Roberta “Bobbie” Kane (1932 - ) is the first known Jewish child born in Las Vegas. Her parents, Sallie and Mike Gordon, owned liquor stores and are among the founders of the first Jewish congregation in Las Vegas.
Bobbie is a 1950 graduate of Las Vegas High School and briefly attended Southern California. When she returned several years later, she pursued a career with the Desert Inn group of hotels and helped open the Stardust in 1957.
Oral history interview with Burton Cohen conducted by Claytee White on January 09, 2009 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. In this interview, Burt reflects on the positions he held in numerous famous Las Vegas, Nevada Strip casinos, the celebrities he hired and befriended, and offers a unique look at the behind the scenes marketing and entertainment strategies that he helmed. He shares stories of becoming entrenched in casino operations and his reflections of union experiences.
Oral history interview with Michael Mack conducted by Claytee D. White on May 21, 2009 for the Voices of the Historic John S. Park Neighborhood Oral History Project. Mack discusses his childhood memories living in and near the John S. Park Neighborhood, including his father opening a shoe store in Boulder City, Nevada and later expanding into the salvage business. Mack later discusses his parents moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, opening his clothing store, and setting up the first bail bondsman office in the city.
Oral history interview with Stuart Mason conducted by Claytee White on November 09, 2006 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Mason discusses his company, Taylor Construction, and gives an overview of the hotels the company has built and background information about them. He then describes moving to Las Vegas, Nevada to build Caesars Palace in 1964 and how the Civil Rights Movement impacted the construction scene. He then talks about old and new building projects, and the differences between being his own boss and working for someone else.
Oral history interview with Milton Schwartz conducted by Claytee D. White on May 03, 2004 for the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Schwartz discusses working at the Flamingo Hotel right after World War II, starting Valley Hospital and owning many other businesses. He also talks about having a Hebrew academy named after him in Israel, and owning the Yellow-Checker-Star Cab Company. Other topics Schwartz discusses includes being active in the Republican Party and bringing the first medical helicopters to Nevada with a few partners.
William H. Hernstadt served as a Nevada state senator from 1977 to 1984 and was owner and general manager of the Las Vegas television station KVVU TV 5 during the early 1970s. He also served as president of the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas from 1981 to 1982. Hernstadt graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York with a degree in physics in 1957.
Charles Salton was born June 19, 1922 in Morristown, New Jersey to Rebecca and Al Salton. The family moved to Huntington Beach, California for two years before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1929. Salton was very active in the Southern Nevada Jewish community. He held careers as an engineer draftsman, insurance agent, and a real estate broker. He was also an income tax enrollment agent and one of the original members of Temple Beth Shalom. Salton passed away April 11, 2004.
Allen Brewster (1921-2009) was the founder of King David Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada. Born in Yonkers, New York, Brewster grew up during the Great Depression and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. An executive at Palm Mortuary since 1978, he recognized the need for traditional Jewish burial services and helped to develop Las Vegas' first Jewish burial garden. Brewster founded King David Mortuary in 2001 and also helped create the Chesed Indigent Burial Fund, which assists families who cannot otherwise afford Jewish burial services.
Brian Greenspun is the publisher and editor of the Las Vegas Sun, a newspaper founded by his parents Hank and Barbara Greenspun in 1950. Brian Greenspun is also the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and sole owner of the Sun's parent company, Greenspun Media Group. He is active in numerous civic and charitable organizations in the Las Vegas, Nevada community and is a Trustee of the University of Nevada Las Vegas Foundation, the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance, and The Brookings Institution.
Kitty Wiener was a Las Vegas, Nevada businesswoman and prominent community member. She moved to Las Vegas in 1931 with her husband, Louis Wiener, Sr. Kitty Wiener helped manage her husband's tailor shop on Fremont Street and also worked as a seamstress. Her son was prominent attorney Louis Wiener, Jr.
Wiener, Louis. Interview, 1990 February 23. Transcript. OH-01974. Oral History Research Center, Special Collections, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.