Founder of Paul-Son Gaming Corp., philanthropist Endy dies at 70

Paul Endy learned the gaming supply business from the ground up in his father's California firm, and he taught it the same way to his three sons in Las Vegas.

Thirty-six years ago, he founded the Paul-Son Gaming Corp., where his innovations revolutionized the industry with top-quality playing cards, cellulose acetate dice and security-enhanced poker chips.

Paul S. Endy Jr., a businessman, 1997 inductee into the Nevada Gaming Hall of Fame and philanthropist, who lived in Las Vegas for 36 years, died Saturday in Las Vegas. He was 70.

Services for Endy will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Central Christian Church, 3375 S. Mojave Road. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Davis Paradise Valley Funeral Home. Burial will be in Paradise Memorial Gardens.

Endy died following a lengthy illness that began last October, a month before he stepped down as chairman of the world's largest manufacturer of gaming supplies. At that time, his son, Eric Endy, was named chairman.

"My father brought legitimacy to the gaming supply industry," Eric said. "He developed new technology like microfilm in gaming chips to help prevent forgeries and the proprietary molding system that allows us to use highly detailed color graphics on chips.

"He had many visions for his business and the industry, and I will work hard to continue in the footprints he left."

Born July 12, 1928, in Monterey Park, Calif., Endy was the son of Paul Endy Sr., owner of T.R. King and Co., which sold casino supplies. Endy was a four-year letterman in baseball and football at Mark Keppel High School and played both sports while attending Long Beach City College.

Paul Jr. went to work for his father just as his sons Eric, Patrick and the late Thomas Endy would do for him -- all starting out on the bottom rung and working their way up the ladder.

In the 1940s and '50s, Endy traveled the California coast selling cards and chips to poker rooms. He is credited with being the first salesman to provide gaming equipment to Southern California organizations that conducted charity casino nights.

In 1963 Endy came to Las Vegas with his late partner, Curley Ashworth, and Endy's sons to open Paul-Son in a building on Industrial Road that had been the offices of a bankrupt dice manufacturing company.

A short time later, he bought a building at 2121 Industrial Road and moved his company there. That building was featured in episodes of the 1980s television series "Vegas." Last year, Paul-Son moved to its current location, 1700 Industrial Road.

The company became a publicly held corporation on March 29, 1994. It is the nation's leading manufacturer of casino table game equipment and has offices nationwide, including Atlantic City and Reno.

In recent years Endy started Authentic Products Inc., which manufactures commemorative nongaming chips to the sports memorabilia market.

As his wealth grew, Endy spread it around to numerous charities, especially those that help young people. He was a past chairman and member of the board of directors of Westcare, a nonprofit drug rehabilitation program.

His other charitable causes included the Boy Scouts, the UNLV and Chaparral High School baseball teams and the Asilo de Ancianos home for impoverished and elderly Mexican women, where a garden and wing are dedicated to the memory of his son Thomas, who died in 1983.

Endy also was a contributor to several orphanages in Mexico, where his factory is a chief source of income to the people of San Luis, a town across the border from Arizona, about a five-hour drive from Las Vegas. Each Christmas, Endy accompanied Santa Claus to the village orphanages, his family said.

Endy was a member of Zelzah Shrine Temple, Elks, Optimists International, Masons and Scottish Rite. He was named 1990 Man of the Year by the San Luis Social Assistance organization. In 1994 the UNLV baseball team gave him the distinguished individual award for his contributions.

In addition to his two sons, both of Las Vegas, Endy is survived by his wife, Aniela, of Las Vegas; stepson Eric Esswein of Colorado; stepdaughter Katrina Pilz of Las Vegas; brother Charles Endy of Las Vegas; and 12 grandchildren.

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