Thursday Morning, early, woke up at 6 for some reason, I think I got a good night's sleep, new pillow. Woke up with Lake Tahoe on my mind, for some reason. That would be the late 50's, and I was working at the Nevada Lodge, for Fitz. He didn't allow everyone to work up there, I was one of the lucky ones. The Olympics were to start in '60, and this was the first Winter that the North end of the lake had been open. Most of the places closed for the Winters, which up there, were rather brutal.
The road around the lake then was a narrow two-lane, and most of the land was pristine. Pine trees dominated the aroma in the air, it was glorious. The North side only had about 4 casinos of any size, and a drug store, that was it. I had a room in a small ski lodge, more like an apartment, had my own outer door, bar and restaurant upstairs, short walking distance to the Lodge. Heaven on earth for a naive kid from Ohio.
I worked days at the Lodge then, not many customers, we were opened primarily getting ready for the throngs they hoped would show up for the Winter Olympics. There was the Crystal Bay Club, an older casino, well known and notorious, a Summer casino only, prior to this year. Some notorious old "clerks" worked up there, some retired from the roaring places of the 20's, 30's and 40's. Red and Slim and others had some great old stories to tell
I would put in my eight hours at the Lodge, head for the Crystal, and listen to their stores. Had I known at the time, the Cal-Neva was open and owned by Sinatra. There was a lot going on there also. I could have spent time with Sinatra and Martin and the rest of the "pack," Marilyn spent time there as well as some of the Kennedys, mixed with many notorious gangland members. I didn't know that then. Sinatra and his entourage came in to the Lodge to eat occasionally. Walt Disney and his wife were staying there, working on the artwork for the Olympics.
I must admit, I was in love, with the surroundings, the scenery, and me, working with and rubbing elbows with people who were "legends" and lived in an entirely different world than I did. Mac McCloskey and "Slim" La Borde were two of the owners of the Crystal Bay club. Slim was quite a character, reportedly had participated in the Olympics a couple of times, as an archer. Always doubted that. Went out with he and his entourage a few times, generally to Carson City, had some great times.
