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Original.slot machine topper from the Primadonna Casino that was in downtown Reno Nevada.1950s vintage.measures 11 3/4 x 8 3/4. Has wear including some. Primm never gave up his licensing attempts, and finally, on June 28, 1955, he was licensed for four 21 games and forty-nine slots. The casino was the first licensed on the west side of Virginia Street and was named the Primadonna Club. It opened on July 1, 1955. The specifics of Primm's business deal were spelled out during his license hearing. In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two males, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, Nevada, near the California state line. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach.
On February 7, 1952, Ernie Primm was granted a restaurant license for the Café Primadonna but was again denied a gaming license. In June 1952 Primm filed a lawsuit against the city, but he lost his suit. Ever persistent, Primm again applied to the state for a gaming license and appealed the court's decision. The state deferred action on the application, and in January 1953 the Nevada Supreme Court ruled against Primm, stating the opinion that the City Council had the right to deny him a gaming license.
Primm never gave up his licensing attempts, and finally, on June 28, 1955, he was licensed for four 21 games and forty-nine slots. The casino was the first licensed on the west side of Virginia Street and was named the Primadonna Club. It opened on July 1, 1955.
The specifics of Primm's business deal were spelled out during his license hearing. Primm was to spend $30,000 to remodel the building, and he was required to put up $75,000 for a bankroll. His lease was for fifty years and called for $2,000 a month in 1955, $3,000 a month in 1956, and $3,500 a month for the next forty-seven years.
Ernie Primm opened his Primadonna Club at 6:00 P.M. on July 1, 1955. Ray Sawyer, 'Nevada's most popular organist,' furnished the music on opening night. Two weeks later, the Primadonna was approved for one craps game, one more 21 game, and twenty more slots.
After a 'short summer,' the Primadonna closed for remodeling on November 23. The slots, cocktail lounge, and bar remained open. Also closed during that period were the Golden Hotel and the Club Cal-Neva. On December 18, Primm closed the entire club for 'alterations.' These closings and partial closings forced the Gaming Control Board to take action. In 1956 the Board ruled that casinos that closed down in the winter months, putting hundreds of people out of work, and then opened again in the spring when business and weather got better, could not reopen without going through the entire licensing process. This ruling was an effective deterrent to casinos closing down during the slow winter months.
The only casino grandfathered, in that it was allowed to close in the winter and re-open without being relicensed, was Jim Kelly's Nugget on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe.The Primadonna reopened on Friday, April 20, 1956. Shortly thereafter, it added twenty more slot machines.
The club continued to expand during the next few years. In January 1959 the Primadonna management announced that the top two floors of the building would be removed as part of a plan to house the casino, bar, restaurant, and slot-machine arcade in one open expanse. The club remained open and in full operation during the remodeling.
In June 1961 the Regional Planning Commission approved Ernie Primm for gambling on Sierra Street, an area hitherto closed to gaming operations. The issue had been debated for several weeks, and there was a two-hour discussion the night the vote was taken. The motion passed 8-2. However, the City Council still had to approve Primm's request, and on August 15 the Council voted 4-3 to deny him the privilege of opening gambling on Sierra Street. The next week Primm announced plans to build a large restaurant and coffee shop on Sierra Street.
The Primadonna opened a new showroom on the second floor of its new $2-million addition on June 14, 1963. The opening act was a lavish revue titled Paree, Ooo, La La! The adults-only revue offered three shows nightly-10:00 P.M., midnight, and 2:00 A.M.
In July 1964 the Primadonna placed five showgirl statues on its marquee. The average height of the showgirls was twenty feet, but the girl in the middle was thirty-five feet tall.
In November 1965 Primm made another major purchase when he bought the old Sears Roebuck Building at 215 South Sierra Street. The transaction gave Primm control, through title or lease, to property a block and a half in width. His North Virginia Street property (the Primadonna Club) extended southward from Douglas Alley and continued westward, the width of the club, to Sierra Street. Now, with his latest purchase, Primm's property crossed Sierra Street to the west side and included an L-shaped parcel of land nearly two city lots in size. A lot and a half fronted Sierra Street, and at the rear, along the north-south alley, the property extended from West Douglas Alley to West Second Street.
In November 1965 Allen Roberts Sr. gave his son, Allen Roberts Jr., 1.9 percent of the Primadonna. That left Roberts Sr., who was general manager of the Primadonna, with 2.86 percent of the club and Ernie Primm owning the remaining 95.2 percent.
In June 1968 Ernie Primm purchased the Pickett Hotel, formerly the William Tell House, at 245 North Sierra Street. Primm, who paid $400,000 for the property, said he was buying it as a future investment and that he was betting on the future of Reno. He continued his buying binge in November 1968 when he purchased the northwest corner of Sierra and Second Streets for $600,000. This purchase made Primm the largest single owner of contiguous property in downtown Reno. He did not reveal his plans for the property, but he did not rule out the possibility of building a hotel.
In June 1969 Ernie Primm began demolition on his proposed hotel site between Second Street and Douglas Alley on Sierra Street. He announced that 'plans are under way for an 800 room hotel which should be ready in two years.' He also said that he planned to rebuild the Primadonna, and that 'we're going to put a new sign out by the Sierra Street entrance, similar to the one on Virginia Street.' True to his word, Primm added a little Virginia Street glamour to his Sierra Street entrance when, in January 1970, he added new signs and five towering showgirl statues to his Sierra Street marquee.
Some well-known gaming personalities who worked at the Primadonna were Allen Roberts Sr., George Piazza, Bill Troye, Hardy Brafford, and Herb Grellman. In the last few years of Ernie Primm's Primadonna, Primm's son, Gary, was vice-president of the operation.
On January 28, 1974, Ernie Primm sold all of his properties to the Del Webb Corporation. On March 1 the Del Webb Corporation applied to the Gaming Control Board for permission to consummate the purchase of the Primadonna-then licensed with thirty table games and eight hundred slot machines-for $5.5 million. Ernie Primm was listed as sole owner, and the $5.5 million selling price included all of Primm's prime downtown property as well as the casino. The sale and transaction were approved on March 21, 1974, and on April 1, 1974, the club was opened as Del Webb's Primadonna.
Phil Arce was named the first president and general manager of Del Webb's Primadonna. One year later, Al Gomes was named general manager, and two years later the position was taken over by Leo Lewis on an interim basis. He was replaced by Tom Aro.
On July 1, 1978, the Del Webb Sahara Reno opened on Sierra Street. By May 1979 the giant hotel-casino was 'quietly swallowing up' its sister property, Del Webb's Primadonna. The first signs of the impending transformation came when the famous statues of the chorus girls were taken down from their North Virginia Street perch and replaced by a 'Del Webb's Sahara Reno' sign. The two casinos, already linked by a walkway across Sierra Street, were put under the same management and operated as a single property.
The property remained under the management of the Sahara Reno until December 31, 1981, when the Sahara Reno sold all its Reno property to the Hilton Hotel Corporation. The former original Primadonna location became known as the Virginia Street Casino and later as Paco's. Both clubs were managed by the Hilton Corporation. The property is still operating under the direction of the Hilton Corporation and is part of the Flamingo Hilton.
According to Dwayne Kling
| Born | October 11, 1978 (age 42) Long Beach, California United States |
|---|---|
| Criminal penalty | Life without the possibility of parole |
| Details | |
| Date | May 25, 1997 |
| Location(s) | Primm, NV United States |
Jeremy Strohmeyer (born October 11, 1978) is an American convicted murderer, serving four consecutive life terms for the sexual assault and murder of 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997)[1] at Primadonna Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada, on May 25, 1997.
The case drew national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casinos and on the revelation that Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash Jr., said he saw the crime in progress but did not stop it.[2]
The crime[edit]
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two males, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, Nevada, near the California state line. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach.[citation needed] Strohmeyer was a student at Wilson High School in Long Beach.[3]
At around 4 a.m., Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently 'playful' contact with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling and drinking. Her father left Sherrice in the care of her 14-year-old brother, Harold, in the casino's arcade. This resulted in Sherrice running around unmonitored. The girl had been returned to her father several times through the day, having been found alone by security. Eventually, Strohmeyer followed Sherrice into a women's restroom.
While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. Sherrice then reportedly tossed a yellow plastic 'Wet Floor' sign at Strohmeyer. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly taking Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who confessed to him that he and killed the girl.[4]
Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody at his home. Two classmates in Long Beach had identified him after security tape footage captured by cameras at the casino was released by Nevada police and played on the television news. Strohmeyer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault of a minor. When questioned by police, Strohmeyer stated that he molested Iverson and strangled her to stifle her screams. Before leaving, Strohmeyer noticed Iverson was still alive and twisted her head in an attempt to break her neck. After hearing a loud popping sound, he rested her body in a sitting position on the toilet with her feet in the bowl. Strohmeyer's attorneys later tried to have the confession suppressed because he was not given legal counsel. However, the police claimed that Strohmeyer waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning.[4]
Plea bargain[edit]
Strohmeyer's defense attorney was Leslie Abramson, who represented many high-profile clients, including the Menendez brothers. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness, David Cash, had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. Abramson also noted that Strohmeyer's biological father is in prison and his biological mother is in a mental hospital.[2]
Strohmeyer's trial was scheduled to begin in September 1998. Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, Abramson entered a plea bargain on his behalf. On September 8, 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to four charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a minor with substantial bodily harm and sexual assault on a minor. On October 14, 1998, he was sentenced to four life terms, one for each crime he pleaded guilty to, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole.[2][5]
After the trial[edit]
Imprisonment[edit]
Strohmeyer was initially incarcerated at Ely State Prison, a maximum security prison located north of Ely, Nevada where most prisoners in Nevada who are serving life without parole are imprisoned for at least the early portion of their sentences. He was placed in administrative segregation, meaning that he was not placed in the general inmate population, but rather in his own cell in a special secured section.[6] His prison number is #059389. Strohmeyer was reportedly transferred to the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada where he is classified as 'medium' custody.
Appeals[edit]
Jeremy Strohmeyer subsequently appealed his conviction.
In 2000, he was unsuccessfully defended by Camille Abate.[7] Strohmeyer recanted his confession and accused Abramson of lying to him and bullying him into pleading guilty in order to cover up her misunderstanding of Nevada law. Strohmeyer's new attorneys also suggested that Abramson wanted him to plead guilty because Strohmeyer's parents could not afford to pay her additional fees if the case went to trial. Abramson denied all the allegations.[8] Ultimately, his appeal was rejected.
In 2001, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Strohmeyer to withdraw his guilty plea. In January 2006, Strohmeyer lost a federal court bid to review his case.[9]
On May 31, 2018, a request for parole was made based on 2012 and 2016 Supreme Court decisions that juveniles should have a chance at parole.[10]His request was denied in July 2018.[11]
Lawsuit by adoptive parents[edit]
In October 1999, Strohmeyer's adoptive parents filed a $1 million lawsuit against Los Angeles County and its adoption workers. They claimed that social workers deliberately withheld crucial information that would have stopped them from adopting him as an infant. Specifically, they claimed they were never told that Strohmeyer's biological mother had severe mental problems, including that she suffered from chronic schizophrenia and had been hospitalized more than 60 times prior to Strohmeyer's birth.[12]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Jobs
However, the Strohmeyers have stated that they will continue to support their adopted son despite the fact that he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.[12]
David Cash[edit]
Sherrice Iverson's mother demanded that David Cash Jr., also be charged as an accessory to murder, but authorities stated there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the actual crime, and Cash was never prosecuted for any offense related to the murder.
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Reopening
In the weeks following Strohmeyer's arrest, Cash told the Los Angeles Times that he did not dwell on the murder of Sherrice Iverson. 'I'm not going to get upset over somebody else's life. I just worry about myself first. I'm not going to lose sleep over somebody else's problems.' He also told the newspaper that the publicity surrounding the case had made it easier for him to 'score with women.' Cash also told the Long Beach Press-Telegram: 'I'm no idiot ... I'll get my money out of this.'[13][14]
Cash would go on to face being labeled 'the bad Samaritan,' and also the target of a campaign by students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime. Two local Los Angeles radio hosts, Tim Conway Jr. and Doug Steckler, subsequently held a rally to have Cash expelled from the University of California at Berkeley, but University officials stated that they had no basis to remove him since he was not convicted of any crime.
Cash has never expressed remorse over Iverson's death. In a radio interview, stating that 'It was a very tragic event...The simple fact remains I don't know this little girl ... I don't know people in Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can't feel remorse for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer', but still insisted that he did nothing wrong.[4][15]
The Sherrice Iverson bill[edit]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Entertainment
Sherrice Iverson's murder led to the passage of Nevada State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from Cash's inaction during the commission of the crime.
The 'Sherrice Iverson' bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins (D-Henderson), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was enacted in 2000.[16]
Sherrice Iverson's murder also led to the passage of California Assembly Bill 1422, the Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act, which added section 152.3 to California's Penal Code.[17][18] This duty to rescue law requires that a person notify law enforcement if they witness a murder, rape, or any lewd or lascivious act, where the victim is under 14 years old.[18][19]
Increased Security at Nevada Casinos[edit]
As a result of this murder, hotels in Nevada increased security in their arcades, often having a security guard even in small arcades.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Concerts
- ^Michigan Daily, Berkeley wants student to get out of town, 'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-06-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ abcTeen pleads guilty in Nevada casino killing of girl, CNN.com, September 8, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived February 20, 1999, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Wride, Nancy (1997-10-12). 'Truth Stronger Than Friction'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-02-24. 'While Wilson High classmate Jeremy Strohmeyer drew gasps of media attention in late May with his arrest on charges he raped and strangled a 7-year-old at a Nevada casino,[...]'
- ^ abcNevada v. Strohmeyer - 'Casino Child Murder Trial', CourtTV (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Killer of Girl in Casino Gets Life Term, New York Times, October 15, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008)
- ^Strohmeyer taken to Ely prison, Associated Press (reprinted by Las Vegas RJ News), October 24, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008). Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: Justice unchanged for killerArchived May 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Abramson testifies she didn't force Strohmeyer to take plea by Harriet Ryan, Court TV Online, February 8, 2000. Retrieved on August 25, 2008 Archived March 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Confessed Casino Child Killer Loses Federal Appeal, Associated Press (reprinted by abc7.com), January 18, 2006 (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/01/confessed-nevada-child-killer-seeks-parole-cites-immaturity/
- ^https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/judge-denies-new-sentence-for-man-who-killed-girl-at-nevada-casino/
- ^ abAdoptive parents of convicted killer sue social workers by Jennifer Auther, CNN.com, October 27, 1999 (retrieved on August 25, 2008).
- ^[1], The Michigan Daily, September 30, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived May 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Who can possibly reach David Cash's heart of darkness?, San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived August 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Protesters want student expelledArchived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Bruin, August 31, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008)
- ^https://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/19/local/me-23477
- ^'Assembly Bill No. 1422'(PDF). California Legislative Information.
- ^ ab'California Penal Code Section 142-181'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17.
- ^'California Penal Code Section 281-289.6'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12.
External links[edit]
In the weeks following Strohmeyer's arrest, Cash told the Los Angeles Times that he did not dwell on the murder of Sherrice Iverson. 'I'm not going to get upset over somebody else's life. I just worry about myself first. I'm not going to lose sleep over somebody else's problems.' He also told the newspaper that the publicity surrounding the case had made it easier for him to 'score with women.' Cash also told the Long Beach Press-Telegram: 'I'm no idiot ... I'll get my money out of this.'[13][14]
Cash would go on to face being labeled 'the bad Samaritan,' and also the target of a campaign by students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime. Two local Los Angeles radio hosts, Tim Conway Jr. and Doug Steckler, subsequently held a rally to have Cash expelled from the University of California at Berkeley, but University officials stated that they had no basis to remove him since he was not convicted of any crime.
Cash has never expressed remorse over Iverson's death. In a radio interview, stating that 'It was a very tragic event...The simple fact remains I don't know this little girl ... I don't know people in Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can't feel remorse for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer', but still insisted that he did nothing wrong.[4][15]
The Sherrice Iverson bill[edit]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Entertainment
Sherrice Iverson's murder led to the passage of Nevada State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from Cash's inaction during the commission of the crime.
The 'Sherrice Iverson' bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins (D-Henderson), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was enacted in 2000.[16]
Sherrice Iverson's murder also led to the passage of California Assembly Bill 1422, the Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act, which added section 152.3 to California's Penal Code.[17][18] This duty to rescue law requires that a person notify law enforcement if they witness a murder, rape, or any lewd or lascivious act, where the victim is under 14 years old.[18][19]
Increased Security at Nevada Casinos[edit]
As a result of this murder, hotels in Nevada increased security in their arcades, often having a security guard even in small arcades.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Concerts
- ^Michigan Daily, Berkeley wants student to get out of town, 'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-06-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ abcTeen pleads guilty in Nevada casino killing of girl, CNN.com, September 8, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived February 20, 1999, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Wride, Nancy (1997-10-12). 'Truth Stronger Than Friction'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-02-24. 'While Wilson High classmate Jeremy Strohmeyer drew gasps of media attention in late May with his arrest on charges he raped and strangled a 7-year-old at a Nevada casino,[...]'
- ^ abcNevada v. Strohmeyer - 'Casino Child Murder Trial', CourtTV (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Killer of Girl in Casino Gets Life Term, New York Times, October 15, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008)
- ^Strohmeyer taken to Ely prison, Associated Press (reprinted by Las Vegas RJ News), October 24, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008). Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: Justice unchanged for killerArchived May 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Abramson testifies she didn't force Strohmeyer to take plea by Harriet Ryan, Court TV Online, February 8, 2000. Retrieved on August 25, 2008 Archived March 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Confessed Casino Child Killer Loses Federal Appeal, Associated Press (reprinted by abc7.com), January 18, 2006 (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/01/confessed-nevada-child-killer-seeks-parole-cites-immaturity/
- ^https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/judge-denies-new-sentence-for-man-who-killed-girl-at-nevada-casino/
- ^ abAdoptive parents of convicted killer sue social workers by Jennifer Auther, CNN.com, October 27, 1999 (retrieved on August 25, 2008).
- ^[1], The Michigan Daily, September 30, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived May 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Who can possibly reach David Cash's heart of darkness?, San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived August 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Protesters want student expelledArchived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Bruin, August 31, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008)
- ^https://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/19/local/me-23477
- ^'Assembly Bill No. 1422'(PDF). California Legislative Information.
- ^ ab'California Penal Code Section 142-181'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17.
- ^'California Penal Code Section 281-289.6'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12.
External links[edit]
