Portrait of a Pioneer

As Bernie Goldstein‘s son points out in this three-minute featurette, the Goldstein family didn’t know beans about riverboat gambling when they got started — but neither did anyone else. What made the difference for Isle of Capri Casinos was, among other factors, that Goldstein pere learned the industry better than some of his competitors and also crafted a strong brand identity. The filmlet understandably skips over the “Pile of Debris” era when Goldstein and his fellow executives lost their path and arguably fell behind the times. However, the overarching achievement outweighs the near-downfall. With Isle actively shopping for a Vegas presence, this history lesson obtains particular timeliness.