A couple of months ago I ran across a book that sounded interesting; "Beyond the Glimmering Lights-The Pride and Perseverance of African Americans in Las Vegas". Whew...that's a mouthful! I thought it sounded kind of interesting, and hoped it would have some pictures of, and information on, the old black clubs on the Westside. (It's easy to find information on the Flamingo, The Sahara, the El Rancho Vegas, and other strip resorts. Not so easy to find information on the New Town Tavern, Cotton Club, El Rio, and other small Westside clubs, some of which were open for only a few years!)

I saved an ebay search for the book, and finally found one with a BIN for $4 and $4 shipping, so I bought it.

I haven't read the whole book yet, just scanned it for casino info, but so far I love it! The author is Trish Geran, a native of Las Vegas. Her aunt moved to Las Vegas in 1943 and lived on the Westside..."The Black Ghetto" as it was known in the 1940's. "Aunt Mac" told Trish stories about Las Vegas from 1943-1960. Stories about the casinos & hotels, and about the people she knew. Stories about living with the segregation, and how it ended. It's light, easy reading, and the only disappointment is the quality of the pictures. (The good news about the pictures, is that some of them are the same ones that Todd Barrett found at UNLV, and put into the Westside article in the CCTN magazine, Volume 21, #4, and the ones in the CCTN are much clearer.

Some of the tid-bits....paraphrased:

The Cotton Club was not plush. It was a large room with a few craps tables, a bar, a jukebox in the corner, and a small stage. On the walls hung a few large mirrors, and autographed pictures of the owner with famous black and white entertainers. The outside of the club was off-white, and the club's name was hand-painted on the front.

What made the Cotton Club special was the people who frequented the place. It attracted a more elite crowd. Entertainers often hung around, had a drink, and performed on the small stage. Some of the regulars were the Ink Spots, the Treniers, and the Mills Brothers.

One afternoon Aunt Mac walked in and saw Cab Calloway, Billy Eckstine and Sammy Davis, Jr. shooting craps, drinking, talking, and having a good time.

As segregation began to come to an end...

For the first time a white-owned hotel allowed black patrons. The Shamrock hotel was at Main and Bonanza; just a few blocks from the Westside. The lounge had a bar and a jukebox.

Blacks met there on the weekends and didn't experience any signs of racism from the white employees and guests. All was well until one night when someone decided to jump into the pool.

A man named Paps had one too many shots, and started to strip his clothes off while hollering that it was hot in there. Clad only in red boxers, Paps ran out the door and jumped into the pool. Security was called. Trish quotes Aunt Mac as saying "At least we got a taste of integration, even if it only lasted for two weeks."

The Louisiana Club and the El Rio Club were casual places. Most of the customers stopped in after work, still wearing their work clothes.

The New Town Tavern opened up next to the Cotton Club. It had a style and elegance similar to the Cotton Club, and began to attract the entertainers. Up-and-coming boxer Sonny Liston, Chubby Checker, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr. could be found there, at times, shooting craps, visiting with other customers, or putting on an impromptu performance.