William W. Sullivan was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his doctorate over a twelve year period at University of Utah. He helped open the Minority Center there, and was eventually recruited to teach in Missoula, Montana, where he stayed for three years.
Laralee Nelson was born June 10, 1953 and was raised in Provo, Utah with her fourth sisters in a Mormon household. Her parents worked at Brigham Young University (BYU) and she attended the university. She was nearly 30 years old when she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1983 with her husband. This move was her first real move from her Utah home base. She spent summers at an archeological dig in Israel while studying for her undergraduate degree, but these were nothing compared to relocating to Las Vegas.
Kenneth Epstein was born in 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. When he was 15 years old, Epstein’s family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. Three years later, he began to work in the gaming industry. His mentor was Jackie Gaughan, then-owner of the El Cortez Hotel and Casino, whom he met in Lake Tahoe in 1956. In 1975, Epstein became Gaughan’s business partner in the operation of the El Cortez. He also helped Gaughan and his son open the Barbary Coast on the Las Vegas Strip in 1979.
Suzie Chenin was born August 28, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio. The next year, her parents, Joseph and Irene Chenin, moved the family to Las Vegas, Nevada. Her father, a dentist, was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, becoming the first Jewish dentist in the state – and only the thirtieth overall. After graduating from Las Vegas High School, Chenin attended Arizona State University. However, she quit school and moved to Los Angeles, California where she got a job with a large real estate developer. This was her first foray into the industry.
Melody Hope Stein was born March 26, 1948 in Oceanside, Long Island, New York. She got her education from SUNY Binghamton, Harpur College, and Hofstra University. She taught art education for 46 years, in New York before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1996. She served for fourteen years as the arts director and art teacher at the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Educational Campus (formerly Milton I Schwartz Hebrew Academy) in Summerlin, Nevada.
Ellis Landau is a member of the board of trustees of the Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is the former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Boyd Gaming Corporation and served as a financial executive in the gaming and hospitality industries for more than thirty years. In 2006 Landau was honored as "Man of the Year" by Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas. He served as the temple's president from 2009 to 2010 and is a founder of its Warsaw Memorial Garden.
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.