Mildred Breedlove was born in Coal Hill, Arkansas on May 27, 1904 to John Franklin Cox and Rose Wilson. Breedlove relocated to Nevada in 1949. She worked as a lyricist.

Lester Benjamin "Benny" Binion was born on November 20, 1904 near Dallas-Fort Worth, in Texas. In 1951, Binion purchased the Eldorado Club on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada and renamed it the Horseshoe Club. He established a reputation as a casino operator for providing customers with well-received hospitality and amenities. After his conviction for tax evasion in 1953, Binion sold the majority interest in the Horseshoe to Joe W. Brown, but later regained full ownership.