Golden Gate Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has Bay Area ties, historical significance

LAS VEGAS (KGO) -- For those headed to Las Vegas to either the Super Bowl or the Super Bowl parties, you may want to see a location with Bay Area ties.

A group of Italian-American businessmen from Northern California were the ones who brought the Golden Gate Casino name to town in 1955.

It's not situated anywhere near the Golden Gate Bridge, but the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino Las Vegas does have Bay Area ties.

"These are the gentleman that came down from Oakland," said Jeff Victor, V.P. of the establishment.

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He says the group consisted of eight partners and 23 investors. They renamed the casino operations as the Golden Gate Casino.

"They were from the Bay Area, so they wanted a market differentiator," Victor said.

At the time, the hotel was named the Sal Sagev, which is "Las Vegas" backwards.

It's the Golden Gate Bridge image that can be seen on all of the old artifacts here.

The dealers wore change vests with a beautiful artist rendering of the Golden Gate Bridge on it.

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The old whiskey bottles have the Golden Gate Bridge image ingrained on the side.

The hotel was actually built in 1905 and has expanded over and over again through the years, but the original 10 rooms are still here.

"The older building is on this end of the hallway and the newer building is that way," said Victor as we walked down a hall.

People back then were a lot smaller and that could be seen as ABC7 News Reporter J.R. Stone's head nearly hit the top of the doorway. In the same area his knee comes to the main section of a dresser.

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The Rat Pack was said to have had drinks at a bar in the casino. There is a plaque there today. Visitors say the history of this Golden Gate is remarkable.

"You know, if you think about Vegas and Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. You think about that era of Vegas, and you know we're staying in here. Look, right down the street is where they filmed the movie 'Casino,'" said George Mummert who was visiting from Kansas.

So certainly a historic Las Vegas with a taste of San Francisco -- Golden Gate style.

"You should come by if you're from San Francisco. You should come by and see, you know, your touchpoint here in Las Vegas," Victor said.

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