Arthur “Art” Sloan (1930-2019) was a philanthropist and a successful entrepreneur who ran multiple businesses that specialized in lighting and air conditioning. During his time in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sloan collected materials from casinos such as the Flamingo, El Rancho, and Hotel Last Frontier. These materials included ash trays, silverware, postcards, photographs, dice, playing cards, and casino memorabilia.
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Vista Group is a real estate development company for office, retail, industrial and residential projects. It was founded by Michael Saltman, the managing general partner and president. Saltman also founded and served as managing general partner of the Flamingo Decatur Partnership and managing partner of Ford Aerospace and Communications Corporation Development, Las Vegas Technology Center.Saltman earned his BA from Michigan State University and his law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
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Harold (Hal) Belfer was a writer, producer, and choreographer whose career spanned over 50 years. Belfer was born on February 16, 1922 in Los Angeles, California and his mother enrolled him in his first dance class at the age of three. Belfer began as a tap dancer and gradually expanded his entertainment career, eventually receiving more than 200 motion picture and television credits for choreography, producing, directing, and staging.
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Arthur “Art” Sloan (1930-2019) was a philanthropist and a successful entrepreneur who ran multiple businesses that specialized in lighting and air conditioning. During his time in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sloan collected materials from casinos such as the Flamingo, El Rancho, and Hotel Last Frontier. These materials included ash trays, silverware, postcards, photographs, dice, playing cards, and casino memorabilia.
Person
On February 27, 1979, collector Greg Abbott interviewed Hildred Meidell (b. March 17, 1900 in Webb City, Missouri) about her time living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meidell covers a range of topics, from her and her husband’s time as tourists in the city and their subsequent retirement to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, California. Meidell describes the Las Vegas Strip, the interstate and highway conditions between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as their numerous visits to Hoover Dam (Boulder Dam). Moreover, she speaks about the changing layout of the city, the increase in shopping centers and department stores, and the clothing stores inside of hotels. Lastly, Meidell talks about the prominence of churches in local communities, the atomic testing program and the structural damages these tests caused in her neighborhood, and the influence of the railroad and passenger train on the town.
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Bud Weil worked as a disc jockey in Mexico after serving in the military during World War II. In 1947, he moved to Las Vegas to work at KLAS but after two days he was job hunting. His search landed him at KENO, a radio station owned by Max and Laura Belle Kelch. His was an interview show that afforded him entree to stars performing in town. The list of his favorite interviews includes Sophie Tucker, Sammy Davis, Jack Benny, The Mills Brother, Rosemary Clooney, Leno Home, Joey Lewis and many others. In 1955, he became restless, left the career in broadcasting, and joined Max Kelch as a partner in a new venture for Las Vegas - Musak. This enterprise took him to the doors of every business in town and shortly, he knew everybody. He uses that knowledge in this interview to talk about all aspects of life as the town grew over the years. Today he is a senior statesman of our town, enjoying everything about Las Vegas except the traffic.
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