Man who builds nation's first hotel-casino dies

The 12-story Mapes Hotel opened on Dec. 17, 1947, and the glorious mountain views from atop its Sky Room once drew politicians, high rollers and Hollywood's elite, including Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Shirley Temple.

But it closed 35 years later, on Dec. 17, 1982, and has stood shuttered along the banks of the Truckee River ever since.

Last year, Reno city officials unveiled a $46 million plan to spare the landmark from the wrecking ball and give it new life as timeshare units and a retail center.

Former performer Kenny Armstrong said Mapes ushered Reno into a new era by making it a major entertainment and gambling center.

His hotel was the first in the country to feature gambling, dining, entertainment and luxury accommodations under one roof.

"Mapes changed the whole thing here when he brought in the stars into the Sky Room. He was a great innovator of entertainment," he said.

Among those performing at the Mapes were Sammy Davis Jr., Mae West, the Marx Brothers, Gypsy Rose Lee and Danny Thomas.

"It was a novelty back in 1947. The Mapes set the stage for what we see in gaming today in Nevada and the country," said Alice Baldrica, Nevada's deputy state historic preservation officer.

Its unique art deco style earned it a listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The resort was named last year as one of the most endangered historic places in the country by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Services for Mapes, a third-generation Nevadan from a pioneer family, are pending at Trinity Episcopal Church in Reno.

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