Old Las Vegas
Here's a link to some great pictures.
In Old Las Vegas
That's some cool stuff.
Not to derail this thread, but here's a link to an equally cool site, one dedicated to the history of DisneyLand and Disney's other theme parks: www.YesterLand.com
Quote: IbeatyouracesIt would have been nice to be around back during those times. In todays Vegas you have to wonder who the worse crooks are, the huge corporations and their 6/5 BJ or the mobsters who outright told you you cant win.
Wellllll.....everybody smoked. Black people either couldn't stay in the hotel at all, or they had to come and go through the back entrance--even if they were the headline entertainers! If you won at the blackjack table, you just might have come to in the middle of the desert with a couple of broken legs. Casino profits went to finance the Mob back east. And the cops were direct employees of the casinos, for all intents and purposes (Ok, that hasn't actually changed.)
Any time I hear about the "good old days", in any context, it ignores the fact that the good old days mostly sucked.
Heck, with many things those "good old days" may not have ever existed. It is often said that the mob knew how to run Vegas simply because they knew to give the gamblers a good deal. Yes, the mob skimmed like crazy but the players had a square deal and a stiff drink. Whether it was a sawdust joint or a swanky place, entertainment was available and downtown your room was ten dollars, your buffet was six dollars.Quote: Ibeatyouracesor the mobsters who outright told you you cant win.
The mob may have driven each other out to the desert but they usually made the players only think that might happen to them. The casino would be more likely to drive you to the airport though they might do it in the trunk of the car. If players got greedy that was discouraged. If employees got greedy that was seriously discouraged. The games were legit and only a few places tossed out anyone who was winning.
Its the corporations that lost focus on the casino and tried to turn everything into a profit center.
Um....Quote: Ibeatyouraces...I spent a total of a day and a half in Vegas back in december of 2006...
2006 does NOT qualify as "The good old days" of ANY town!
I suspect there are a lot of Las Vegas casino owners who are wishing things today would be a lot more like they were in 2006.Quote: DJTeddyBearUm....
2006 does NOT qualify as "The good old days" of ANY town!
Quote: mkl654321Wellllll.....everybody smoked. Black people either couldn't stay in the hotel at all, or they had to come and go through the back entrance--even if they were the headline entertainers! If you won at the blackjack table, you just might have come to in the middle of the desert with a couple of broken legs. Casino profits went to finance the Mob back east. And the cops were direct employees of the casinos, for all intents and purposes (Ok, that hasn't actually changed.)
Any time I hear about the "good old days", in any context, it ignores the fact that the good old days mostly sucked.
When they formed the Nevada Gaming Commission in the early 50's, they found every game in every casino was rigged. Slots that never paid, stacked decks, gaffed roulette wheels, loaded dice, there wasn't an honest game in town. Cars weren't air conditioned, if you had heart trouble they mostly patted you on the head and sent you home, and TV had a couple channels and went off at 1am. The only good thing about the good old days is they're gone.
Quote: FleaStiffHeck, with many things those "good old days" may not have ever existed. It is often said that the mob knew how to run Vegas simply because they knew to give the gamblers a good deal. Yes, the mob skimmed like crazy but the players had a square deal and a stiff drink. Whether it was a sawdust joint or a swanky place, entertainment was available and downtown your room was ten dollars, your buffet was six dollars.
The mob may have driven each other out to the desert but they usually made the players only think that might happen to them. The casino would be more likely to drive you to the airport though they might do it in the trunk of the car. If players got greedy that was discouraged. If employees got greedy that was seriously discouraged. The games were legit and only a few places tossed out anyone who was winning.
Its the corporations that lost focus on the casino and tried to turn everything into a profit center.
Any source I have read or seen says that the old-time employees would rather work for the mob than the corporations. Seems to be agreement that at worst the mobsters would ignore you or leave you alone as long as you did your job. At best they seemed to take better care of employees in trouble financially. Reality is somewhere in between I am sure. My guess is the flatter management pyramid allowed for better customer service. If it is understood a pit-boss needs to keep players happy he will do so. If he is told to keep to the "rewards program" he will do so. I keep saying locals places should tell their pit bosses to comp a player an hour to something, anything. Waste of money at Flamingo where I might not be back. But if I have a choice between Rivers or Meadows here in PA, I will pick one where I am treated better.
Mobsters generally grew up being mistreated and poor and understood how a little goes a long way. MBAs grew up in privlege and "expect" good treatment. Just because you are a killer and thug doesn't mean you can't understand good customer service.
Quote: EvenBob[..] if you had heart trouble they mostly patted you on the head and sent you home,
Imagine! The time when taking aspirin might have helped, and these medical troglodytes were too ignorant to even know it! :P
Seriously heart disease was managed through diet and very little else. Medicine advances slowly.
Quote: AZDuffmanJust because you are a killer and thug doesn't mean you can't understand good customer service.
There is something seriously wrong with that statement... yet, I have to agree that it is true. The illicit drug trade ruined it for everyone.
