Photo from the Mark Englebretson Collection
| Jerry's Nugget |
| 1821 Las Vegas Boulevard North |
| est. 1964 |
Photo from the Mark Englebretson Collection |
) Mark Englebretson Grade 2 |
) Mark Englebretson Grade 2 |
) Don Boyer Grade 2 |
) Mark Englebretson Grade 2 |
) Walt Akin Grade 2 |
) Laurence Miller Grade 2 |
) Mark Englebretson Grade 2 |
) Pam Goertler Grade 2 |
) Michael Richter Grade 2 |
) Jim Bothwell Grade 2 |
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Actually, there are two Jerrys in Jerry's Nugget: Partners Jerry Lodge and his brother-in-law Jerry Stamis founded the North Las Vegas casino in 1964 on the site of the former Town House Bar. Four years later, they purchased the Bonanza Club across the street and moved the casino into the more spacious premises, complete with the famous oil derrik that was at that time Las Vegas' tallest sign. Jerry Lodge, a Greek immigrant who left an impoverished background, moved to the U.S. as a young teenager, and made a fortune in casinos, starting in Alaska and winding up in Las Vegas, where he resided for the final 40 years of his life. Lodge died in 2001 but Jerry's Nugget remains in the hands of Jerry Stamis' descendents, making it one of the few remaining family-owned casinos in town. As to Stamis, the current writer could find practically no information about the property's co-founder whatsoever, although from Gaming Control Board documents, it would appear that the Nugget's former president died in 1996. The only other information about the family that came to light was a story from March, 2008, relating how Angelo Stamis, a relative then aged 73, became the first person to have a revoked gaming license reinstated. Angelo had lost his license back in 1975 when he was accused of participating in a scam to cheat Caesars Palace. He was never convicted but 'fessed up to his role, after which he continued to be employed in various roles in food and beverage but could no longer work in the casino. After what a member of the Gaming Commission described as "an exemplary record for the past 33 years," Stamis made history and said he wanted to be able to teach the gaming business to his sons Jeremy and Joseph, who are both also employed at the Nugget. |