Oral history interview with Mark Brandenburg on October 8, 2025 conducted by Stefani Evans and Bethany Dayton for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Brandenburg talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada's Twin Lakes neighborhood. Brandenburg first joined a sports teaam while at Orr Middle School, joining the softball team, and later playing Pop Warner football. In high school, he wrestled and played football. Brandenburg went to Stanford for his undergraduate degree and Hastings College for his law degree. Returning to Las Vegas after graduating from law school in 1979, Brandenburg worked briefly as a camera operator for Channel 13, and then in law for ten years. In the 1990s, Brandenburg bought into the Golden Gate Casino. During this time, he remembers various sporting events happening both downtown and on the Strip. He also recalls that his cousin played for the Las Vegas Cowboys in the early 1960s, a semipro baseball team that played at Cashman Field. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
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Oral history interview with Rossi Ralenkotter on October 1, 2025 conducted by Claytee D. White for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Ralenkotter describes his early life in Kentucky, then moving to Las Vegas, Nevada as a child. Growing up, Ralenkotter enjoyed performances from many great Las Vegas acts like Abbott and Costello, Nat King Cole, and the Rat Pack. He also enjoyed playing sports like baseball, softball, and basketball. After graduating, Ralenkotter enlisted in the Air Force Reserves during the Vietnam War. Once his service was completed, he began schooling again to gain his M.B.A. while working at the Landmark Hotel. He eventually went to work in marketing with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), where he later became president in 2004 until his retirement in 2018. During his time with the convention center, Ralenkotter pushed to have professional sports leagues brought to Las Vegass, including Triple A baseball. Digital audio available; no transcript available.
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