A Brief History of Downtown (cont.)
The Golden Nugget (western corner):
The Golden Nugget now takes up the entire block between First and Second but it hasn't always. On the corner of First and Fremont once stood the California Club which had an animated bear that moved its head up and down. In the mid-1960s, the bear would be replaced by an animated chaser bulb arrow. In 1969, the Golden Nugget expanded and put a small bullnose on the corner. In 1978, the Friendly Club opened on the corner but within two years, it closed and reverted back to being part of the Golden Nugget.
In about the mid-section of today's Nugget, once stood the Oasis Cafe. This was a popular restaurant with both the locals and people passing through. The Oasis gave way to the Las Vegas Sweet Shoppe. The Sweet Shoppe was a popular after school hang out for students from the Grammar and High Schools. The Sweet Shoppe ultimately closed and the White Spot Cafe opened in its place.
In 1954, the White Spot gave way to The Nevada Club. The Nevada Club, like most of the gaming halls on Fremont Street had air vents on the floor in the doorways. You could come in out of the heat, stand there and be blasted by cool air. The floor vents are still in the doorways but that rush of cool air no longer hits you like it used to. The Nevada Club gave way to Diamond Jim's. Finally, around 1970s, it too became part of the Golden Nugget expansion.
Between the Nevada Club and the original part of the Golden Nugget stood a small clubs: the Fortune Club which became the Frontier Club. The Frontier Club became the Lucky Strike with its massive neon and flicker bulb pylon sign shooting into the sky. The Lucky Strike shortened its name to the Lucky Club before being annexed by the Nugget in 1968.
The Golden Nugget (eastern corner of Second and Fremont):
This originally was a two story Post Office. Robert Griffiths was the postmaster in 1926. Next to the Post Office was the Majestic Theater which may have been owned by Ernie Cragin before he built the El Portal. Cragin and Pike Insurance had an office upstairs above the Theater. The Post Office and Majestic Theater gave way to the Mission Bar. It was only in business a short while before it became the Kiva Bar. The Kiva gave way to the Golden Nugget.
It's original bullnose and signage was designed by Young Electric sign designers Kermit Wayne and Hermon Boernge. The 1905 on the sign led many to believe that the Golden Nugget had been part of the original development of Fremont Street but that was a myth. Because of its bullnose and signage, the Golden Nugget became one of the most photographed buildings on Fremont Street. "Everyone knew the Golden Nugget sign" said the late president of the LVCVA, Manny Cortez.
Steve Wynn bought the Golden Nugget and gave the building a total make-over. Some of the smaller signage is in the Neon Museum boneyard but the original large rooftop sign was destroyed. There is reported to be a small model of the original bullnose and signage in the Smithsonian.
Outside on Second Street for many years was Sammy's Newstand that carried papers from around the world.
LasVegasLynn
in Alan Hess, Cultural Tourism, Fremont Street, Fremont Street Experience, Golden Nugget, Las Vegas History, Neon, Steve Wynn, YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company), architecture, historical
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This is Michelle Barbee again, I am grandpa greenes granddaughter, I f I can get any info about my relatives please contact me.. I don't have much left.
here is my email Michelle.barbee69@gmail.com
The story of Bill Greene has always fascinated me. I am a shirt tail relative. My father, Wilburn Chuning’s mother Ada Elizabeth Strickler married Robert Horton before marrying my father’s father. Bill Greene married Lois Sula Horton so there was at least some form of family relationship through marriage. The story, as I heard it many years ago, is that Bill Greene borrowed some money from my dad’s mom and took off to Los Angeles and disappeared. The amount was small by today’s standard. I seem to remember $500 which at that time, while not large, was substantial given the economics of the times and Stigler/Brooken it probably seemed like a lot. As best as I know, my dad’s family was never wealthy and in fact I think were about as poor as the rest of the people in that area. I do know that my dad’s mom did receive a small amount as a death benefit when she lost one of her sons in WWII and I think it was about the same amount.
When Bill Greene resurfaced he was part owner of the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas. To me the question has always been how does he go from needing to borrow money to get to California and end up being able to be part owner and a pioneer in Las Vegas gambling and entertainment. I have speculated that during the time, in between arriving in Los Angeles and then moving to Las Vegas, that Los Angeles was what was called an open town for organized crime and that he fell into the right or wrong crowd depending on one’s view. I have thought that maybe the mob needed a non-Italian, non-mob person to front for them in Vegas much as the Moe Greene character from the Godfather movie. I even thought that because of the name and possible similar roles that the Moe Greene character might have been based on him but research seems to indicate that it was a composite of other real-life characters.
I remember once around 1960 we went to Las Vegas and met a lady who I am pretty sure was Bill Greene’s sister and her husband. I think her name might have been Irene. They lived in a nice house out in the middle of the desert outside of the city of Las Vegas. As I recall she worked at the Nugget as a Cocktail waitress. I believed she continued to work there until she was very old. I always have found it strange that the sister if one of the owners was working as a cocktail waitress. Another thing I remember as a young boy of about 10 was that they owned a Mercedes Diesel. In those days Mercedes were rare and diesels even more so. Her husband was quite proud of how many miles the car had on it.
Another interesting thing about Bill Greene is that there is almost no information about him to be found. I have only found a few mentions of him on the internet and those are mostly comments made by his grandchildren or other relatives. Why is there such a dearth of information on one of the founding fathers of modern Las Vegas?
You are obviously an attractive woman and when you were on L A Law I remember my father saying something to that effect but then he said that you mother was extremely beautiful.
I hope that this helps fill in some of the gaps for you. I would be interested if you have any similar or other information about this. Sadly, my father and all of his siblings have passed and much of the story with them. I did have an aunt who had a great memory and probably passed some of the stories on to her daughter but I haven’t been in contact with her daughter in decades.
Dennis Chuning
714-875-2416