ARRIVING IN RENO - May, 1956
I first heard of Fitz when I got out of the Navy in 1956, and flew to Reno, Nevada, which is where my family was, at that time.
After a few days I was looking for a job, looked through the paper, and the Nevada Club was hiring. So, I got cleaned up and headed for downtown.
We were living in between Reno and Sparks at the time, gravel road, near the stockyards, the wild, wild, west.
I heard rumors about Fitz from everyone, mafia, Purple Gang, dictator, hard to work for, gruff old man, all sorts of information to make me nervous.
I headed downtown, found a place to park, parking was allowed on the streets in those days, and there was plenty of parking.
I parked just across the tracks, near the train station. I headed down Virginia Street, down and alley, and found the back door, to the Nevada Club. Went inside, asked a change apron where the office was, she pointed it out, and I headed for the CAGE, to face Fitz.
He was in the cashiers cage, white shirt, tie suspenders.I don't know what I said, but he asked me a few questions, brief background, married, from where, family, schooling, that was about it.
He told me to head for the police station and register and get a background check. I don't remember any of that, but I did go, got fingerprinted, and after a while, was given a card and told to return to the club.
I did as told, Fitz was still in the cage, he looked at the card, looked at me, "Come in at 3 in the morning, wear a white shirt and a tie." That was it, I had a job, didn't know what it was, but I knew I had to be in at 3am, white shirt and tie.
I look back on that meeting and try to remember, but I was so nervous and excited, it all became sort of a blurr. Remember, we are talking the mid 50's, no computers, I don't think I even filled out an employment form. I think all that information was gotten my first morning of work.
I think Fitz wanted to make sure I would show up before getting any of that information.I later found out there were a few things he liked about me, some college, 4 years in the Navy, married, young daughter, and my Father was a Doctor, and, I never drove a cab or was a bartender, two jobs that were no nos, for Fitz. He hired a bar manager, but let the manager do all the hiring of bartenders.
