The History of the Las Vegas Strip

Riviera Hotel History in the 1960s - Shecky Greene

As the 1960s began, the Riviera Hotel was undergoing a multi-million dollar expansion while still trying to get past the death of Gus Greenbaum.

On July 7th, the Nevada Tax Commission approved the sale of 15% of the hotel's stock in the Greenbaum estate be sold back to the hotel for $120,000. The estate still retained a 17% interest in the hotel.

Two weeks later, Ben Goffstein informed the Tax Commission that unless there was a major infusion of cash into the hotel, they would have to shut down. Goffstein was hoping that the Commission would grant permission for owners of the Desert Inn and the Stardust to step in and help the financially struggling resort. According to Goffstein, the debt of the hotel far exceeded the operating money on hand with major payments and payroll that still had to be paid. Goffstein requested that Wilbur Clark, Allen Roen, Moe Dalitz and the other Desert Inn/Stardust licensees be okayed to to step in. The other licensees would put $760,000 into the operation budget of the hotel and keep it from defaulting on its loans or its payroll. Goffstein stressed that the Riv was not bankrupt, just cash-poor.

The Commissioners listened. In addition to the money that the licensees were putting up already, they would guarantee an additional $250,000 loan from the First National Bank of Nevada. This would help to keep the resort open while the Tax Commission debated what to do next. The Commission, to their credit, did not want to be a rubber stamp this time around. They agreed to the money arrangement and would hand down a final decision regarding the property later in the summer.

In the back of everyone's mind seemed to be the financial and economic implications if the resort were to be closed. The closure would send a signal not only throughout the state but internationally as well.

While the Tax Commission debated what to do, the Riviera stayed open. By the Fall, the Commission approved Charles Harrison's application for 2% interest in the resort. But, they demanded clarification on the "infiltration" of the resort by "key" personnel of the Desert Inn. The Desert Inn had been denied in its offer to purchase the Riviera by the Commission but now the Commission discovered that they were assuming management of the Riviera in addition to helping out financially. The Desert Inn licensees claimed that they were only hiring the best personnel for the job.

On Nov. 25th, Attorney General Roger Foley ruled in favor of the Tax Commission and said they had the power to halt the "infiltration of key personnel", however, certain procedures had to be followed. In addition, the Riviera would have the opportunity to seek judicial review. If the higher court ruled in favor of the Tax Commission, then the Commission could take disciplinary action on the conditions not met.

The matter continued and the Riviera stayed open.

One of the better things to happen in late that year was the name change of the showroom. The Clover Room was renamed the Versailles Room and showcased a great line-up of talent including Louis Armstrong, Betty Grable, Tony Bennett, George Burns, Andrew Sisters and Sid Caesar.

Due to all the problems with the Tax Commission and the financial problems with the hotel, the $3.5 million expansion that had been planned in 1959 didn't get rolling until 1962. The expansion called for 11 more stories to be built adding an additional 120 lanai rooms overlooking the patio and pool area. The dressing rooms in the Versailles Room were to be enlarged and the casino and lobby were to be redecorated.

Despite all the financial problems, the hotel was slowly righting itself one more time. Many old-timers credit a powerhouse comedian that played the lounge for keeping the crowds coming to the Riviera. That comedian? Shecky Greene.

"Shecky Greene was almost single-handedly responsible for keeping the hotel in business." recalled Riviera publicist Tony Zoppi. "He consistently brought the high rollers to his show and to the hotel." Greene had been playing Las Vegas since the 1950s. In fact, he was part of the billing, when a young Elvis Presley played the Hotel Last Frontier. Like Liberace, he had bolted from the Frontier when the Riviera offered more money. Greene would become a staple at the Riviera before bolting there for the original MGM Grand Hotel.

By 1963. Ben Goffstein had been running the hotel for seven years. He was tired. He also had his eye on piece of property on Fremont Street, away from the nightlife of the Strip. He dreamed of a hotel/casino named after the most important women in his life, his wife and daughters, whom he called his 4 Queens. In February, he resigned to make that dream a reality.

In November of that year, the Riviera joined the other resorts on the Strip in dimming their lights in the wake of the assassination of President Kennedy and his funeral on Nov. 25th.

Barbra Streisand made her Las Vegas debut as the opening act for Liberace. In 1969, she would return to headline and open the International Hotel.

In 1965, Hotel Riviera Inc. bought out the interests of the Gensbro Company thus becoming the sole owner of the property. Harvey Silbert, Harry S. Goldman and Broadway producer David Merrick retained their interests in the hotel. Ross Miller stayed on as Chairman of the Board, Jess Goodman remained as president and Charles Harrison continued as Exec. Vice-President.

David Merrick brought Hello, Dolly! starring Betty Grable to the Riviera. The Broadway musical directed by Gower Champion would be a hit. After Grable finished her stint as Dolly Levi, DorothyLamour and then Ginger Rogers would take her place.

Another expansion began in 1968 with the announcement of a south wing that would hold 770 rooms, suites and a convention center. The cost $5 million for the 12 story tower. Offices for four major airlines leased space on the ground floor, the shopping promenade was updated as well. Keeping with the French theme, the doormen wore uniforms reminiscent of the French Foreign Legion. The main floor included the 13,000 square foot convention hall. Upstairs on the second floor was the Normandy Room with an additional 2,800 square feet of convention facilities including seating for 400.

In late 1968, Harvey Silbert, Daniel Merrick and Jerry Mack (of the fabled Bank of Las Vegas/Valley Bank) who had become a stock holder through a trust account, partnered with Ed Torres to buy out the rest of the stock holders, including Harrison, Miller and Goodman. Speculation was rampant that Parvin-Dohrman, which both Silbert and Torres were officers of, would buy the hotel. Instead, Torres put in $240,000 by purchasing 32% of its stock and becoming the major stockholder. Torres was named President, a position he held until he stepped down in 1978.

Shecky Greene and Ed Torres did not get along. The animosity between the two was so intense that Greene told staffers to keep Torres out of the lounge when he was on stage. Greene got the news just before he went onstage that they were relocating the lounge and turning the current lounge into a Keno Parlor. Greene took the stage with a pick-axe in hand and spent his show chopping the stage into souvenirs and passing them out to the audience. The next day Ed Torres, unaware of what Greene had done the night before, called to say that they were putting the construction plans on hold. Greene's exploits at the hotel are legendary. He was fired numerous times but the Riviera could not afford for him to stay fired as he was one of their biggest draws. As often as they would fire him, they would hire him back.

Greene was one of the biggest draws in town. His unpredictability, his stream of consciousness kept the audience on their toes. They never knew what mood he would be in or what routines he would have in his act or, as was often the case, his improvisational style had many thinking he just made up as he went along. The Riv was paying him $20,000 a week with a 26 week guarantee. He was the late-night anchor in the lounge and it was usually Standing Room Only every night. One night, Greene came out in a bathrobe, laid down on the floor of the stage and did his show from there. Buddy Hackett, amazed at what he was seeing, stripped down to his boxers and joined him.

But Greene was also a heavy drinker and a heavy gambler. The hotel had cut off his credit in an effort to help stem his gambling losses. One night after his act, he was headed to the Hacienda (the only place on the Strip that would still extend him credit). He was doing speeding down Las Vegas Blvd South when he lost control of the Cadillac, struck a pole in front of Caesars, flipped the car twice, hit the low pony wall and landed in the fountain. By the time the police got there, he was said to have quipped "no spray wax" before they handcuffed him and hauled him off to jail. Sonny King made his bail. In reality, what he said was "I guess I'm arrested.". Once he was free on bail, he and Buddy Hackett came up with the "No Spray Wax" line and both would tell the tale using that line.

As the 1960s came to a close, Dean Martin's long-running contract with the Sands came to an end. He moved over to the Riviera. He became a 10% owner and the hotel opened Dino's Den, a cozy lounge-type room, for him. Dean Martin opened at the Riviera in June of 1969. With his weekly television show featuring the Gold Diggers and his hit movies such as Five Card Stud, he was a household name. Frank Sinatra did not attend Opening Night, but he was in the audience the next night.