Interviewed by David Schwartz.Ron Saccavino was born in Connecticut and came to Las Vegas in 1970. The Las Vegas Club taught him to deal craps, and he went to work there. He was a casino manager for the Landmark, Lady Luck, Foxy's Firehouse, and the Paddlewheel. Ron also worked at the Riviera, Hacienda, Jackpot, Royal Inn, Dunes, and O'Shea's. He worked for the Teamsters unionizing dealers, started the Crescent School for Bartenders and Dealers, was the first to come up with the idea of having temporary dealers and had a temp employment agency, edited a newsletter for dealers titled The dealers news, and wrote a book titled Everything you want to know about Las Vegas dealers.

Interviewed by David Schwartz. Gary Sanoff grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He went to college to study to be a teacher, but never finished. Gary went on the road with his band, but decided to do something else. His parents had moved to Las Vegas, and his father was a dealer. In 1979 he moved to Las Vegas and went to dealer school to be a craps dealer. Gary started at the Nevada Hotel and worked there for two weeks, then he worked at the El Cortez, then went to the Union Plaza where he was a box man and then a floor man. He moved to the Desert Inn and was a dealer and then a floor man there. Next he moved to the Bellagio, was a pit manager, assistant shift manager, shift manager, Interim Vice President of Table Games, and was director at the time of the interview. Nevada, El Cortez, Union Plaza, Desert Inn, Bellagio

Charlie Lombardo, originally from Buffalo, New York, came to Las Vegas after joining the Air Force where he worked as a machinist. Lombardo’s start in the gaming industry involved installing and operating coin wrapping machines for a local company that served various casinos. He then worked for Glory, a Japanese coin wrapping company, in several positions. Lombardo later became a slot technician at the MGM and stayed there after it was sold to Bally’s in 1986 where he later became assistant slot manager, slot manager, director, vice president, and senior vice president at that property. The interview with Lombardo starts with a brief description of his background and experience working with coin wrapping machines. He also talks about his experience in witnessing and surviving the MGM fire of 1980 and his subsequent work in reopening the property, a process that allowed him to learn the operational and technical aspects of slot machines. Lombardo later speaks about what he believes makes both good and bad slot managers. He also describes his experiences in laying out slot floors as well as his philosophy on what he believes makes a good slot floor. Lombardo then describes his experience working with vendors and how he developed successful relationships with them in bringing in new slot machines. He also describes some of the changes in slots and slot management over the years, including the early history and background of both the Megabucks and Pot of Gold slot jackpots. Lombardo concludes the interview by answering the question of whether he gambles, and he provides advice to those who are interested in going into slot management as a career.

Mike DeJong grew up in Michigan and moved to Las Vegas in 1990 at the age of 21. DeJong attended and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and entered the casino industry as a pit clerk at The Mirage. He also worked as a floor representative for Club Mirage, the casino’s players club, before going into the MAP program which allowed him to learn about and transition into supervisory roles. DeJong became an assistant shift manager at The Mirage and eventually became shift manager at that property until moving to Bellagio as it was opening to become a slot manager in 1998. DeJong then became director of slot operations at Bellagio and in 2005 went to the New York-New York property as director of slot operations and marketing, which eventually led him into the position of vice president of casino operations and marketing. DeJong currently works at Wynn Las Vegas as vice president of slot operations and marketing. In his interview, DeJong discusses the different aspects of his various positions in Las Vegas Strip casinos, and he talks about the qualities of both good and bad slot managers, specifically in terms of making decisions and interacting with customers. He also describes his philosophy on what makes a good slot floor and how target clientele is considered. DeJong also talks about the transition from coins to ticketing in slot machines and his experience witnessing both resistance and the realization of benefits from that change. He also discusses how the casino industry has changed overall and what he believes the future of the slot floor will look like in ten years. DeJong finalizes the interview by talking about his personal gambling experiences and also by providing advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

Foxhunting may be the Sport of Kings but was also found among the elite in Michigan. In the early 1960s when Jeanne Williams married Ed Wilson, son of Charles Wilson, President of General Motors, she learned the art of riding to the hounds. She left that life for Las Vegas in 1965. During the heyday of Las Vegas, Williams reared her daughter, Christine, on the Desert Inn Country Club working as an artist and sculptor. The Summa Corporation’s job as Women’s Events Coordinator wooed her. She kept the wives of golfers busy with luncheons featuring speakers like Ann Landers and David Frost. These women were also treated to fabulous gifts including designer purses. But soon Williams was swept off her feet by Jack Kent Cooke, one-time owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. She moved with him to Virginia where her art suffered. Jeanne’s return to Las Vegas allowed her artistic canvas to expand with commissions from the town’s movers and shakers. This time, home was the Sahara Country Club and then in 1994, the Canyon Gate Country Club. Those homes gave her space for her art. Her artistry and skill as a sculptor were keenly honed during this period as she joined the prestigious Desert Sculptors Association and the illustrious Las Vegas Watercolor Society. Actress, singer, dancer, painter, sculptor Jeanne Maxwell Williams helped to start the arts movement in Las Vegas.

Will Provance was born in Mississippi and grew up mostly in St. Louis, where he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri before earning a Master’s in Business Administration from Shiller University. Provance would eventually attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he earned a Master of Science in Hotel Administration. He started in the gaming industry as a pool manager at Sunset Station, where he would eventually become slot analyst before entering Station Casinos’ management development program. Provance then trained in various positions at Red Rock Resort prior to moving to Green Valley Ranch as a shift manager. He then went back to Sunset Station to become slot operations manager and was promoted to director of slots at that property. Provance is currently the director of VLT operations at Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park in Northfield, Ohio. Provance’s interview begins with his discussion of the various roles he has held in the gaming industry, including the types of duties he was assigned at the different properties. He then describes the difference between managing slot machines in his earlier positions and video lottery terminals (VLTs) in his current position in Ohio. Provance then mentions some of the mentors he has had in his career, and he describes what he believes are the qualities of both good and bad slot managers. He also discusses what he believes makes a good slot floor, including the process of working with slot vendors in getting new slot machines for the slot floor as well as working with other departments in the casino. Provance then talks about how slot operations has changed since he started in the industry and what he thinks the future of slot machines will be, specifically regarding skill-based gaming. The interview concludes with Provance’s discussion of his personal gambling and his advice to young people who want to go into the slot industry.

David Bartlett’s Nevada roots run far and deep. He was born in Las Vegas in 1940, his family moved to Reno when David was in grade school. A great joy was for him to return to Las Vegas and spend time with both sets of grandparents: David and Julia Lorenzi (maternal) and Byron and Dessa Bartlett (paternal). In local history, both families represent the early entrepreneurship and craftsmanship of residents: from the Bartlett Brothers Hardware to Grandfather Lorenzi’s stonework that still graces such landmarks as the grottos at St. Joan of Arc Catholic church and at Bishop Gorman High School. Of particular note is that David’s grandfather, David Lorenzi, envisioned the recreational park known as Lorenzi Park and is located in the Twin Lakes area of Las Vegas. Today David is retired from a long career in auto/truck sales. He lives in Las Vegas and is active in several community organizations including the Elks Lodge and Three Square.