HERE IS HALF OF THE STORY ABOUT KATUS KATES CASINO'S SHORT LIFE ON THE CALIFORNIA, NEVADA BORDER. BACK IN THE 1970'S THE TOWER CLUB CASINO OPENED AT STATELINE NEVADA ON THE NEW INTERSTATE 15 HIGHWAY. THE STEEL TOWER IS THE SAME TYPE USED AT THE ORIGINAL SHOWBOAT ON BOULDER HWY. AND AT THE BONANZA CASINO IN NORTH LAS VEGAS. THEY EVEN HAVE ONE LAST ON STEWART AVE. DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS. ANYWAY RUMOR HAS IT THAT WHISKEY PETE ... MARRIED KATUS KATE AND THEY HAD A BABY BOY NAMED "BUFFALO BILL" .... BUT HE WAS A PRIMADONNA! JUST KIDDING.

ERNIE PRIMM OF THE GARDENA CARD CLUBS ... BOUGHT 400 ACRES ON THE CALIFORNIA NEVADA BORDER IN THE EARLY 1950'S . HIS PARTNER WAS HIS FAMOUS LAWYER " SAM RUMMEL. THEY ANNOUNCED BIG PLANS TO OPEN A LARGE CASINO ON THE BORDER AND CATCH ALL THE GAMBLERS BEFORE THEY GOT TO THE STRIP, SOON AFTER THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, SAM RUMMEL WAS MURDERED ... THE CRIME WAS NEVER SOLVED, BUT ERNIE PRIMM SPENT TIME IN EUROPE UNTIL IT WAS SAFE TO COME HOME. ERNIE PRIMM SOLD OUT HIS CASINOS IN RENO NV. AND GARDENA, CA. ERNIE DIED IN 1981 AT AGE 81 AND HIS SON GARY TOOK OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS. GARY EVICTED "DALE HAMILTON" WHO LEASED THE LAND FROM ERNIE PRIMM AND OPERATED THE STATELINE BAR SLOTS, CHEVRON STATION ON THE BORDER. SOON GARY PRIMM REVAMPED AND RENAMED THE SPOT "WHISKEY PETES" AFTER AN OLD TIME BOOTLEGGER WHO HAD THE SPOT PRIOR TO DALE HAMILTON ... ACROSS THE HIGHWAY SY REDD BOUGHT THE TOWER CLUB AROUND 1980 AND SOLD IT IN 1983 TO GARY PRIMM WHO DID NOT WANT ANY COMPETITION AT THE BORDER. GARY REMODELED AND RENAMED THE TOWER CLUB TO "KATUS KATES CASINO WHICH OPENED AROUND EARLY 1984. THE BIG ATTRACTION FOR TOURIST ON THE WAY TO LAS VEGAS WAS A 10 cent ICE CREAN CONE AND 50 cent HOT DOGS! GARY PRIMM MADE ALL OF HIS EMPLOYEES GO CASH THEIR PAYCHECKS AT KATUS KATES, HE GAVE THEM 2 FREE DRINK TICKETS AND A SPIN AT THE WHEEL FOR CASH PRIZES. HE WON MOST OF THE PAYROLL BACK WITH THIS SLICK TACTIC. KATUS KATES CLOSED IN 1991 AND THE PRIMADONNA CASINO HOTEL WAS OPENED NEARBY. THE OLD KATUS KATES SIGN IS STILL ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT HAS A NEW FACE AND NAME. I OPENED THE PRIMM VALLEY GOLF COURSE AT STATELINE AND MET ALOT OF OLD TIMERS IN THE IVANPAH VALLEY ... GREAT STORES OF HOW WATER HAD TO BE PURCHASED FROM THEM AND TRUCKED TO WHISKEY PETES IN THE BEGINING AND HOW GARY PRIMM WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT INDIAN GAMING COMING TO THE CALIFORNIA SIDE OF THE BORDER ... THAT WOULD HAVE REALLY BEEN BAD FOR HIS CASINOS. GARY SOLD EVERYTHING BUT THE LAND WHICH IS LEASED FOR 50 YEAR'S TO MGM .... THEN THEY SOLD TO TERRIBLES ..... THERE ARE NOT MANY PHOTOGRAPHS OF OLD STATELINE ON THE I-15 SOUTH BORDER. THANKS FOR LISTENING AND ENJOY THE PIC'S .... RICH BURGEL