Jan 12,2023
It was October 13, I had two days left before my meeting with the Surveillance Department. I had not
slept much the last few days and work was a nerve-wracking experience. Of course, we had suspended,
our skimming, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. I showed Bob the note and he said he
would look into it, but so far, he was coming up empty. I wasn’t sure what time Maggie was going to
make it in, and I had not mentioned the note to her. I figured it would be after the meeting. I hoped I
would not be looking at her through the bars of a jail cell. Nola remained upbeat about the situation and
held my hand at work and helped me get through the last four days. Thursday was also the start of the
end of the season bowling tournament. We had managed to hold off a late season push by the team
from the golf course and finished the regular season in first place. It seemed like my world was falling
apart and there was no one I could confide in to help me. Maggie called the next morning and said she
would make it in around six o’clock in the evening on Thursday. She would meet me at the bowling lanes
when she got to town. I told her to not push it and to go to sleep when she got in, but she was having
none of that. I was surprised at how much I had missed her and told her so. She was anxious to see me
as well and had told her family that she had met someone, without going into details. I was meeting
with Chris after work at the strip club. We were going 2-3 times a week and had become favorites with
the working girls because we tipped well and had genuine interest in their lives outside of the club. I was
shocked at how many of them were in college or had families. A couple of them had expressed interest
in professional dancing and hoped to catch the eye of the one of the many show producers that stopped
by to check out the talent occasionally. The night was uneventful, and Chris and I talked sports and
compared picks for the weekend schedule of NFL games. Chris had started his gaming career at one of
the small downtown casinos and had worked hard to reach his position as an assistant Pit Boss at the
Dunes. It was not an easy task to accomplish in an industry that was based on relationships instead of
abilities. I told him about my experiences in the Air Force and how, despite being the only person of
color in the Missile Shop, I did not see any overt signs of racism. The military was ahead of the wave of
Civil Rights and the push for racial equality, because they needed qualified applicants to fill important
positions that required technical and scientific knowledge, and that was not determined by the color of
a person’s skin. I started to ask him about my scheduled meeting but decided against it. I did not want

to tarnish his reputation if things turned out badly, there are no secrets when it comes to a casino’s.
integrity and I was sure that our friendship was public knowledge at the Dunes.
I spent Wednesday night, tossing and turning, unable to clear my mind enough to fall asleep. At 1
o’clock in the morning I decided to go play the quarter slots at one of the local joints, the Palace Station.
The quarter poker slots I favored were built into one of the bars’ countertops and there was a bank of
televisions that showed the days scores and highlights from the sporting world. My NY Yankees were in
4th place after an abbreviated schedule because of the player’s strike and would not make it to the
playoffs. The Cleveland Browns were in their usual basement position in their division, although they
were showing signs of becoming a real football team. The big sports news was the UNLV men’s
basketball team and Coach Jerry Tarkanian. He had moved to UNLV after coaching at Long Beach State
and his teams had averaged over twenty wins, the last eight years. Coach Tarkanian was a Las Vegas
legend and his teams played an up-tempo game that led to easy baskets, and they were a fun team to
watch. I looked down at the machine I was playing and decided to finish the night playing max bet, $1.25
a hand. After a couple of smaller jackpots, I was a dealt A, K, 10 of spades, needing the Q and J for a
royal flush. I held the A, K,10 and hit the deal button. The machine came alive with the bells and whistles
that signaled the making of a Royal Flush and the machine locked up. While I waited for a change girl to
pay off the thousand dollars I had just won, I played the machine next to me. the change girl and a
floorman came to pay me and just as they gave me my winnings the second machine dealt me a Royal
Flush in hearts. The floorman and change girl looked at each other and spoke in unison.
“We will be right back.” and left to get my second thousand dollars.
I gave them each fifty dollars and headed home, the winning and a double gin and tonic, relaxed me
enough to fall asleep until my alarm went off the next morning. I showered and spent the time before
the meeting, running errands after a steak and eggs breakfast at Binion’s Horseshoe. At 12:30 I met one
of the surveillance operators at the bank of elevators which went to the Executive Offices. We shook
hands as he introduced himself as Tom, he was in his middle fifties, overweight, and slightly balding. He
wore thick glasses, and his ruddy complexion did not hide his apparent affection for adult beverages.
We rode up in silence and I followed him past a couple of restrooms to a closed metal door that he
opened with a key from the large group he wore on a chain attached to his belt. The door led to two
separate offices: one containing the workstation of the office secretary. She was sitting at her desk
typing and when she looked up, I couldn’t help but stare. She was a light chocolate brown and drop-dead gorgeous. She stood and the view got even better, as the light pantsuit she wore accented her curves.

She offered a manicured hand and her face lit up with a smile that dissolved all my fears and set
me at ease.
“Hi, I’m Candace.”, she said as we shook hands and she motioned for me to have a seat in the chair in
front of her desk. She took my documents and stood to make copies of them at the machine to the left
of her desk. She returned the originals and took the copies, entering the office across the hall from us.
Tom had gone through another door that led to the surveillance room. I was totally confused but things
appeared to be heading in a good direction. Candace returned to her desk and said that Mr. Joseph was
on the phone but would be out shortly. She offered coffee, water, and soft drinks and told me to help
myself. I looked around the office at the décor and furnishings, obviously high priced and well
maintained. A knock on the door was followed by a heavy-set black woman opening the door and
announcing ‘housekeeping’ as she entered.
“Hi Ms. Brown.”, Candace called out, not lifting her head.
“Afternoon Candace, just let me get your trash, and I’ll get out of you folks way.”
“Here you are. Mr. Joseph will not require service today.” Candace said, handing Ms. Brown her trash
receptacle.”
“Ok, and who’s this handsome piece of chocolate sitting up in here?” Ms. Brown was standing in front of
me and I didn’t know whether to respond or not.
“Leave him alone Lucille. He’s waiting to speak with Mr. Joseph.” Her phone rang and when she
finished the conversation she announced,
“He’s ready for you now.” and led me to his office.
George Joseph was from Cleveland, Ohio and as a child, he wanted to be a magician. His dexterity and
sleight of hand skills led him to opportunities in backroom gambling joints, which led him to Las
Vegas. He is recognized as the leading authority on casino games and the methods used to cheat in
gaming operations. He is world renowned and has served as a consultant and guest speaker to casinos
around the world. He has appeared in film and as an expert witness, and the author of several books.
At present he is serving as Director of Surveillance at the Dunes Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas,
Nevada.
I walked through the office door and sat in a plush leather chair. Everything changed.

To be continued……….

Barron Broomfield