Description provided with image: "L-R Mary Lou Williams, sister of the late Nanelia Doughty; Norton Williams; Susan Jarvis, Special Collections Librarian. The occasion is donation of papers of the late Nan Doughty to UNLV Special Collections. July 29, 1987." Another description provided on an accompanying sheet of paper: "[July 29, 1987, L-R: Mary Lou Williams; Norton Williams; Susan Jarvis]. Currently being processed, the Nan Doughty Collection, donated by her sister, Mary Lou Williams, contains a century's worth of correspondence from the Bradford-Shockley family. The Bradords and Shockleys were intimately involved in mining and land development in Nevada, New Mexico, California, and Oregon, and had been New England shipbuilders in the early 19th century. May Bradford Shockley was the United States' first female surveyor: her letters detail life in Tonopah, Nevada in the early 1900s. her husband, mining engineer William Shockley, traveled the world, and his correspondence describes, among other places, life in and around Candelaria, Nevada in the 1880s. The collection also includes hundreds of early Nevada photographers, mining documents, and maps."

In 1960, the same year the original Ocean’s Eleven was filmed at the Sands Hotel and Casino, Robert “Bob” Genovese moved to Las Vegas to pursue a career in music. Bob’s band, The Jets, quickly got a gig at the Fremont Hotel, working opposite Wayne and Jerry Newton. Seven years later, Bob met and married Ann. The couple spent much of their early years of marriage on the road for Bob’s work, with Las Vegas always as their home base. A few years later they bought a home in McNeil Estates, and ceased their nomadic life when their eldest son, Joseph, started school. Over the years, Bob’s music career flourished, and he played showrooms across the valley, including Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, and the Driftwood Lounge, working opposite legends like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. Bob and Ann’s personal life also thrived, and they had three sons: Joseph “Joe” Genovese, Patrick Genovese, and David Genovese. By all accounts, the children enjoyed an ideal upbringing. Neighbors watched out for neighbors, and all the children were friends, and spent equal parts getting in and out of trouble. After her sons grew up, Ann used her skills to start and run a travel agency. Joe, Pat and David have all remained in Las Vegas, and live back in their childhood neighborhood in the heart of the city. Joe is a successful land developer; Patrick worked for the City of North Las Vegas’ Parks and Recreation Division for 12 years before joining Gibson Guitars; and David has spent his career working at the Station Casinos. Following in both their father and mother’s musical footsteps, the Genovese sons formed a band as young adults and continue to play together informally. Having lived in Las Vegas for several decades, the Genoveses all have a unique and informed perspective on the growth and development of Las Vegas. They have witnessed hotels and casinos being erected and being demolished; experienced schools being segregated and then integrated; and seen the city transition from mob-run to corporate-dominated. The family remains committed their community, and being a part of its renaissance to ensure that it is still a great place to be a local.

Newsletter issued by the Las Vegas Rotary Club