I was asked to again relate the story of Sandy.
I knew Sandy back in the 50's, she was a 21 dealer, working at the Golden Hotel. Her husband was a practicing hypnotist, and had an office in Reno. As I understand it, he originally started by working with addicted gamblers, and trying to cure them. I did not know Sandy well, just from seeing her around town, and dealing at the Golden.
I went in to work one morning at the Primm, and there was Sandy, dealing 21 at one of the tables, now working for Ernie at his Primmadonna.
As the night progressed, talk went around the club, more information on breaks, and brief chats with Sandy, her story came out.
The way the Golden was laid out, they had a group of 21 tables surrounding the lounge, separated by thick curtains. Some noise from the lounge acts would make its way out to the 21 tables. It worked both ways, 21 players would be lured into the lounge, and customers in the lounge would end up on the 21 tables.
Everyone around Reno had heard of Baron Von Brenner, a stage hypnotist who had been around town for a while, and had a very entertaining act. He got booked into the Golden for an extended engagement.
That is where the problem came in.
The Baron would be on stage, doing his hypnotism act, and at certain times, certain cues, Sandy, who was dealing 21, quite a distance away, standing there, cards in had, would nod her head, and fall completely asleep. They would have to go get the Baron, and get him to release her from here sleep.
Well, it is not a good thing to have a 21 dealer nod off to sleep during a game.
She apparently was so susceptible to hypnotism because of her husband, that a number of things put her "under." So, she left the Golden and went to work at the Primm. Always wondered what it said on her application for "Reason for Leaving."
I put this incident on a BB a few years ago and got an email from Baron Von Brenners son, who I think was living in Illinois, who said he had heard his Father relate that story a number of times.
I could always picture, Sandy, dealing cards and all of a sudden her head drops, and she is asleep.
After she came to work at the Primm, I have heard her complain of having a headache, or being tired, and on a break, her husband would come in and they would go and sit in the coffee shop. He would say or do something, her head would drop to one side, and in a few seconds, he would do something, she would wake up, and feel great.
Sandy and her husband got me interested in Dianetics, and that led to my meeting L. Ron Hubbard one afternoon at Harold's Club, in the lounge, on the seventh floor, where he had given a brief address.
