Las Vegas gaming pioneer Silver dies at 93

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004 | 9:41 a.m.

In 1953 entrepreneur Benjamin Silver listened intently as "Admiral" Tony Cornero shared his vision for what would then be Las Vegas' largest hotel, a plush resort with 1,000 rooms in the heart of the Strip.

Silver, who had driven a horse-drawn wagon for the Coors Brewing Co. and had a successful Denver tire business, would lay much of the logistical groundwork for Cornero's Stardust Hotel, unaware the crafty California gambler had oversold shares of the resort and was $6 million in debt to the mob.

When Cornero died after suffering an apparent heart attack while shooting craps at the Desert Inn in 1955, Silver sided with the resort's shareholders in their efforts to thwart the opportunistic mob from taking over the property. In doing so, he earned a reputation as a man of high moral character.

Benjamin William Silver, a gaming pioneer known for his innovative marketing promotions at the Hacienda, Desert Inn, Dunes and New Frontier hotels during the town's formative years, died Friday at a Las Vegas nursing home. He was 93.

Services for the Las Vegas resident of 49 years were private Monday at Palm Mortuary-Eastern.

"My father was scrupulously honest," said prominent Las Vegas attorney Jeffrey Silver, a former state Gaming Control Board member and casino executive. "He did all he could do for the Stardust shareholders and, as a result, went broke working for several years for no money on that project."

Following a two-year battle, the mob gained control of the Stardust, forcing Benjamin Silver to leave the resort before its 1957 opening.

Ironically, Jeffrey Silver, who was appointed to the Gaming Control Board in the 1970s by Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, was a central figure in the scrutiny -- and eventual denial -- of a key casino employee license for Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal at the Stardust because of Rosenthal's purported mob ties.

"He (Benjamin Silver) had the vision to know this town would become successful, although not to the extent that it became," said Jeffrey Silver, who served as president of the Riviera and later as vice president at Caesars Palace until returning to his law practice in the mid-1980s.

"After leaving the Stardust, my father went to work as a casino consultant to attract tourists to the city. He was one of the first to use coupon books."

Silver assisted Doc Bailey in the promotion of his charter airline service to the Hacienda and Wilbur Clark with marketing his Desert Inn.

"My father loved the excitement Las Vegas generated, which included hanging out with the celebrities who came here, including Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope," Jeffrey Silver said.

Born Jan. 18, 1911, in Denver, Silver was the second youngest of six children of house painter David Silver and the former Mary Sunshine. After graduating from High School in Denver, Silver got a job with Coors delivering cases of beer by horse-drawn wagon from Golden to Denver.

With his brothers, Silver operated the Silver Tire Co., which is still run by family members in Denver.

Silver, an Army veteran of World War II, moved to Beverly Hills, Calif., in the 1940s, where he met Cornero, who at that time was operating a string of successful gambling ships three miles off the coast of Santa Monica.

Their plan to build the Stardust resulted in Silver moving his family to Las Vegas in 1955.

After retiring from the casino consulting business, Silver remained in excellent condition by jogging every day until age 90. He also was longtime captain of his Neighborhood Watch program, his family said.

In addition to his son, Silver is survived by his ex-wife Grace, and a granddaughter, Meredith Silver. He was preceded in death in 1983 by a daughter, Vicki Alper.