http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/A Brief History of Fremont Street2007, As We Knew It, LLC, All Rights Reserveden-USSquarespace V5 Site Server v5.13.594-SNAPSHOT-1 (http://www.squarespace.com)D. AllredThu, 16 Nov 2017 05:02:55 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/8/22/fremont-east-entertainment-district-grand-opening.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21800994Vegas was small and a great town then. You knew your neighbors well. It was a great place to raise families. There are now FIVE Generations of ALLREDS still in Las Vegas. 🇺🇸]]>LOUISE SIMMONSSun, 13 Aug 2017 17:05:34 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/4/23/a-brief-history-of-fremont-street-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21770814Dennis ChuningMon, 24 Jul 2017 22:50:55 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21763773
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]]>michelle barbeeThu, 01 Jun 2017 18:41:19 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21744738
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]]>Showbox For iOSThu, 15 Dec 2016 14:12:37 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21671775LondonWed, 06 Jul 2016 21:03:53 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/4/6/a-brief-history-of-fremont-street.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21601605I bought an architectural elevation drawing of the Overland and Las Vegas Club and was wondering if you could help me date it? Or if you happen to know the architect? I am not familiar with the history just really like the drawing. Any help would be appreciated.

Here are photos:
https://postimg.org/image/ffo4rwi8x/
https://s32.postimg.org/ffo4rwi8x/IMG_4820.jpg
https://s32.postimg.org/yw8uefdcx/IMG_4819.jpg
https://s32.postimg.org/6uut0q82p/IMG_4821.jpg
https://s32.postimg.org/y466f895t/IMG_4822.jpg]]>Robin ShamelThu, 15 Oct 2015 20:00:31 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21447090MICHELLE (BARBEE) SERRESWed, 05 Nov 2014 19:07:56 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/21103389jeannieSun, 27 Jul 2014 00:26:35 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/3/27/a-brief-history-of-downtown-cont.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/20992962AimeeWed, 05 Feb 2014 20:30:55 +0000http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/downtown-history/2007/5/3/a-brief-history-of-fremont-street-cont-1.html#comments68732:1092750:comment/20761553 I look forward to reading/seeing more updates about Las Vegas history.]]>