#jay sarno

[americaisdead]

detail of one of circus circus' 1972 hotel towers as seen from atop its main parking garage. las vegas. february 2024

© tag christof

[americaisdead]

circus circus detail – it looks like this structure, which dates the opening of its hotel in 1972, houses its main power generators. this whole complex, opened in 1968 as an extraordinary bacchanal of a casino, has come to seem like more and more of a las vegas modernist masterpiece as everything around it is replaced by generic 21st century chintz. las vegas, nev. february 2024

© tag christof

[americaisdead]

circus circus. las vegas strip.  march 2020

© tag christof

[inboundvegas]

Fifty years ago, Jay Sarno opened Caesars Palace and changed the face of Las Vegas

When hotel developer Jay Sarno unwrapped his innovative Caesars Palace hotel-casino for a prolonged grand opening party on August 5, 1966.

[inboundvegas2]

Norm Clarke quotes Oscar Goodman at last week's talk on Jay Sarno. Also, a recap of Sunday's bowling for the NASPCA.

[inboundvegas2]

Steve Wynn talks to Norm Clarke about the hideous room he had on the first night, then the serious upgrade on night #2. And then the phone rang, the caller asking for 'Mr. Hoffa.' Oh my...

[grandissimo]

Reaction to Sarno Roundtable at Lied Library

The Sarno Roundtable event went off on Sunday at Lied Library. It was a tremendous experience, but don't take my word for it. Here's what KSNV has to say:

You can access that report here if the embedded video isn't happening: Biography profiles Caesars Palace developer Jay Sarno

The Las Vegas Sun also covered the event:

David Schwartz, director of UNLV’s Center for Gaming, moderated the panel through discussions of Sarno’s life in Las Vegas during the 1960s. The panel members talked about Sarno's court battles with the FBI, his legacy on the Strip and his eccentric lifestyle that made him a divisive figure in Las Vegas.

“There was nobody in Las Vegas who was neutral on the subject of Jay Sarno,” Schwartz said. “People loved him and people couldn’t stand him. There was no middle.”

Jay Sarno remembered for doing ‘something nobody had ever done before’

But you don't have to take their word for it--you can listen to the entire roundtable right here, since it's now a UNLV Gaming Podcast.

I'd like to thank everyone from Lied Library who helped plan and run the event, all of the panelists for showing up and being so candid, and everyone who attended. It was truly a great night, and a sign of just how important Jay Sarno was to the development of Las Vegas.