Eppenger, Jerry, 1945-

Jerry Eppenger was born in 1945 and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1953. His father worked at the Nevada Test Site and his mother owned her own restaurant. The family lived on Las Vegas' Westside, where he often hung out at Smokey's Pool Hall.

A Rancho High School graduate, Eppenger joined the Marine Corps in 1964 and was among the early combatants in the Vietnam War. After a breif time in Alaska, he returned to Las Vegas, found work as a security guard at Bonanaza Hotel and Casino and the Nevada Test Site. Later he attended dealer school, launching a new career for himself.