Actor. Silent Film Star, Legendary Las Vegas Lawman. Born to parents of Polish and Russian heritage, he and his younger brother ended up in a orphanage after his mother succumbed to tuberculosis. His father moved to California and eventually sent for the children after he had remarried.
After a stint in the Navy during World War I, he wound up in Hollywood performing stunt work, which quickly led to more substantial roles. He is best known as the leading man opposite Ruth Roland in the popular serial, "Adventures of Ruth." He also worked as the assistant director of 18 of Al Santell's "Spotlight Comedies." During the height of the Depression he moved to Las Vegas, where he opened up a drive-in market on Fremont Street and Fifth Street.
When the city widened Fremont Street, his business was torn down and he found work as a deputy sheriff. He effectively tamed the notorious stretch of county land between the city limits and Boulder City, which was teeming with rowdy workers constructing Hoover Dam. His reputation as a tough-as-nails lawman served him well, as he became the chief of the Las Vegas Police Department in 1940.
When the Desert Inn Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1950, he was paid handsomely to become the head of security. He got to know the hundreds of politicians and celebrities that passed through the front doors, and became close friends with a few of them, including Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
After a stint in the Navy during World War I, he wound up in Hollywood performing stunt work, which quickly led to more substantial roles. He is best known as the leading man opposite Ruth Roland in the popular serial, "Adventures of Ruth." He also worked as the assistant director of 18 of Al Santell's "Spotlight Comedies." During the height of the Depression he moved to Las Vegas, where he opened up a drive-in market on Fremont Street and Fifth Street.
When the city widened Fremont Street, his business was torn down and he found work as a deputy sheriff. He effectively tamed the notorious stretch of county land between the city limits and Boulder City, which was teeming with rowdy workers constructing Hoover Dam. His reputation as a tough-as-nails lawman served him well, as he became the chief of the Las Vegas Police Department in 1940.
When the Desert Inn Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1950, he was paid handsomely to become the head of security. He got to know the hundreds of politicians and celebrities that passed through the front doors, and became close friends with a few of them, including Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Actor. Silent Film Star, Legendary Las Vegas Lawman. Born to parents of Polish and Russian heritage, he and his younger brother ended up in a orphanage after his mother succumbed to tuberculosis. His father moved to California and eventually sent for the children after he had remarried.
After a stint in the Navy during World War I, he wound up in Hollywood performing stunt work, which quickly led to more substantial roles. He is best known as the leading man opposite Ruth Roland in the popular serial, "Adventures of Ruth." He also worked as the assistant director of 18 of Al Santell's "Spotlight Comedies." During the height of the Depression he moved to Las Vegas, where he opened up a drive-in market on Fremont Street and Fifth Street.
When the city widened Fremont Street, his business was torn down and he found work as a deputy sheriff. He effectively tamed the notorious stretch of county land between the city limits and Boulder City, which was teeming with rowdy workers constructing Hoover Dam. His reputation as a tough-as-nails lawman served him well, as he became the chief of the Las Vegas Police Department in 1940.
When the Desert Inn Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1950, he was paid handsomely to become the head of security. He got to know the hundreds of politicians and celebrities that passed through the front doors, and became close friends with a few of them, including Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
After a stint in the Navy during World War I, he wound up in Hollywood performing stunt work, which quickly led to more substantial roles. He is best known as the leading man opposite Ruth Roland in the popular serial, "Adventures of Ruth." He also worked as the assistant director of 18 of Al Santell's "Spotlight Comedies." During the height of the Depression he moved to Las Vegas, where he opened up a drive-in market on Fremont Street and Fifth Street.
When the city widened Fremont Street, his business was torn down and he found work as a deputy sheriff. He effectively tamed the notorious stretch of county land between the city limits and Boulder City, which was teeming with rowdy workers constructing Hoover Dam. His reputation as a tough-as-nails lawman served him well, as he became the chief of the Las Vegas Police Department in 1940.
When the Desert Inn Casino opened on the Las Vegas Strip in 1950, he was paid handsomely to become the head of security. He got to know the hundreds of politicians and celebrities that passed through the front doors, and became close friends with a few of them, including Bob Hope, Howard Hughes, Eleanor Roosevelt, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
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