Variety Club event in Mexico City honoring Las Vegas philanthropists and businessspeople. L-R: contractor Ira Goldring (mostly cut off), Lucille Goldring, unidentified man, Fern Kozloff, attorney Art Ham, Doris Ham, Benny Goldstein (partner of Davie Berman at the Flamingo and the Riviera), Mary Murphy, Toni Clark, Desert Inn owner Wilbur Clark, Hotel Last Frontier owner Jake Kozloff, hotel owner Davie Berman.
"The Gang" or "Mob" at Ronzone's Department Store in tuxedoes. Identified from L-R: (1) Sam Diamond (2) unidentified (3) Willy Alderman (4) Davy Berman (5) Jack (last name--?) (6) "Bowser" Joe Rosenberg (7) Sam Belkin (8) Ed Barrick, (9) Sam Preras (sp?). Undated.
A group photograph of "The Gang" or "Mob" at Ronzone's Department Store in Las Vegas, Nevada. Handwritten description provided on back of image: "L - R: 1) Sam Diamond 2) Gus Greenbaum 3) Willy Alderman 4) Davie Berman 5) Jack Prcras (sp?) 6) "Bowser" Joe Rosenberg 7) Sam Belkin 8) Ed Barrick 9) Sam Prcras (sp?)."
David "Davie" Berman (1903-1957) was one of the pioneers of the casino business in Las Vegas, Nevada. Berman was born January 16, 1903 in Odessa, Ukraine and grew up in Ashley, North Dakota. He was named Donald at birth but later changed his name to David. By age 16 he ran the biggest bootlegging operation in Iowa, and was also involved with organized crime in New York City and Minneapolis.
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (1906-1947) was a well-known Las Vegas, Nevada casino investor and manager, most famously associated with the Flamingo and organized crime. Born Benjamin Siegelbaum in Brooklyn, New York on February 28, 1906, Siegel formed the Bug and Meyer Mob with Meyer Lansky while he was still a teenager. Later, Siegel was a founding member and chief operator of "Murder, Inc.," an organized crime "enforcement" group.
Count Guido Roberto Deiro, born in Reno, Nevada, in 1938, has had several fascinating careers. The son of vaudeville performer and recording star Count Guido Pietro Deiro, who was the first major piano-accordionist to become popular in the United States, and his teenage wife Yvonne Teresa LeBaron De Forrest, Deiro grew up in and around Las Vegas and Southern California after his parents' 1941 divorce. After attending 13 grammar schools and five high schools, Deiro graduated from Las Vegas High School in 1955. During his youth, thanks to his stepfather Samuel "Baby Shoes" Prezant, Deiro had an early introduction to the Las Vegas gambling scene. Following a brief stint in the U.S. Army, Deiro worked a series of jobs, including parking cars, selling shoes, and driving an ambulance. He transitioned from working as a fitness instructor to being a lifeguard at the El Rancho Vegas hotel, all the while becoming interested in aviation. Deiro entered the gaming industry at the age of 19 and a half, when he began working as a dealer, having been taught by his stepfather. Breaking in at the Nevada Club, Deiro, who became known as "Bobby Blue Eyes," later worked at the New Frontier, Sands, El Cortez, and Holiday casinos. He provides a great deal of detail about the social world of Las Vegas casinos in the 1950s through the 1970s, with insight into many major personalities. While working in gaming, Deiro continued to pursue a career in aviation, acquiring in the early 1960s a commercial pilot license, instrument rating and instructor's certificate. He began working as a flight instructor and charter pilot at Thunderbird Field, now known as North Las Vegas Air Terminal. Deiro flew around the United States promoting Las Vegas and the airfield. After Howard Hughes purchased the airfield in 1967, Deiro stayed, ultimately becoming Director of Aviation Facilities for the Hughes Tool Company. Following his marriage to Joan Marlene Calhoun, Deiro moved to California, where he became Vice President and Director of Administration for Air California and Golden West Airlines, before serving with other companies owned by C. Arnholdt Smith. In 1971, Deiro returned to Las Vegas. Deiro then met artist Michael Heizer, who enlisted Deiro's help in scouting and securing locations for his Earth art installations. This led to Deiro's long involvement with that genre. In addition to these careers, Deiro was also influential in many key developments in Las Vegas, including the construction of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and, with his wife Joan, several philanthropic endeavors. In this interview, Deiro shares his perspectives on his times and his impact on Las Vegas.