Bill Harrah was a very rich man. As Harrah reached his 50’s, his love of cars and women began to take over his life. He had a car collection with hundreds of rare cars, motorcycles, and even boats and planes. Housed in a huge warehouse in Sparks, Nevada, the collection was broken up after Bill Harrah died in 1978.
Harrah had six wives, including singer Bobbie Gentry, who soared to fame with “Ode to Billy Joe” and signed to play in the showroom at Harrah’s Reno.
The Reno casino became a focal point of gaming in Nevada, training employees in a manner close to that of Disneyland managers. During my time at the Reno casino, I attended dozens of classes, and I can attest to the fact that they had an excellent training program. In fact, during my last six months there, I worked full-time as a class instructor.