview by talking about his personal gambling experiences and also by providing advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.
Justin Beltram is a native Las Vegan who grew up on Sunrise Mountain and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Beltram entered the gaming industry in 2000 by becoming a slot analyst at The Mirage. He would later become both manager and director of slot operations and marketing at that property before becoming executive director of slot operations and marketing at Treasure Island. In 2008, Beltram moved on to become vice president of slot operations and marketing at Bellagio and in 2011 went to work at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore as vice president of slots. Beltram is currently the vice president of slot operations at the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, a position he has held since 2014. Beltram’s interview begins with a brief description of his background and his progression in the casino industry, including some of his early duties in slot analysis. Beltram also describes his experience in moving to Singapore, the differences between Las Vegas and Singapore, and how he eventually transitioned from a property role to a corporate role. He mentions some of his mentors throughout his career and also describes the qualities of both good and bad slot managers, from shift managers to higher management positions. He also discusses his different approaches to local and transient customers in addition to his dealings with slot vendors. Beltram also discusses his experience during the transition from the use of coin to ticketing in slot machines among other major changes in general to slot machines since he started in the industry. The interview concludes with Beltram’s thoughts on the future of slot operations, particularly skill-based gaming and amenities stations, and also a discussion on Beltram’s personal experience with gambling and his advice to young people who are interested in getting into the slot industry.