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117 Fremont
Las Vegas, NV
Lucky Strike Club
1954 to 1963
Milton Prell built and/or operated three downtown casinos:
The Pioneer Club, the Lucky Strike Club and the Mint. The Lucky Strike Club and the Mint were formed under the Prewin Foundation, Inc. and Milton Prell was the president.
On August 21, 1958, it was announced by Milton Prell's Prewin Foundation, Inc. that the Milton Prell’s Pioneer Club, would be sold and renamed the New Pioneer and operate as the New Pioneer, Inc. with Al Parvin, President of the Flamingo, and Sam Diamond, a casino employee as the principal officers.
The Prewin Foundation, Inc had purchased the Pioneer Club in 1956 from principal owners Tutor Scherer, Farmer Page, Chuck Addison, and Bill Curland.
In June 1961, Milton Prell’s Prewin Inc., which was a holding company for his Sahara Hotel, the Mint, and the Lucky Strike Club, along with his 25 stockholders, voted to merge the three clubs into the Sahara-Nevada Corporation. The move was said to be undertaken in order to facilitate expansion plans.
September 1, 1961 the Sahara-Nevada Corporation became a subsidiary of the Del Webb Corporation. Milton Prell served as an active president until he was elected as chairman of the board in late 1963. Milton Prell retired in 1964. Although retired he continued in the investment business and built the Prell Hotel Corporation.
When the Fort Lucinda Casino opened out near Hoover Dam in 1964, the miners were placed out front on the highway for photo opportunities.
Later the Fort Lucinda Casino became the Gold Strike Inn (photo at left) and they were moved east to the new big Gold Strike sign, one on each side.
In 1998 a huge fire engulfed the Gold Strike and the casino hotel closed. I almost got to buy the two miners from the hotel, but they decided to move them out to the other Gold Strike Hotel Casino in Jean, Nevada.
That's where they sit today under the sun at the rear entrance to the Gold Strike in Jean. A few yards away from the old Pop's Oasis Casino also in Jean, Nevada.
These two icons of Las Vegas gambling are almost 65 years old and still smile daily!
Now you know what happened to these two guys!
In all of the pictures and the memorabilia of the Lucky Strike Club, the miner panning for gold is always a prominent feature. As you can see in the photo the miner (actually there were two of them- one on either side of the sign) was a pretty large statue. What happened to them when the Lucky Strike closed and became the Lucky Casino with a completely different facade???
Here is the story of the miners and pictures of the miners' journey:
The story of the Lucky Strike Club Miners
by Rich Burgel of Lost Vegas Antiques
When the Lucky Strike Club opened in 1954 there were two large statues of miners panning for gold on each side of the tall Lucky Strike Club sign. In 1963 the property became the Lucky Casino and the miners' statues were placed in storage. In 1968 the Golden Nugget expanded over the Lucky Casino property.
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