I could never explain it to you, or anyone ......

What makes good history? I doubt that there is any mention of Harolds Club in any of the history books in school. At one time, there was advertising for this club, literally, all over the world, "Harold's Club of Bust."

I remember Dave, our bartender at the Primm, told of working there the day they opened on South Virginia Street in Reno. A small club, Dave was on the Wheel, he said the first spin, he was nervous, the ball jumped the track, rolled out the door, into the gutter, and down a drain. They had to hold up the game to find another ball.

I first entered into Harolds World, and that is what it was, in 1956. New to casinos and casino life, I was in awe, it was a world all its own. Western bedecked dealers, gun collection, a bar of silver dollars, awesome. I never worked there, I wish perhaps that I had, but, I worked for Fitz, and that is another whole story.

I have seen an exuberant father and son, one being wheeled around on a "slot cart" ... celebrating, doubling bets on a 21 table, handing out silver dollars. I saw them close a wheel, shut it down, telling a group of young "winners" to keep their hundred thousand and finish their education. I saw signs when I was in Japan for Harolds Club, saw one on Okinawa. I saw L. Ron Hubbard speaking once on the 7th floor, saw Del Ray, a magician, giving some pointers to Harolds 21 dealers, have heard old matinee idol Carl Ravazza, come from the back of the room, singing lilting French songs. I walked through there many times, took it for granted, not fully appreciating the surroundings I was in, and all of its uniqueness.

I could never "explain" Harolds Club to anyone, it and the Nevada Club were truly unique, and are responsible for Nevada being what it is today, and perhaps the industry, which is assisting in the rescue of many states, today. There are no "memorials" to either club, or to Fitz or the Smiths, just memories, some of which is being preserved in the above movie and, in the works of Dwayne Kling.

Reno Sweeney

Reno Sweeney was one of the dealers in Reno who "turned me out," trained me, and showed me the ins and outs of being a clerk. We were called "clerks" in those days, the IRS had no classification for us, so we were listed as Clerks on our Income Tax, thus, the term Clerks. If you ever hear that someone working in a casino was a good clerk, you know they are talking about an "old timer."

My first night, I was nervous and apprehensive, told to report to the "post" .... finally someone pointed me in the right direction, said something stupid to the gentleman in the white on white shirt, a gorgeous pair of cuff links, a spotless white necktie, and a watch showing under those starched french cuffs that exposed a circular face ringed with diamonds, very classy. Mark, as it turned out, told me to go shill on number 3. My dumb stare was greeted with a gesture that pointed me in the right direction.

I sheepishly approached the ten foot table, a man on one end, a woman on the other, the woman knew of my innocence reached down into a tube of silver dollars and handed them to me. She knew without looking that she had handed me 20 of them. The table was void of customers at that time, so she told me, "put one there and throw the dice." I did, and that was my introduction in to a world I knew nothing about, but was intrigued by the prospect of learning about.

After an hour or so at the table, "shilling," I was told to take a 30 minute break and report back to Mark. I will never forget my entrance in to the coffee shop that morning, I was "one of them" an employee of a casino, soon, to be a ..... dealer ..... the pride I must have shown walking in, I owned the place, I belonged here. I remember well what I had, a Nevada Club Special .... an 8-inch French Roll, sliced lengthwise in half, piled high with prime rib, the top half placed back on, on to a plate, and covered with a rich broth. How much better could it get.

Mark directed me back to a table, I was escorted "behind" the table, where the dealers stand, I had stepped into ... a mystic realm .... a "stick" was handed to me, "Hi, I'm Reno Sweeney," call the dice .... the rest of the night went by fast, but a blurry fast. I remember entering in to the sunlight next morning, at 11, a beautiful day, someone had given me a "green apron," during my shift, a dealers apron. I carried it proudly so all could see as I made my way up Virginia Street to my car.

Fitz

Lincoln Fitzgerald, Fitz, a Nevada pioneer who does not get the credit he deserves for his part in making the state what it is today.

My first glimpse of him was in 1956, April or May. I was just discharged from the Navy and headed to Reno. An ad in the newspaper caught my attention. HIRING DEALERS. I had no idea what that entailed, but I decided to look in to it. Prior to applying, I hears many stories about Fitz, Gangster, Purple Gang in Detroit, he got shot in a mob hit, all scary stuff to me.

I entered the old "back door" of The Nevada Club, admittedly with shaking knees and sweaty palms. I walked through the club to the "cage," the cashiers cage, which was his realm. There was this elderly man, white hair, white shirt and tie, suspenders standing behind the bared window. I have no idea what I said to him, at least I was coherent enough to let him know I wanted a job. He asked me a series of questions, where from, discharged from service, as I recalled he was interested in my Father and Mother, married, children, that sort of thing. Really not a lot of questions.

"Take this down to the police station and when you are done, come back here."

"Yes sir."

Was talking about Fitz last night, and someone suggested I  do this blog.....I truly like this man, I wish I had been able to spend more time with him..... I doubt that many did.

The police did a background check, handed me a slip of paper and told me to go back to the club. I did, handed Fitz the slip of paper. He looked at it. "Come back in the morning at three, wear a white shirt and tie."

That was it. I really had no idea what I would be doing at three, but I knew I had a job.

I think Fitz liked me. After I became a "dealer" with training on craps, the wheel and Twenty One, we knew I had "sweaty hands." He wanted to to deal Twenty One, but the sweaty hands were a problem. At the end of one shift, he handed he a bottle of "formaldehyde" and wanted me to take it and soak my hands in it, might help. I did, and it didn't. So, I was relegated to the crap table.

I left him after a year and returned to Ohio for a while, decided I wanted to return, called him on the phone, asked about getting my job back, he told me to come on out, I did, and he sent me to his new club at Lake Tahoe, The Nevada Lodge. Only a select few were chosen for that job, I was one of them.

Fitz trained many of the dealers in Nevada in the early years, some went on to some great jobs in the industry. Many years later, I am till proud to say  that "I turned out as a clerk for Fitz." No one knows what that means though. In those days the IRS had no classification for dealers, so we were listed as clerks.

Fitz was a pioneer in Nevada, he, and some others are responsible for making Nevada what it is today, and I imagine few are familiar with his name. I, for one, will never forget him. In my pocket now is a $5 Nevada Club chip, and one I cherish, is a $20 blue chip from the Chesterfield Club in Detroit, which Fitz was part owner of  before he moved to Reno. Nearby also, a pair of Nevada Club dice.

Thanks, Fitz, as Bob Hope would say, "Aw thanks, for the memories."

Gingrich: Romney Should Quit If He Loses Michigan

By Amy Woods


Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says that, if he, Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum lose their respective home states in the upcoming primaries, “you have, I think, a very, very badly weakened candidacy.”


Gingrich, appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” said Romney in particular would face a setback if he lost the Michigan primary on Feb. 28. 


“Here a guy who’s been running for six years . . . has outspent all the rest of us . . . if he can’t carry his own state . . . I don’t see what he says the next morning to his donors to stay in the race,” the former House speaker said.

Jerry "Hoot" Havens

Jerry Christianson - Joe Francis - Jerry "Hoot" Havens

Bad photograph, cameras not allowed in the club, taken with a little Brownie

I just has some bacon and eggs, when I was done I took the plate out to the kitchen, washed it, dried it, and put it up in the cabinet, and as I dried it, I thought of Jerry "Hoot" Havens. Not sure when I first hooked up with him, probably at the Nevada Club when we turned out as dealers.

Jerry and I shared a number of apartments, and worked together on the same crew at the Primm. I don't know how he got the nickname of Hoot, it just seemed to fit him.

He was a good "clerk" as we were called in those days, thanks to the IRS. They had no classification for dealers, so we were listed as Clerks.

I embarked on a few "excursions" in those days, went to Elko, Oregon on one occasion, and a few other trips, but always had a place to stay when I got back, at Hoots. He was just a good friend, no, a great friend.

I remember Hoot bought a car on one occasion, one he had always wanted. A Ford hardtop convertible, The top automatically receded into the trunk, and you had a convertible. Nice car. Worth a fortune, if he still has it.

The last time we worked together, at The Primm, Hoot and myself, a kid from Vegas, Jerry Christian, and sitting box was Joe Francis. Don Eammelli was the shift manager, and a good friend. Great crew, great store and had a great time. Joe went on to be a casino manager for Harrah. I know he is gone, and have tried to get in touch with Don or his family, I know they are still in Reno. Jerry is probably still around, he was a few years younger. Jerry came to Reno with his new wife, rented an empty apartment, slept on the floor, and each payday they would purchase more furniture.

If Hoot reads this, or anyone who knows or remembers him, joedooley@yahoo.com. Would love to hear from anyone from the "old" days of Reno.

I digress, Hoot always washed dishes after he ate or even dirtied a glass. I was admonished on a number of occasions for leaving a glass on a table, putting something in a sink or not leaving a cleaned kitchen.

Hoot, you've never been forgotten, thought of often, a big part of some great memories.

My Introduction to Nevada, casinos and Fitz

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.