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An Interview with Arthur Marshall AN INTERVIEW WITH ARTHUR MARSHALL An Oral History Conducted by Claytee White The Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas ©The Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2014 Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV - University Libraries Director: Claytee D. White Project Manager: Barbara Tabach Transcriber: Kristin Hicks Editors: Maggie Lopes, Melissa Robinson Interviewers: Claytee White ii40 The recorded interview and transcript have been made possible through the generosity of Dr. Harold Boyer. The Oral History Research Center enables students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first-person narratives. The participants in this project thank the university for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish. The transcript received minimal editing that includes the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader's understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. In several cases photographic sources accompany the individual interviews. The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of the Boyer Early Las Vegas Oral History Project. Claytee D. White, Project Director Director, Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada, Las Vegas iii40 PREFACE Arthur Marshall was born in 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio, son of a roofing contractor and housekeeper. In 1953, Art met his wife, Jayn, who was also from Cleveland, and the couple moved to Las Vegas where she already lived with her family. Art joined his father-in-law in the family's retail clothing business. Soon after moving, Art's father-in-law retired, and he alongside his brother-in-law, Herb Rousso, took over and expanded operations as Marshall-Rousso stores. At a time when doing business in Las Vegas was based on handshakes rather than contracts, the two opened three stores on Las Vegas Boulevard, before opening their first hotel shop in the Sahara in 1964. From there, Marshall-Roussos spread across the Strip, opening stores in seven additional hotels. Art quickly became very active in the Jewish community upon arriving in Las Vegas. He served as president at Temple Beth Sholom, and sat on its board together with people like Hank Greenspun, Jerry Mack, and Jack Entratter and was instrumental in the Anti-Defamation League formation. He worked with other Jews in the city, many who owned and managed the hotels at the time, to build a strong Jewish community in Las Vegas - and to make the city a great place to live. Art is still a member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. With the support of Bill Boyd, Art served as the chairman of Nevada State Bank. In addition, he spent 12 years on the Nevada Gaming Commission. Art wrote a book to record the stories he has amassed over the years, those that include the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Adnan Khashoggi. iv40 TABLE OF CONTENTS Interview with Arthur Marshall on February 11, 2014 by Claytee White in Las Vegas, Nevada Preface iv Talks about childhood in Cleveland; meeting wife and moving to Las Vegas in 1953. Discusses work in wholesale clothing business, women's retail clothing stores, working with in-laws; open stores across town, including in Sahara Hotel, the first of many hotel shop outlets. Talks about becoming active in Jewish community, serving on board at temple, alongside Jerry Mack, Hank Greenspun, Jack Entratter, Mel Moss, Harry Wallerstein 1-4 Continues talking about his friends from the community, including Bill Boyd; Boyd's influence on his career, particularly at Bank of Nevada. Mentions American Israel Public Affairs Committee; moving to different homes, eventually to Las Vegas Country Club; Sheldon Adelson. Describes serving on Nevada Gaming Commission; the organization's control of gaming industry, from casino owners to dealers; changes in industry over the years 5-11 Describes financing of Las Vegas casinos; Bank of Las Vegas; Bank of Nevada. Talks about social life when first moved to Las Vegas; fashion during that time; becoming active in the community; vacation spots. Mentions customer service standards in stores; Nevada pension system (PERS). Discusses love for art; describes various pieces in his home 12-16 Compares Jewish community in Las Vegas to that in Cleveland; differences in local organization. Talks about Jewish community's impact on city's development; casino ownership dominance. Discusses family's current involvement with Marshall-Rousso stores; changes seen overtime in downtown area; growth of Strip. Speaks about Lou Ruvo Center; collaborations with Cleveland Clinic; vision to see Las Vegas providing world-class healthcare 17-22 Lists some of the other individuals to interview for the Jewish oral history project. Mentions fundraisers during the Six-Day War. Talks about Frank Sinatra's effect on city; mobsters' commitment to community-building. Recounts a story told by Moe Dalitz, hosting Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Considers the future of Las Vegas; Steve Wynn's vision. Discusses local black community; the breaking of racial barriers on Strip; Anti-Semitism 23-30 Speaks about friend Eugene Warner; unsuccessful attempt to start Middle Eastern library at UNLV; contribution to lecture series at Anti-Defamation League. Recalls story of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, a meeting with Jewish doctor in Las Vegas; another of Senator Chic Hecht v40 working to get Russian Jews released from Russia. Declares that city was the center of the world; many international dealings. Tells story of Sammy Davis Jr. shopping at Marshall- Rousso at Sands Hotel. Mentions his book The Marshall Plan (2013), with additional stories 31-38 Index 39-40 vi40 This is Claytee White. It is February 11, 2014, and I'm with Mr. Art Marshall in his home in Las Vegas. Could you please spell your first name for me? A-R-T-H-U-R. And Marshall is spelled the usual way? The usual way, M-A-R-S-H-A-double L. Thank you so much. Mr. Marshall, could you start by telling me just a bit about your early life, where you grew up and what that was like? I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Life was just a normal growing up. What did your parents do for a living? My father was a roofing and sheet metal contractor. Mother was a housekeeper. Did you work as a young boy? Yes, I worked. My first job was in a drugstore, and I worked in my cousin's hardware store for many years. Brothers and sisters? No brothers or sisters; I was an only child. Did you go away to school, college? I went to Kent State University for two years. How did the family come to Las Vegas? My wife was from Cleveland originally and she had moved to Las Vegas with her family in 1945. She came back to Cleveland on a visit in 1953, and we met and became engaged. That's how I happened to come out here. Which year were you born? 140 1929. What was Las Vegas like in 1953? A lot smaller. Somewhere around 50,000 people. It was lovely. Where did you live? We lived near 15th and Oakey on a street called Griffith, right below Temple Beth Sholom. That's not that far from the John S. Park community? Very close. What kind of work brought you to Las Vegas, as well? I was in the wholesale clothing business and my in-laws had opened a small store here called Sara's of Las Vegas. We helped them get the store started. We? My wife and I. I came out to join my father-in-law in the business. He retired shortly afterwards. They invited my brother-in-law, Herb Rousso, and his wife, Estelle, who was Jayn's sister, to move from Los Angeles and join us. That was the beginning of our company. Tell me about the evolution as it grew. We started out with one little store called Sara's of Las Vegas on 1404 Las Vegas Boulevard South. We then opened a second store in the Francisco Square Shopping Center, which was across from the Sahara, where The World's Largest Gift Shop is now. Then we opened a third store across from the Stardust on the corner of Convention Center Drive. Then we got lucky enough to get into the Sahara Hotel. That was the beginning of our hotel shops. We got into the Sahara Hotel in 1964. From there we went to the Sands Hotel, and from there we went into the MGM Grand. And from there we went into the Riviera, the Desert Inn, the Stardust, Caesars Palace, the Dunes and the airport, eventually. I'm giving it to you quick. 240 Yes. Tell me why women's clothing and who did the buying? At the beginning, my brother-in-law, Herb Rousso, and myself did the buying. But I had been in the wholesale clothing business before that. How did you get started in the business? In the wholesale? Yes, clothing. My wife's uncle owned a company called Bobbie Brooks. He offered me a job as a sales trainee. I became one of the stars of the company. What about women's clothes were so fascinating? If I remember correctly, these are younger women. Bobbie Brooks was younger women. They were called juniors, which meant they were sized in the odd sizes—3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15—and they were for younger women.
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