Benedict, Blaine, 1948-

Blaine C. Benedict, born June 3, 1948, spent his early years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until the family relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada in the early 1950s. His parents, Alvin and Jayne Benedict, followed his paternal grandfather, Meyer (Mike) Benedict, who was involved in gambling and liquor businesses.

Benedict attended Crestwood Elementary, had his religious education and bar mitvah at Temple Beth Sholom, and graduated from Las Vegas High School. He attended Rutgers University from 1966-1970, where he major in agriculture, was in the US Army from 1970-1972, lived on a kibbutz in Israel from December 1973 to May 1974—all before returning to live in Las Vegas and work his way up in the gaming industry.

Benedict’s parents urged him to learn the executive “business, so he attended dealer’s school and worked his way up the management ladder to casino manager for Binion’s Horseshoe. Benedict’s experience working at the Garden Farm influenced his work ethic, and even his major in college would become important in his future “second career” as the operations director of Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association.