I RECENTLY INTERVIEWED A PAST MANAGER OF BILL HARRAH'S ... THIS GENTLEMAN IS ABOUT 88 YEAR'S YOUNG AND HAD GREAT TALES ABOUT THE SMITH FAMILY (HAROLDS CLUB) AND BILL HARRAH'S OPERATION. BACK IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS ... THE SMITH FAMILY (HAROLDS CLUB) OPERATED GAMES OF CHANCE ON THE BOARDWALK IN SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA AND ABOUT THE SAME TIME, JOHN HARRAH AND HIS SON BILL HARRAH OPERATED BINGO TANGO PARLORS IN VENICE CALIFORNIA ON THE BEACH. STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL EARL WARREN OF CALIFORNIA WANTED TO CLOSE ALL OF THESE GAMES OF CHANCE AND OFF SHORE SHIP GAMBLING. 1931 CAME ALONG AND GAMBLING WAS NO LEGAL IN RENO, NEVADA .... WORD SPREAD FAST HOW MUCH MONEY THE EARLY GAMBLING JOINTS ON VIRGINIA ST. WERE MAKING. THE SMITH FAMILY MOVED LOCK, STOCK AND BARREL TO VIRGINIA ST. THEY OPENED UP A SMALL STORE FRONT WITHOUT EVEN 1 SLOT MACHINE OR GAMING TABLES .... THEY THOUGHT THIER CARNIVAL GAMES OF CHANCE WOULD BE POPULAR IN RENO. NOT A CHANCE THEY LOST TONS OF MONEY AND QUICKLY GOT SLOT MACHINES AND HIRED FEMALE DEALERS FOR BLACKJACK THE REST IS HISTORY! JOHN HARRAH WAS GETTING OLD AND THE HEAT WAS ON TO CLOSE VENICE BEACH OF ALL BINGO, TANGO PARLORS ALONG WITH OTHER GAMES OF CHANCE. BILL HARRAH ALSO GO WIND OF THE BIG MONEY IN RENO AND MOVED HIS OPERATION TO THE SILVER STATE. HE MOVED 4 TIMES SO HE COULD GET ON VIRGINIA ST. AND AS CLOSE TO HAROLDS CLUB AS POSSIBLE. REMEMBER HAROLDS CLUB OR BUST? THE SMITH FAMILY SPENT A TON OF MONEY ON NOT ONLY PROMOTING THEMSELVES, BUT RENO NEVADA AND THE GAMING INDUSTRY. BILL HARRAH WAS A VERY SHREWD OPERATOR AND LIVED OFF A LOT OF TOURIST THAT ARRIVED IN RENO DUE TO HAROLDS CLUB NATIONWIDE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. WHEN YOU GOT TO RENO AND SAW THE BIG NEON SIGNS ... HARRAHS CLUB - HAROLDS CLUB ... YOU FORGOT WHICH ONE WAS THE FAMOUS ONE. HAROLDS CLUB NEVER WANTED TO BE IN THE HOTEL BUSINESS ... SO THEY COULD NOT KEEP AND PAMPER THE BIG GAMBLERS OF THE DAY. BILL HARRAH REALIZED THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP THEM IN YOUR PLACE, FOOD, BOOZE, ROOMS ETC. BILL BUILT ROOMS AND HAROLDS CLUB IS NOW CLOSED. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY BILL HARRAH USED A MAGIC GENIE AND HAREM GIRLS AS PART OF HIS LOGO AND ADVERTISING? WHY THE MIDDLE EAST THEME? JOHN HARRAH ... BILL'S FATHER WAS OF LEBANESE DESCENT ... (SYRIAN). THERE ARE MANY MORE STORIES MY GUEST TOLD ME ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS OF RENO (THE FATHER OF GAMBLING). ENJOY THE OLD PHOTOS ... THANKS FOR LISTENING ... RICH BURGEL