John D. “Jackie” Gaughan (1920 – 2014), one of the founding fathers of Downtown Las Vegas, passed away last week. Gaughan had a number of casino licenses through the years, but is probably best known for the Union Plaza (later Jackie Gaughan’s Union Plaza), El Cortez, and Western. Howard Stutz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote a nice tribute which may be read here.
My recollections of Jackie are more personal. For six months or so back in 2007-2008, I sat in on marketing meetings at the El Cortez. I didn’t last long at this because my suggestions to the El Cortez management were not very well received.
By that time, Gaughan no longer owned the El Cortez but he had an apartment there “for life.” His son Michael offered to build Jackie a penthouse suite atop the South Point, but Jackie loved downtown and wished to stay there forever. Jackie Gaughan was in his mid-80s at this point, not as mentally sharp as he had been in his prime, but friendly and well-loved. The El Cortez management would often involve Jackie in special events and he would happily and graciously greet people and pose for pictures.
Later when I became friends with Jackie’s son Michael Gaughan, owner of the South Point, I heard the son say on perhaps 10 different occasions how well Kenny Epstein (one of the owners at the El Cortez) and his staff took care of Jackie. It was clear to me that this was a close family. One of the obituaries quoted Michael as saying that of Jackie’s 15 descendants, 12 of them were able to see him in the last week of his life.
Another story I heard from Michael was that when Jackie moved to Las Vegas in 1951, Michael was only eight years old and there was no Catholic grade school in Las Vegas at the time. So Michael had to stay back home in Omaha, Nebraska for another year or two until the school in Las Vegas was built. Family and religion were important to Jackie. Jackie and his wife Roberta Mae, “Bertie,” were married for 54 years ending only with her passing in 1996.
Jackie had a reputation of being good friends with his customers and employees. I see that same attitude carried on by Michael. Michael has built and owned the Barbary Coast, Gold Coast, Orleans, Suncoast, and South Coast (now called South Point). A large number of today’s South Point employees have been with Gaughan for 20 years or more. He takes care of them, and they show their appreciation by doing good work for him. The obituaries I’ve read say Jackie was much like that.
The Gaughan family has been good for Las Vegas. Jackie has now passed, but both Michael Gaughan and Michael Gaughan, Jr. continue to manage Vegas casinos. It’s a family that prospers and shares their success by giving back quite a bit to the community.
By the time this is published, the service at St. Viator Catholic Church has been held. While it was a funeral mass with hymns, scripture readings, and communion, it was also an Irish celebration of Jackie’s life, with songs such as “Danny Boy,” “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” “Irish Lullaby,” and others. Speakers included two co-workers and two very famous men, Senator Harry Reid and casino mogul Steve Wynn. Wynn’s speech was so entertaining that the several hundred visitors broke into applause afterwards, putting aside the usual rule that you don’t applaud during church services.
If you’re reading this when published, today, Tuesday May 18 at 2 p.m. there will be a celebration of Jackie Gaughan’s life at the El Cortez and the public is invited.