Meeting the Binions

While crossing these great United States in the early part of my career, I had the opportunity to stop at one of the most fantastic places in America. I will be returning to Las Vegas this coming weekend to be with my wrestling family for the 34th Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet and reunion. I would like to share this story with you about some of my early stops in Las Vegas and meeting the famous family called The Binions.

Las Vegas, Nevada began as a whistlestop on a route during the early stages of travel by stagecoach. It was nothing more then a ranch with a bunkhouse for overnight guests and a watering hole for the horses that pulled the huge wooden coaches of the Butterfield Company.

In the 1930's, a few men challenged the state to turn it's convictions on legalized gambling and thus the beginning of the town that we knew as the Entertainment Capital of America. Large edifices began to be built on a street called Fremont, and they extended about a mile into the sagebrush of the desert.

Some of the greatest names in show business began to make guest appearances at these resorts. Names like Jimmy Durante, Red Buttons, Sammy Davis Jr., Xavier Cugat and his band, Frank Sinatra, and many others graced the sagebrush to become superstars.

Others came to Nevada to become wealthy millionaires. Many had visions of winning huge amounts of cash in the only state in the lower 48 where anything was legal. Most chose to just come and relax in the warm desert weather. Some died trying to fulfill their ambitions.

Around 1951, the Binion family moved to Las Vegas and became one of the founding families of the Fremont Street Experience. The Binions were the first in the downtown area to sport carpeting throughout the entire hotel and casino area. They were the first to accept ANY bet on the table games, regardless of the amount.

In 1958, a million dollars was put on display in the casino. It was 100 $10,000 bills, in numerical sequence, encased in glass and hung up behind a huge horseshoe. Those bills used in the display were used primarily between banks and federal reserve units. It was very difficult to get even one of these bills for the general public but even harder to get 100 of them in sequence. The Binions had a lot of pull in political and financial circles and were very well respected. in the community.

Early in the 1970's, Benny Binion started the World's Championship Series of Poker, and it was a much-anticipated annual event, drawing thousands of onlookers to The Horseshoe Casino, Fremont Street, and Las Vegas itself.

Benny Binion had a philosophy about life. Sayings like, "I cherish not my winnings. They do not stay with you. Only your friends." A big spender once asked Benny what the limits on the high stakes table were, and Benny calmly replied, "Let your first bet be your limit." An example of this was the three men from Dallas, Texas that came to Las Vegas for the afternoon, and, by the time their evening flight left for home, they were $96,000 richer.

One of the most famous names in entertainment, Chill Wills, was a host at the Horseshoe Casino. Benny Binion was his best man at the first celebrity wedding at the casino. Chill was a huge star in the film industry as a western cowboy character.

I had the pleasure of meeting Benny and his sons Ted and Jack at the Horseshoe in Las Vegas in the mid 60's and will cherish the memories that it left me with. They were all very down-to-earth, everyday guys that just were in the right place at the right time and became rich in the gaming industry.

Benny has since passed away, and Ted was murdered at his home in 1998. Jack and his sister, Becky Behnen, are owners of the Horseshoe and have a hand in many other casinos nationwide.

Someone close sent me these words that can be best spoke of when referring to a close friend; I would like to share them with you. They remind me so much of Benny.

I've learned that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I've learned that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I've learned that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I've learned that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I've learned that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I've learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I've learned that you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I've learned that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I've learned that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I've learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I've learned that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I've learned that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I've learned that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I've learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I've learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I've learned that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I've learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I've learned that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, your instinct will find the strength to help.
I've learned that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I've learned that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers