The Roots of Reno

The town of Reno grew into "The Biggest Little City in the World" with the help of four casino pioneers: Nick Abelman, Bill Graham, Jim McKay, and George Wingfield. These men of the green cloth took the millions they dug up in Central Nevada boomtowns like Tonopah and Goldfield, and settled into Reno and Lake Tahoe Nevada to change the face of casinos forever. Long before Bill Harrah ever heard of Reno, these four men held sway over the town of Reno through hard work, intimidation, and treachery. Banks were plundered, stocks were swindled, and friends like Alvin Karpis, the Barker Gang, and “Baby Face” Nelson came to visit – and help when they could. Sixty-years of Nevada gaming is found here in The Roots of Reno.