I was discharged from the Navy in April of 1956, and flew to Reno where my wife was, at that time. After a few days I was looking for a job, looked through the paper, and the Nevada Club was hiring. So, I got cleaned up and headed for downtown.
We were living in between Reno and Sparks at the time, gravel road, near the stockyards, the wild, wild, west.
I had heard rumors about Fitz from everyone, words like mafia, Purple Gang, Dictator, hard to work for, gruff old man, all sorts of information to make me nervous.
I headed downtown, found a place to park, parking was allowed on the streets in those days, and there was plenty of parking. I parked just across the tracks,
near the train station.
I headed down Virginia Street, down and alley, and found the back door, of the Nevada Club. I went inside, asked an aproned employee where the office was, she pointed it out, and I headed in that direction, to the cashiers cage, to face Fitz. He was behind the cashiers cage, white shirt, tie suspenders.
I don't know what I said, but he asked me a few questions, brief background, married, from where, family, what does your Father do, your Mother, service, schooling, that was about it.
He told me to head for the police station and register and get a background check.
I don't remember any of that, but I did go, got fingerprinted, and after a while,
was given a card and told to return to the club.
I did as told, Fitz was still in the cage, he looked at the card, looked at me, "Come in at 3 in the morning, wear a white shirt and a tie."
That was it, I had a job, didn't know what it was, but I knew I had to be in at 3am, white shirt and tie.
I look back on that meeting and try to remember, but I was so nervous and excited, it all became sort of a blurr.
Remember, we are talking the mid 50's, no computers, I don't think I even filled out an employment form. I think all that information was gotten my first morning of work. I think Fitz wanted to make sure I would show up before getting any of that information.
I later found out there were a few things he liked about me, some college, 4 years in the Navy, married, young daughter, and my Father was a Doctor, and, I
never drove a cab or was a bartender, two jobs that were no nos, for Fitz.
He hired a bar manager, but let the manager do all the hiring of bartenders.
My father got me my job with Fitz. Our name is Fitzgerald too. I was employed as an artists model at UNR, Craig Shepards classes.
ReplyDeleteMy dad took me to Fitz at the Cashiers cage and said "Tis my daughter, giv er a job, she owes me." So Fitz looks at me and says, "You can carry change but if you cut your hair your fired."
That was it, I went to work upstairs in the slots at 3:00 am. There was a Keno desk and seating, two or three rows of slots and Fitz's apartment up there. It was 1963. I made 17.00 a day and no tips, tips were not allowed at the Nevada Club.
My sister worked as a cashier for Fitz at the Nevada Lodge from 1960, until she retired and it was sold.
Fitz liked us because we are Fitzgeralds and he really liked my dad, W.P.Fitzgerald.
I remember going thru Reno and saw the sign over Virginia
ReplyDeleteI was head for Calf to get my future wife and stopped in Reno. It looked interesting so I stopped and started asking about work. I stopped at the Prim Club and a Mr. Roberts told me Fitzgerald was the only that hired. I went over and was directed to the office window and Fitz was their. He asked my name and where I was from, my fathers name, my mothers name and my mothers maiden name which happen to be Mc Havey which was Irish and later found in my favor. He asked me how much a 11 x 12 was and so on. He told me to come back the next day and this happened three or more times and then he told me to come in at 3am with white shirt and tie and I did. I had no idea what I was going to be to doing I did:nt expect it to be dealing. Fitz had his rules and some were hiring no relatives, no association with female dealers but as I have stated before he had a heart of gold and did a lot for some of the help who needed it unbeknown anyone.