21-23 Fremont Street

”The Westerner, 1950-1960: In 1950 Texan Benny Binyon opened The Westerner at the location previously occupied by the Las Vegas Club. Wait a minute…”Binyon”? I thought Benny B’s name was Binion? Well, it was! Though he had little or no formal education, no one could say that Benny Binion was dumb, his education came from the streets. He knew that he needed a license to operate a casino in Las Vegas. He also knew that applying for a license meant there’d be a background check. He also knew that he had a murder conviction in his background (2 year suspended sentence, the victim had a very bad reputation). Benny “Binyon” didn’t have a record. In 1951 Benny sold The Westerner to Emilio Giorgetti, who retained ownership until 1954. Benny moved across the street and down a block to open his famous Horseshoe Casino.”