Milton Prell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Milton Prell was a casino owner and developer most notable for his projects in Las Vegas. He was also good friends with Colonel Tom Parker, best known as the manager of Elvis Presley.
Prell started in the gambling business with a bingo palace in California. Prell ordered that the prizes were to be given out honestly to the players and word got out that the place was honest. The bingo palace thrived
Milton Prell's first project in Las Vegas was Club Bingo on the Las Vegas Strip. This club was opened in 1947 before many of the major hotels and casinos had opened on the strip, when Fremont Street was the main attraction and casino center. In 1952 the Club Bingo closed and the building was remodeled.
The new place opened as the Sahara Hotel and Casino. Prell added the famous Congo Room as well as 120 hotel rooms. As soon as it opened the Sahara was a success and continues that success today. In 1965, Prell bought the King's Crown for $16 million on the Las Vegas Strip. The place had been failing and Prell remodeled it and renamed it the Aladdin Hotel and Casino with an Arabian Nights theme, it opened in 1966. Prell had added restaurants, a lounge, a 500 seat showroom and a golf course.
At the same time, Prell's brother-in-law sold his mattress business so Prell could purchase the The Mint Hotel and Casino on Fremont Street. Prell promised his brother-in-law a job and made him the manager.
Some time later, Milton Prell suffered a stroke. Prell was now confined to a wheelchair but he insisted on walking with two canes through the casino to his office each morning. The Aladdin's profits were dropping and eventually he couldn't keep up and the Aladdin was sold.
