LaVere Redfield

Another legend in Reno, LaVere Redfield. My first encounter with him almost cost me a job. I had been a dealer at the Nevada Club for a few weeks, had just turned out, and after a few weeks of training, when I had that little green apron on, well, I was very proud of myself.

One early morning, I was standing by an empty table, and a scroungy appearing man walked into the club. Well, with chest puffed out I motioned for security. Unfortunately, he was also new and started to move toward the man.

A loud noise erupted in the cashiers cage and one of the cashiers came dashing out to put a stop to the ejection. She then explained to me that the guy in the tattered jeans and threadbare wool shirt was none other than LaVere Redfield, multi millionaire eccentric and often a customer of the Nevada Club, who either won or lost a ton of money. And, I was going to throw him out. I learned a valuable lesson, never judge anyone by their appearance.

He often played the wheel, and as I understand it, Fitz let him "deal" his own game, with Mark  and Thelma Ganz in attendance, keeping an eye on the bets. The few times I saw him, he was just a player.

When he won, he wanted to be payed in silver dollars, and I have seen security officers wheeling bags of silver out to a truck to take to his home, and send the bags down a coal chute to his basement.

He has been known to ask a female dealer to have dinner with him, perhaps do a little wagering with him, and those I knew of personally were payed quite well, just to have dinner and spend the evening with him. I know of on one occasion he "dated" a stranger, who had an accomplice, left a door unlocked, and they got away with a small fortune which they took from his basement, coins and stocks and bonds.

After his death, his estate was valued at over 100 million dollars. I have on occasions seen him driving a fork lift at a lumber yard he owned,  old jeans and a plaid shirt. Wonder if he was buried that way.

Next time I will go into how I heard he made his first "bankroll" which got him started, interesting story and I think it is true. Got it from someone who knew him.

A good "group"

Came across an interesting "group," and have heard from a few of the members. We all seem to share an interest in Reno history. I imagine some of the old buildings in Carson City are there, probably Virginia City also, preserved for posterity. Yet, in Reno, most of the buildings that actually made Nevada what it is today, are all gone. Why did Harold's Club and the Nevada Club have to go?

Harold put Reno on the map. I wonder if all the new places have "air curtain" doors. You could walk that one block of Virginia street, go in every club, and not have to open one door. I remember on many occasions, I would see a face I recognized, wave a "Hi Grant," as the Governor walked by, or a wave to Bill Harrah when you saw him.

At Harold's and The Nevada Club, and others, a 21 dealer going on a break would open the little drawer on the table, take out their "tokes," and head out on a break. If the IRS got you for an audit, you would quickly make up a list of tokes, from memory, to to the IRS office, the subject of tokes would come up, he would throw out a date, a quick check of your list, "Ah,, on that day I made $7.50." Then he would mention that they had an agent in the club who gave you a $15 toke. He then would tear up your list. You were in trouble, they would come up with THEIR amount.

One time a 21 dealer from Harold's was in California for a few days, somehow did an interview with a reporter, got carried away and told the reporter how much she made in tokes, exaggerated the amount a bit to impress her. The IRS read it and used her figure as an estimate for all Harold's dealers. She was almost run out of town. Tokes were pretty good though, and in those days, silver dollars. Not uncommon for a dealer to have a dresser drawer full of silver. I had a glove box full on my car, good old days.

What was his name?

In the 50's there was a well known "slot" man who owned real estate in Reno. Some friends of mine rented from him. Alice Tuttle and Jeanette Fenner were two of them. I think his aame was Bob, but not sure of his last name. His photograph hung in every casino in Nevada. He was GREAT with slot machines. He had one of every kind in his basement.

I never figured out how he did it, I don't think he drilled or anything like that, he seemed to work the handle and that did his work for him.

The last I heard of  him, a "group" got together at Harold's Club, Keno. THEY hit a $1.10 Eight Spot for $25,000. He was in on it and was the one to go to the counter to pick up the 25M. Instead, someone in the group got antsy, and when he went to pick up the money he was arrested.  Problem with most "hits," too many people get involved and someone rats out the rest. "Too many cooks spoil the broth," so to speak.

Ralph Roberts, from Southern Indiana, a great guy, was on the floor at the Primm for a while, last I saw him he had a small club in Fallon, I think it was. He had the pit, little to no money. If someone broke a 20, they would have to take it next door to get 20 more silver, operating on a shoestring. I remember one of his suits, nice black material, but a red silk lining. Always wanted one of those. One of the first things I get when I hit the lottery. Double breasted black, twin vents, 1/2 inch cuffs on the sleeves, red silk lining. Would like to be buried in that.

Jim and Alice Tuttle always had fantastic Christmases. The saved their "tokes" and spent them on Christmas. That amounted to a great deal of money in those days. Alice did 21 at Harolds and Jimmy worked at different stores, but always good ones, a "store" being a casino. I worked with him at The Lodge at Tahoe once.

Ray Slattery, "Slats," worked for Fitz, one heck of a nice guy. He was and had been a professional bowler, but somehow got sidetracked. Slats, like most of us, loved to party. In those days it was a full time party with a little work done in between. Slats got wrapped up in it, decided he had to "get out." One morning, he packed his stuff and we drove him to the outskirts of Tahoe, let him out, and he started thumbing his way to California. Never heard from him after that. I used to watch the PBA in hopes of seeing him on there, never did.

A neat "fraternity" of people, all different walks of life, never got to know many of them well, like "ships passing in the night," so to speak, but never forgotten people. Many unique, some with questionable backgrounds, like Doc Ledford at the lake, as nice as they come, but you never asked about his "past" or his future. There was a lot of that in Nevada in those days.

But some never to be forgotten "friends."

November Memories

Holidays like this always make me think back to my days in Nevada. Had some great Thanksgivings out there, invited friends in, generally had a crowd at the house.

But also, spending Thanksgiving in a casino, always seemed a little depressing for our customers. They were taking in a long weekend and a great few days in Reno. And of course some time up on the mountain doing some Winter sports.

I thought of old Hoot Havens, actually Jerry, and his Ford, the one where the top moved down into the trunk. I thought of Don Eammelli and some of the deals we got him into. I remember the "Crap Suckers" he bought, a truckload, cleaned your drains. They ended up in his basement, water and heat turned them into one big blob. Or, the watches he bought, all pinwheel movements, the one we sold to the dealer as a gift for her son, set it on the TV, got heated, when he opened it, the crystal popped off, hit the ceiling.

Jeanette Fenner, worked at Harold's Club, rented an apartment from the "Slot" guy, Bob I think, Had his picture posted in all casinos in the state. He hit a lot of jackpots, way too many. Alice Tuttle rented from him, had the basement apartment. I think Alice worked at Harold's also. Both 21 dealers. I remember stories of when she was married to Jimmy, they saved their tokes all year (which was a LOT of money in those days) and splurged them on each other at Christmas.

Fitz and Meta always come to mind. I wish I had stayed with Fitz, big mistake leaving him. Rumors were that I would have gotten the Bal Tabaran to manage, or at least have a nice job there, when he bought it up at the lake. I don't know how far I might have gotten if I had stayed with him.

Danny Fagan always comes to mind, Mark, Bettye Johnson, Thelma Ganz, all were part of my early training at the Nevada Club. It's hard to believe that I outlived the old Club. It is gone, I am still here. The largest part of Nevada history was lost when they tore down Harold's and the Nevada Club. Times change, I guess. I would not recognize Reno today. I will just keep the fond memories.

Names to remember

Just thinking about the old Nevada Club brought back some names:

Mark De Santel
Oscar Dykes
Emma Baker
James Erwin
Wilford Nolan
Emmett Shea
Vern Peterson
Ed Beaty (Not sure if Beaty or Beatty)
Bettye Johnson
Thelma Ganz
Danny Fagan
Doc Ledford
Carl Konarske (Meta's Brother)
Jeanette Fenner
Alice Tuttle

I could probably list most of the dealers in Nevada at that time, most got their start with Fitz. Not many clubs then, and none trained but Fitz and Harold did some. Generally you started with Fitz and went elsewhere.

Mark was my shift manager when I started, the first one I talked with when reporting in to work my first morning. He is the one that sent me off to shill.

I remember most of them by their first names. I worked with Eddy Beaty many times, there were many rumors about him.

All of these folks were referred to by their first names. We seldom used their last names, but I do remember them by their first name.

Danny Fagan I worked with many times, and he helped me a lot when I was in training, an extremely nice guy. His brother also worked in the casinos.