Official Name: Binion's Horseshoe (originally "The Horseshoe Club," later "Horseshoe Hotel and Casino")

Original Business: Casino and hotel at 128 East Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas

Years Active: 1951-2004 (Binion family ownership)

• 1951: Benny Binion purchases Eldorado Club, renames it Horseshoe Club

• 1964: Renamed "Binion's Horseshoe" under full Binion family control

• 1988: Expanded by purchasing adjacent Mint Casino

• 2004: Sold to MTR Gaming/Harrah's, ending 53 years of Binion ownership

Designer/Company (1961 Redesign):
YESCO Design Team: Herman Boernge (art director), Kermit Wayne, Ben Mitchem, Jack Larsen Sr.
Architects: Wayne McAllister and William Wagner

Technical Specifications (1961):
One of the largest displays of neon in the world, featuring 8 miles of neon tubing and 30,000 lightbulbs

Museum Acquisition:
The "H" wall from Binion's 1961 redesign is now displayed inside the Neon Boneyard at The Neon Museum

Current Status: Building still operates as "Binion's Gambling Hall" (hotel closed 2009), but the massive 1961 neon facade is now preserved at The Neon Museum

The Man Who Built Modern Poker

Lester Benjamin "Benny" Binion was born November 20, 1904, in Pilot Grove, Texas, with only a second-grade education. He fled Dallas in 1946 after a reform sheriff was elected, arriving in Las Vegas with a criminal history that included bootlegging, illegal gambling operations, and at least two murders.

But in Vegas, Benny transformed himself from Dallas mob boss into legitimate casino pioneer. In 1951, he opened Binion's Horseshoe downtown, revolutionizing the casino experience by introducing carpeted floors (casinos previously had sawdust), free drinks for all players (not just high rollers), and chairs in front of slot machines.

His most enduring cultural legacy: founding the World Series of Poker. In 1970, Binion invited seven of the world's best poker players to compete at the Horseshoe in the inaugural WSOP, where players voted Johnny Moss the first champion. By 1971, the tournament adopted its freeze-out format, and Binion famously predicted "someday we may have a hundred people" — the 2025 event drew 9,735 players.

The Million Dollar Display

In 1954, Binion created one of Las Vegas's most enduring photo attractions: the Million Dollar Display, featuring one hundred $10,000 bills encased in an 8-foot, 2,000-pound golden horseshoe. Tourists lined up daily to have their photos taken with more money than most would see in a lifetime.

Family Dynasty and Tragedy

The Binion family ran the Horseshoe for decades: Jack Binion as president, Ted as casino manager, wife Teddy Jane overseeing the cashier's cage, with Benny advising as "consultant" (he never regained his gaming license after his 1953 tax evasion conviction).

The family saga ended tragically: Ted Binion was murdered in 1998, and sister Becky Behnen ran the property into bankruptcy, selling to Harrah's/MTR Gaming in 2004 for $50 million — while brother Jack sold his separate Horseshoe Gaming empire for $1.45 billion.

Criminal to Cultural Icon: The American Redemption Story

Benny Binion killed at least three men in Texas: Frank Bolding (Black bootlegger, 1931), Ben Frieden (gambling competitor, 1936), and allegedly Sam Murray (1938). He ordered 11 failed murder attempts on rival Herbert Noble before finally killing him with a car bomb in 1949.

Yet on Benny's 83rd birthday, Gene Autry and Willie Nelson joined 18,000 people in serenading him at a Nevada sports arena. A bronze statue called "Tribute to a Cowboy" was erected downtown to celebrate his contributions to Las Vegas.

Why This Matters for Museums: Binion's story captures the complexity of Las Vegas's founding mythology — the collision of organized crime, legitimized gambling, and American entrepreneurship. He secretly brokered millions in loans from Dallas bankers to Vegas mobsters while taking a 5% cut, and was an FBI informant providing intelligence on other Las Vegas gamblers. His transformation from murderer to civic legend embodies the moral ambiguities that built modern Vegas.

Democratizing Gambling: Class Revolution on Fremont Street

Benny famously said "Good food, good whiskey, good gamble—that's the Horseshoe way," treating working-class gamblers with the same respect as high rollers. While Strip casinos catered to the elite, Binion's Horseshoe welcomed cowboys, truckers, and everyday people — creating the first truly democratic casino floor in Vegas history.

His no-limit betting policy was legendary. Any bet you could put on the table, Binion would cover. This wasn't just marketing — it was philosophy: trust the gambler, treat them fairly, and they'll keep coming back.

Downtown Vegas vs. The Strip: Cultural Preservation

When the Strip exploded with mega-resorts in the 1970s-90s, downtown Fremont Street declined. But Binion's remained a defiant anchor of "old Vegas" authenticity — a place where you could find Johnny Moss at the $20-$40 hold'em table virtually every day, where beginners could play against legends.

The Neon Sign as Downtown Survivor: The massive 1961 neon redesign wasn't just advertising — it was downtown's answer to the Strip's escalating spectacle. At a time when Strip casinos were building Eiffel Towers and volcanoes, Binion's doubled down on pure neon power: 8 miles of tubing creating a wall of light that said "Fremont Street still matters."

Craftspeople Story: The YESCO Design Team

Herman Boernge (born 1905, Corralitos, CA) was YESCO's first art director in Las Vegas, arriving in 1946. He designed the Flamingo, Desert Inn, Golden Nugget, Mint, and Sands signs before collaborating on Binion's 1961 masterpiece.

Boernge worked alongside fellow designers Kermit Wayne, Ben Mitchem, and Jack Larsen Sr., creating the visual language of mid-century Vegas. He stepped down as art director around 1964-65 due to heart issues and died in the late 1960s.

His generation of designers — including Betty Willis and Buzz Leming — were artisans whose work required years of apprenticeship. Today, YESCO has only three neon benders left (down from eight working full-time with overtime in the golden era), making this a dying craft.

1961 Redesign Technique:
The signage was created through unprecedented collaboration between architects (Wayne McAllister and William Wagner) and YESCO sign designers, fusing architecture and signage into a single vision. This was the era when, as Denise Scott Brown observed, Vegas buildings transformed from "decorated shed with big signs" to "all sign with hardly any building."

Scale & Complexity:
Creating 8 miles of neon tubing required:

• Hand-bent glass tubes by neon benders working long hours, sometimes around the clock

• Multi-generational artisan families, with journeymen who started as apprentices and followed generations of benders

• Dangerous work with fragile materials, sealed tubes charged with electrical current, difficult installation and wiring codes

Museum Preservation:
Three classic signs including Binion's Horseshoe have been restored for the Las Vegas Boulevard scenic byway project. The original "H" wall section is displayed in the Neon Boneyard, allowing visitors to see the scale and craftsmanship up close.

UNLV Special Collections (Primary Source):

1. Binion's Horseshoe Club Photograph Collection (1940-1985)
   https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/f14h3n
   Contains: Street scenes, neon facade, Million Dollar Display, WSOP tournaments, family photos

2. Million Dollar Display (1960-1979)
   https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/d1fs97
   Iconic horseshoe with $1 million in $10,000 bills

3. St. Patrick's Day parade, Culinary Union, Las Vegas (Nev.), 1993 March 17
   http://special.library.unlv.edu/ark%3A/62930/d1sn01f6p

4. Billboard Advertisement (1960-1979)
   https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/d1kd21 signage on Las Vegas streets

5. Downtown Aerial View - Horseshoe Under Construction
   https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/d1gh9bs3p
   Shows Mint, Lucky, Fremont Hotel alongside Binion's

Library of Congress:

6. Carol M. Highsmith: Binion's Sign at Neon Boneyard
   https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011630285/ documentation of preserved neon (1980-2006)

Historical Context:

7. Vintage Las Vegas Archives
   https://vintagelasvegas.com/post/788702988990545920/1965

WSOP Photography:

UNLV Special Collections holds the Binion's Horseshoe Casino Records on Poker (1960-2006) with extensive WSOP photographs from the 1970s-1980s, including images of Benny Binion watching table action with a young Steve Wynn standing behind him

Film & Television:

• Various WSOP broadcasts (CBS, ESPN, Discovery Channel 1970s-2000s)

• Vegas Vacation (1997) — scenes shot at YESCO boneyard

• Mars Attacks! (1996) — scenes at YESCO boneyard

• Countless poker documentaries featuring WSOP history

Books:

• Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker by Doug J. Swanson (2014)

• The Money and The Power: The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America by Sally Denton and Roger Morris

• The Biggest Game in Town by Al Alvarez (documenting 1949 Moss vs. Nick the Greek match)

• Learning from Las Vegas by Denise Scott Brown, Robert Venturi, Steven Izenour (1972)

• Viva Las Vegas: After-Hours Architecture by Alan Hess

Music & Culture:

The Neon Museum's light show features songs like Elvis Presley's "Night Life," "Mr. Sandman" by The Chordettes, and Ella Fitzgerald's "I'm Beginning to See The Light" as signs illuminate

Poker Legacy:

Every WSOP bracelet awarded since 1970 is a direct descendant of Benny's vision. The tournament moved from Binion's to the Rio and now Horseshoe and Paris casinos, but every bracelet remains a nod to Benny's belief that "poker players deserved a place in the spotlight".

Decorated Shed to "All Sign"

Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour's Learning from Las Vegas (1972) legitimized commercial vernacular architecture as worthy of serious study, using Vegas to argue for post-modernist "ordinary and ugly" design over modernist purity.

Binion's Horseshoe exemplifies their thesis perfectly:

1951-1960: "Decorated Shed" — The 1932 Apache Hotel building with modest Horseshoe signage. The building came first, sign second.

1961 Redesign: "All Sign" — The collaboration between architects McAllister/Wagner and YESCO designers created one of the largest neon displays in the world, with 8 miles of tubing and 30,000 bulbs transforming the entire facade into pure signage. As Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour noted about similar transformations, the building became "all sign with hardly any building visible".

Downtown vs. Strip Vernacular

While Strip casinos embraced themed architecture (medieval castles, Egyptian pyramids), downtown Fremont Street signs like Binion's exploited "the three-dimensional sweep of neon," creating a canyon of light that defined downtown's identity.

Commercial Architecture as Cultural Artifact

The 1961 Binion's redesign proves Scott Brown's central argument: commercial signage isn't decorative trash — it's legitimate architectural expression reflecting American values, aspirations, and cultural moment. The sign's preservation at The Neon Museum validates her 1972 thesis 50+ years later.

Primary Sources (Neon Museum/UNLV):

1. https://neonmuseum.org/news/binions-horseshoe/

2. https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/f14h3n (UNLV Photo Collection)

3. https://special.library.unlv.edu/ark:/62930/f1pk6f (WSOP Records 1960-2006)

4. https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/tv-wsop-and-legend-benny-binion

Benny Binion Biography:

5. https://www.texasmonthly.com/true-crime/benny-and-the-boys/

6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Binion

7. https://www.historynet.com/benny-and-the-bets/

8. https://nevadagaminghistory.com/2023/04/19/benny-binion-and-binions-horsehoe-las-vegas/

9. https://www.ranker.com/list/who-was-benny-binion/melissa-sartore

10. https://www.telegraphherald.com/news/features/article_1d36bfb3-e0ef-5909-8e0b-685917f7b718.html

World Series of Poker History:

11. https://www.wsop.com/about/world-series-of-poker/

12. https://paulphuapoker.com/world-series-of-poker-born/

13. https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/4323-wsop-history-1970-recap

14. https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/the-grand-old-man-of-poker-6074

15. https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/05/poker-pop-culture-moss-dandolos-horseshoe-legend-myth-28031.htm

Herman Boernge & Sign Designers:

16. http://classiclasvegas.squarespace.com/classic-las-vegas-neon-designe/2007/11/10/neon-las-vegas-and-designer-hermon-boernge.html

17. http://goldennuggetplayingcards.com/golden_nugget_playing_card_history.html

18. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2011/apr/18/nostalgia-neon-remains-lights-nearly-out-fashion/

19. https://www.classiclasvegas.com/clv-history-blog/2011/4/18/a-fading-art-neon-signs.html

Historical Context:

20. https://www.classiclasvegas.com/fremont-street-blog/category/Benny+Binion

21. https://over50vegas.com/128_Fremont_Binions_Horseshoe.html

22. http://vintagelasvegas.com/post/42717496889/benny-binion-and-his-1000000-display-at

Academic/Architectural:

23. https://archive.designinquiry.net/contributions/neon-typography/

This photograph positions within several curatorial frameworks:

American Mythology: Criminal to Legend Benny Binion killed at least three men in Texas before fleeing to Las Vegas in 1946. Yet on his 83rd birthday, Gene Autry and Willie Nelson serenaded him before 18,000 people. His transformation from murderer to civic legend embodies the moral ambiguities that built modern Vegas—and America's complex relationship with outlaw mythology.

Global Cultural Phenomenon: World Series of Poker In 1970, Binion founded the World Series of Poker with 7 players. Today it draws 10,000+ annually and is broadcast globally. This single innovation transformed poker from saloon card game to billion-dollar sport—perhaps the most consequential cultural export from Las Vegas.

Democratizing Gambling Binion treated working-class gamblers with the same respect as high rollers: carpeted floors (casinos previously had sawdust), free drinks for all players, no-limit betting. While Strip casinos catered to elites, Binion's Horseshoe welcomed cowboys, truckers, and everyday people—creating the first truly democratic casino floor.

YESCO Design Masterpiece The 1961 redesign—collaboration between architects Wayne McAllister/William Wagner and YESCO designers Herman Boernge, Kermit Wayne, Ben Mitchem, Jack Larsen Sr.—created one of the largest neon displays in the world: 8 miles of tubing, 30,000 bulbs.

Relevant for collections focusing on:

• American mythology and outlaw narratives

• Global cultural phenomena (poker as sport)

• Class and democratization in American leisure

• Neon craftsmanship at monumental scale

• Downtown Vegas heritage

Institutional Alignment:

• SFMOMA: American vernacular, Walker Evans lineage

• Getty Museum: Western American identity, outlaw mythology

• Centre Pompidou: American capitalism critique, class analysis

• Smithsonian: American cultural export (WSOP), labor/craft documentation