Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 3

Friday, September 26, 19803 Reno Evening Gazette Fire at Mapes Hotel Aladdin Hotel sale is approved (Continued from Page 1) does not require some of those im his association with reputed mob attorney Sidney Korshak and mob financial wizard Lansky. Korshak has been identified by the California Attorney General's Office as a "senior adviser" to organized crime. Torres, Coleman and Korshak were involved in Parvin-Dohr-mann, a corporation which was accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of stock fraud. The corporation officers signed a consent decree to end the alleged practice without admitting guilt. Korshak was also labor attorney for the Riviera when Torres was president.

Torres said Thursday that Korshak was labor attorney at the Riviera when he took over the gaming in Nevada." The principal stockholders are Peter Webbe, Mae Ellen George and Richard Daley. He said those same stockholders now bringing a "cloud" to Nevada gaming were once approved by Nevada gaming authorities. He said those earlier gaming authorities acted in good faith, "with the best information available." In voting to approve the new licensees Thursday, Bunker said, "Today I'm casting my vote in the same context. I hope I'm not making a mistake." Bunker praised Newton as a man "who brings an impeccable reputation" to the Aladdin. "Given the opportunity, you can do an admirable job and be a credit to the state of Nevada," he said.

Board member Glen Mauldin, however, expressed concern about Newton's personal finances. Mauldin, who is an accountant, told Newton he was afraid he might not have enough money to swing the deal without getting into financial difficulties. After a 10-minute closed meeting to discuss Newton's personal finances, Mauldin said he could support the plan. The commission closed the Aladdin last July after the hotel corporation and several executives were convicted of conspiring to let hidden operators with ties to Detroit Mafia figure Vito "Billy Jack" Giacalone control the hotel. Torres was questioned extensively Thursday about past associations with reputed organized crime figures.

He was asked specifically about provements until an older building undergoes new construction. Neil said audible alarms and a sprinkler system are not required in the Mapes. Fire Marshal Marty Richard later this morning said he had inspectors at the Mapes to investigate the cause of the fire and if there were any code violations. He said exit signs are not necessary in stairwells because stairwells are supposed to lead people out. Neil said the hotel has fire doors between floors, as is required, and has outside fire escapes.

He said the elevators, as they are supposed to, returned to the main floor and stopped. At 6:30 a.m., Neil said if it were not for the leaking water, "we would have been gone an hour ago." He said it was a first alarm fire, and that two additional engine companies were summoned to assist in ventilation. He said four hotel guests were treated for smoke inhalation. Because the fire was out, rather than evacuate the whole building, he said, some guests were allowed to stay where they were. Mapes said, in his view, the operation was not really an evacuation, as firemen ahd said.

He said the hotel will remain open today. He said the coffee shop remained open during the fire. Firemen put vinyl walking strips on the casino floor because of all the water. (Continued from Page 1) Gaming Control Board. Board Chairman Richard Bunker said following the lengthy hearing Thursday that although he was not happy with Torres' past association with people allegedly tied to organized crime, the state's investigation indicated those associations were a thing of the past and there was nothing to justify denying him a license now.

"I run a clean operation and intend to keep it that way," Torres told the commission today. Newton, principal figure in Associates, which owns 50 percent of the Aladdin, said earlier this week he hopes to open the establishment by Oct. 1 something which no doubt contributed to the applause which followed today's commission approval. Approximately 1,800 of the establishment's 2,100 employees are out of work, and they have made their displeasure known to Gov. Robert List and other state officials.

The other 50 percent of the establishment is owned by a trust whose beneficiaries will eventually be Torres' young children. The Gaming Control Board Thursday imposed several conditions on the sale approval, including a requirement the new owners bring the casino's internal control system up to state standards before it opens. Bunker said the sale would remove Aladdin stockholders who "brought a cloud of disrepute on $777,000 doubled Flex-a-Bed is the only comfortable place to read a scary story. there as to where we were. When we got to the basement, the basement door was chained and padlocked shut.

"We then turned around and couldn't find our way back. Luckily, a kitchen employee found us at the door and led us to safety." T. C. "Nick" Nicholas of Seattle said the smoke was not bad on the fourth floor, where his room was, but it was really bad when he reched the second floor. He said, "We couldn't find our way out.

There were at least 20 of us who went all the way to the basement. There was a security guard in the basement and he took us up to the main lobby and out the front door." Thomas Johnson of Glendale Heights, 111., was on the ninth foor. "There were no fire or smoke alarms sounding. The guests spread the word. I pounded on doors on my way out," he said.

Mrs. Eva Groff and Mrs. Marion Snyder of San Francisco were in room 924. They said smoke started to enter their room and that firemen took them down the elevator. Ron McCaw of Burnady, B.C., Canada, said he and his wife were in their fourth floor room.

He said, "I didn't see anybody panic. When you think about it, everybody took it real good." An hour after the fire was extinguished, Mapes stood by the ground floor elevators, helping guests in and out. He said, "Firemen did a yoe-man's job. We're very proud of them and our guests." He said fire damage was confined to the area of the mezzanine restroom. He estimated there might have been 600 guests in the hotel, but he said many remained in their rooms." When asked about a lack of audible alarms, Mapes said his best fire alarm system is the employees, who are on duty 24 hours a day.

Despite the Fire Department's report that guests were evacuated, Mapes said they were not. He said only those who wanted to leave did so. Neil said some older Reno buildings do not have all the fire safety devices that are required in new buidlings. He said the fire code Gazette wire services LAS VEGAS There's no doubt the player was a high-roller he walked into Binion's Horseshoe Club with $777,000 in cash. And there's no doubt he had courage he risked it all at once.

And there's certainly no doubt he was lucky he walked out $777,000 richer. The unidentified player, wearing a simple shirt, Levis and cowboy boots, won his $777,000 bet Wednesday on the third roll of the dice in a craps game at the popular club in Las Vegas' glittering downtown casino center. The casino, home of the annual big money World Series of Poker, has claimed for years that no bet is too big and gamblers are told they can risk whatever they can afford. "The guy called previously about betting anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million," Horseshoe Club president Jack Binion said Thursday. "We said, 'Yeah, you can do "It is the biggest bet in a gambling house I have ever heard of anywhere, anytime," he said.

"He was cool. He really had a lot of gamble in him." Binion said he had no further contact with the gambler, described only as a Southerner in his 20s, until he showed up Wednesday. Schaller quits as governor's aide CARSON CITY (AP) Gov. Bob List said today that his executive assistant, veteran government aide Chris Schaller, is quitting to "pursue new directions." List immediately named Greg Lambert, a member of the governor's management task force studying state agencies, to replace Schaller in the job paying $33,760 yearly. Schaller, a survivor of many political wars, said he has had "something in the works for some time" and had not been fired.

He declined to elaborate on his future prospects. He also said there was "a mutual understanding between the governor and myself." What happens when one of you can't put the book down and the other wants to sleep' The electrically adjustable Hex-a Bed in twin sies is the perfect answer. All other sies. too. Try it at your dealer toilav.

Bring a good book and put it to the real test. FWX--BkH) SLEEP LOUNGE RELAX READ Attack (Continued from Page 1) bers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will step up their production of crude oil to make up for any shortfall arising from cutoffs by Iran and Iraq. Government sources in neighboring United Arab Emirates said more than 30 cargo ships carrying goods bound for Iraq and Iran were anchored just outside the Persian Gulf, apparently afraid to enter the war zone. Baghdad Radio broadcast a claim that Iraqi anti-aircraft brought down 11 Iranian planes that raided the cities of Mosul and Kirkuk and economic and military installations elsewhere. Informed sources said there was heavy damage to the small oil refinery in Kirkuk and to the larger refinery in the southern port of Basra, which Iranian jets pounded Thursday.

The Iraqi command said three of its planes were lost, but did not confirm any damage to its Corrections, explanations Wednesday's Reno Evening Gazette incorrectly reported that Assembly candidate Bob Kerns filed a "motion of contest" in Washoe County District Court seeking a new election. The motion asks, instead, that Kerns be declared inner of the District 25 race because of voting irregularities. Kerns lost the election to Patty Cafferata by one vote. The fishing report in Thursday's Recreation section incorrectly listed the minimum "keeper" size of cutthroat trout in Pyramid Lake as 15 inches. The minimum is 18 inches.

The Gazette regrets the errors. One injured twin now serious "Free Delivery Convenient Terms, Layaways, Visa, Masleicharge." S46 Slrl, Sparkt 331-2000 improveu, but Colleen still is comatose, a spokeswoman said. The Bishop Manogue High School seniors were en route to school when their small car and a motorcycle collided at McCarran Boulevard and Valley Road. Motorcyclist Bobi Bettis, 16, of 11830 Overland St. in Reno, was killed.

One of two 17-year-old twin sisters injured in a Wednesday collision between their car and a motorcycle in Reno was listed as serious today, but the other remained critical at Washoe Medical Center. Maureen Lannom was said to be a He, Mother charged in baby's death MIAMI (AP) Rather than risk enraging her father by admitting she was pregnant, a 16-year-old girl gave birth in a back room, suffocated her baby as her mother watched and had her three brothers dump the body in the Atlantic, authorities say. "They were all afraid of the father," Assistant State Attorney David Waksman said. "The brothers said the father would've gone crazy and killed them all if he found out his daughter had gotten pregnant." The body was found a few days after the baby girl's death, but it took detectives 19 months to identify it. Agdely Abella, now 18 and married, and her mother Irene, 40, were charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the baby's death Feb.

10, 1978. EH i mm mm mV 11 l.l One good thing after another. Sizzler puts it all together. Tangy pineapple, green pepper, onion. between great chunks of tender choice capped with mushroom.

Plus a buttery baked potato or french fries, and special Sizzler toast. A Melodic Whistling Competition nu 1 2 baturaay bunaay pSP September 27th 28th 1490 E. 4th, Reno THE HOME OF STEAK LOVERS Operated by Sailing Platter of Nevada, tnc Capitol Complex Carson City Special Appearances by Bertha the Elephant Her Harmonica Jason Serinus The Whistling Voice of "Woodstock" flfeffiftig It's happening NOW! Don't miss the 1980 CRCHA ELEVENTH ANNUAL WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP snaffle en mimm wmmm 22-28 BEiio-CEimiiiimi cousium 7 days of the greatest stock horse action you 11 ever see 11 More then 300 HORS ES entered 25 Finalists Get your tickets today! Reno SBF Show Office (702) 826-1978or 826-1979 Reno SBF Ticket Office (702)826-3971 Estimated 1980 purse ot $160,000 Guaranteed winner's purse of $25,000 California Reined Cow Horse Association Melinda Stewart P.O. Box 381 Clements CA 95227 58f Manager Joe rorooe Boure.