1955 - Reno, NV. The Primadonna Club opened at 241 North Virginia Street.the first major casino allowed to cross the 'red line' and operate on the west side of Virginia Street. In July of 1964 five showgirl statues were placed on the club's marquee; the center statue was 35 feet tall, the other four were each approximately 20 feet.
| The Montage Reno | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Sahara Reno (1978–81) Reno Hilton (1981–92) Flamingo Hilton Reno (1992–2000) Flamingo Reno (2000–01) Golden Phoenix Reno (2002–05) |
| General information | |
| Type | Residential |
| Address | 255 North Sierra Street |
| Town or city | Reno, Nevada |
| Country | United States |
| Opened | 1978; 42 years ago |
| Renovated | 2006–08 |
| Owner | ST Residential LLC |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | David Jacobson Associates (1978) |
| Architecture firm | Antunovich Associates Garofalo Architects (renovation) |
| Main contractor | Del E. Webb Corporation (1978) |
| Website | |
| themontagereno.com | |
The Montage Reno is a high-rise residential building in Reno, Nevada. It previously operated as a hotel and casino from 1978 to 2005, under various names, including Sahara Reno, Reno Hilton, Flamingo Hilton Reno, Flamingo Reno, and Golden Phoenix Reno.
- Primadonna Hotel & Casino Ashtray Reno, NV #1680 $19.99. There is only 1 item left in stock. Featured Products. $5 Gold Strike (Labor Day 1995) Casino Chip (New.
- In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two males, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, Nevada, near the California state line. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach.
The building was converted into a condominium tower from 2006 to 2008. It was formerly connected to Fitzgeralds Reno by a sky bridge.[1] It is owned and operated by ST Residential LLC.
History[edit]
Sahara Reno (1978–81)[edit]
The main hotel/casino, on North Sierra Street, was originally opened in 1978 as Sahara Reno. It was owned by the Del E. Webb Corporation, which also owned the Sahara resort in Las Vegas. The Sahara Reno was designed by David Jacobson Associates and constructed by the Del E. Webb Corporation.[2]
A separate casino building, located on Virginia Street, had previously operated from 1955 until 1978 as the Primadonna, before becoming part of the Sahara. The Virginia Street building was later reopened as Siri's Casino in 2014.
Hilton/Flamingo (1981–2001)[edit]
In 1981, the Sahara Reno became the Reno Hilton,[3] then was renovated in 1992 and became the Flamingo Hilton Reno.
In 2000, Hilton declined to renew its licensing agreement with the Flamingo brand, and the Flamingo Hilton Reno became simply the Flamingo Reno, returning to the original brand formed in the 1940s in Las Vegas.
The 602 room hotel-casino made a profit until its corporate owner Park Place Entertainment, owned by a subsidiary of Hilton Hotels, decided the resort was no longer profitable in a declining gaming market. They decided to close the property on October 21, 2001. The property was sold soon after closing to Vista Hospitality LLC of New York who pledged to renovate and reopen the hotel-casino.
Golden Phoenix Reno (2002–05)[edit]
The new name—Golden Phoenix Reno—was announced in early 2002.[citation needed] The property's hotel reopened on April 2, 2002. It included 604 rooms, a Benihana steakhouse, a coffee shop, and a nightclub.[4] The property's casino area opened in summer 2003, with an official grand opening. Prior to the casino's grand opening, the movie The Cooler was filmed at the Golden Phoenix.
Chicago real estate developer Fernando Leal put a bid in to buy the hotel-casino. Leal won his bid, and announced plans to convert the hotel-casino property into 'The Montage' following a $170 million investment that would take the hotel property down to its concrete support columns, and rebuild condominiums based on the original platform.
Leal closed the Golden Phoenix on December 6, 2005 and his crews began gutting the hotel building in spring 2006.
The Montage Reno (2008–present)[edit]
The Montage Reno was completed in April 2008. Originally, Leal envisioned The Montage Reno as a flourishing condominium resort with a signed lease for Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and the other retail pad planned for the high-profile Cafe Med. Both would fall out. And as a result, Leal would hand the completed project back to its lender to avert a foreclosure disaster in December 2008.
The Montage is now owned by Chicago-based ST Residential, a subsidiary of Starwood Assets and Holdings, a global company. The property is still marketed as a condominium resort with Reno's most exclusive condo amenities such as a 24-hour doorman, resort style pool deck, owners lounge and top grade finishes.
References[edit]
- ^'The Montage Reno Project'. DowntownMakeover.com. May 28, 2006. Retrieved November 28, 2006.
- ^'Webb Spinner 1975-1978'(PDF).
- ^'Local'. Reno Evening Gazette. December 11, 1981. Retrieved August 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^'Golden Phoenix rising in Reno'. Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 4, 2002. Archived from the original on August 6, 2002.
Primadonna Casino Reno Nv
External links[edit]
- Official website
Coordinates: 39°31′40″N119°48′50″W / 39.527716°N 119.813853°W
| Born | October 11, 1978 (age 42) Long Beach, California United States |
|---|---|
| Criminal penalty | Life without the possibility of parole |
| Details | |
| Date | May 25, 1997 |
| Location(s) | Primm, NV United States |
Jeremy Strohmeyer (born October 11, 1978) is an American convicted murderer, serving four consecutive life terms for the sexual assault and murder of 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson (October 20, 1989 – May 25, 1997)[1] at Primadonna Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada, on May 25, 1997.
The case drew national attention by focusing on the safety of children in casinos and on the revelation that Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash Jr., said he saw the crime in progress but did not stop it.[2]
The crime[edit]
In the early morning hours of May 25, 1997, two males, Jeremy Strohmeyer (age 18) and David Cash Jr. (age 17), were at the Primadonna Resort & Casino at Primm, Nevada, near the California state line. The two young men had arrived at the gambling establishment, accompanied by Cash's father, from their homes in Long Beach.[citation needed] Strohmeyer was a student at Wilson High School in Long Beach.[3]
At around 4 a.m., Strohmeyer began repeatedly making apparently 'playful' contact with 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson, who was roaming the casino alone. The young girl's father was gambling and drinking. Her father left Sherrice in the care of her 14-year-old brother, Harold, in the casino's arcade. This resulted in Sherrice running around unmonitored. The girl had been returned to her father several times through the day, having been found alone by security. Eventually, Strohmeyer followed Sherrice into a women's restroom.
While in the restroom, the two began throwing wet paper wads at one another. Sherrice then reportedly tossed a yellow plastic 'Wet Floor' sign at Strohmeyer. At around this time Strohmeyer's friend, David Cash, entered the restroom and witnessed Strohmeyer forcibly taking Iverson into a stall. When Cash looked in from the adjacent stall, he saw Strohmeyer holding his left hand over Iverson's mouth and fondling her with his right. After this, Cash left the restroom and was followed 20 minutes later by Strohmeyer, who confessed to him that he and killed the girl.[4]
Three days later, Strohmeyer was taken into custody at his home. Two classmates in Long Beach had identified him after security tape footage captured by cameras at the casino was released by Nevada police and played on the television news. Strohmeyer was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and sexual assault of a minor. When questioned by police, Strohmeyer stated that he molested Iverson and strangled her to stifle her screams. Before leaving, Strohmeyer noticed Iverson was still alive and twisted her head in an attempt to break her neck. After hearing a loud popping sound, he rested her body in a sitting position on the toilet with her feet in the bowl. Strohmeyer's attorneys later tried to have the confession suppressed because he was not given legal counsel. However, the police claimed that Strohmeyer waived his right to have an attorney present during questioning.[4]
Plea bargain[edit]
Strohmeyer's defense attorney was Leslie Abramson, who represented many high-profile clients, including the Menendez brothers. Strohmeyer claimed he was high on alcohol and drugs at the time and did not remember committing the crimes. It was even suggested that perhaps the witness, David Cash, had, in fact, been the one to murder Sherrice, as Strohmeyer claimed to have no recollection of his actions and the witness was the one to actually tell him what he had seen him doing in the bathroom that night. Abramson also noted that Strohmeyer's biological father is in prison and his biological mother is in a mental hospital.[2]
Strohmeyer's trial was scheduled to begin in September 1998. Strohmeyer was originally facing a possible death sentence for the murder (had the case gone to trial), but hours before his trial was to start, Abramson entered a plea bargain on his behalf. On September 8, 1998, Strohmeyer pleaded guilty to four charges: first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, sexual assault on a minor with substantial bodily harm and sexual assault on a minor. On October 14, 1998, he was sentenced to four life terms, one for each crime he pleaded guilty to, to be served consecutively without possibility of parole.[2][5]
After the trial[edit]
Imprisonment[edit]
Strohmeyer was initially incarcerated at Ely State Prison, a maximum security prison located north of Ely, Nevada where most prisoners in Nevada who are serving life without parole are imprisoned for at least the early portion of their sentences. He was placed in administrative segregation, meaning that he was not placed in the general inmate population, but rather in his own cell in a special secured section.[6] His prison number is #059389. Strohmeyer was reportedly transferred to the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada where he is classified as 'medium' custody.
Appeals[edit]
Jeremy Strohmeyer subsequently appealed his conviction.
In 2000, he was unsuccessfully defended by Camille Abate.[7] Strohmeyer recanted his confession and accused Abramson of lying to him and bullying him into pleading guilty in order to cover up her misunderstanding of Nevada law. Strohmeyer's new attorneys also suggested that Abramson wanted him to plead guilty because Strohmeyer's parents could not afford to pay her additional fees if the case went to trial. Abramson denied all the allegations.[8] Ultimately, his appeal was rejected.
In 2001, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Strohmeyer to withdraw his guilty plea. In January 2006, Strohmeyer lost a federal court bid to review his case.[9]
On May 31, 2018, a request for parole was made based on 2012 and 2016 Supreme Court decisions that juveniles should have a chance at parole.[10]His request was denied in July 2018.[11]
Lawsuit by adoptive parents[edit]
In October 1999, Strohmeyer's adoptive parents filed a $1 million lawsuit against Los Angeles County and its adoption workers. They claimed that social workers deliberately withheld crucial information that would have stopped them from adopting him as an infant. Specifically, they claimed they were never told that Strohmeyer's biological mother had severe mental problems, including that she suffered from chronic schizophrenia and had been hospitalized more than 60 times prior to Strohmeyer's birth.[12]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Reopening
However, the Strohmeyers have stated that they will continue to support their adopted son despite the fact that he will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in prison.[12]
Primadonna Casino Reno Nevada Entertainment
David Cash[edit]
Sherrice Iverson's mother demanded that David Cash Jr., also be charged as an accessory to murder, but authorities stated there was insufficient evidence connecting him to the actual crime, and Cash was never prosecuted for any offense related to the murder.
In the weeks following Strohmeyer's arrest, Cash told the Los Angeles Times that he did not dwell on the murder of Sherrice Iverson. 'I'm not going to get upset over somebody else's life. I just worry about myself first. I'm not going to lose sleep over somebody else's problems.' He also told the newspaper that the publicity surrounding the case had made it easier for him to 'score with women.' Cash also told the Long Beach Press-Telegram: 'I'm no idiot ... I'll get my money out of this.'[13][14]
Cash would go on to face being labeled 'the bad Samaritan,' and also the target of a campaign by students who attempted to get him kicked out of UC Berkeley for not stopping the crime. Two local Los Angeles radio hosts, Tim Conway Jr. and Doug Steckler, subsequently held a rally to have Cash expelled from the University of California at Berkeley, but University officials stated that they had no basis to remove him since he was not convicted of any crime.
Cash has never expressed remorse over Iverson's death. In a radio interview, stating that 'It was a very tragic event...The simple fact remains I don't know this little girl ... I don't know people in Panama or Africa who are killed every day, so I can't feel remorse for them. The only person I know is Jeremy Strohmeyer', but still insisted that he did nothing wrong.[4][15]
The Sherrice Iverson bill[edit]
Sherrice Iverson's murder led to the passage of Nevada State Assembly Bill 267, requiring people to report to authorities when they have reasonable suspicions that a child younger than 18 is being sexually abused or violently treated. The impetus for the bill stemmed from Cash's inaction during the commission of the crime.
The 'Sherrice Iverson' bill, introduced by Nevada State Assembly Majority Leader Richard Perkins (D-Henderson), provides for a fine and possible jail time for anyone who fails to report a crime of the nature that led to the creation of the bill. The bill was enacted in 2000.[16]
Sherrice Iverson's murder also led to the passage of California Assembly Bill 1422, the Sherrice Iverson Child Victim Protection Act, which added section 152.3 to California's Penal Code.[17][18] This duty to rescue law requires that a person notify law enforcement if they witness a murder, rape, or any lewd or lascivious act, where the victim is under 14 years old.[18][19]
Increased Security at Nevada Casinos[edit]
As a result of this murder, hotels in Nevada increased security in their arcades, often having a security guard even in small arcades.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Michigan Daily, Berkeley wants student to get out of town, 'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-06-03.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ abcTeen pleads guilty in Nevada casino killing of girl, CNN.com, September 8, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived February 20, 1999, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Wride, Nancy (1997-10-12). 'Truth Stronger Than Friction'. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2017-02-24. 'While Wilson High classmate Jeremy Strohmeyer drew gasps of media attention in late May with his arrest on charges he raped and strangled a 7-year-old at a Nevada casino,[...]'
- ^ abcNevada v. Strohmeyer - 'Casino Child Murder Trial', CourtTV (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived March 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Killer of Girl in Casino Gets Life Term, New York Times, October 15, 1998. (retrieved on August 25, 2008)
- ^Strohmeyer taken to Ely prison, Associated Press (reprinted by Las Vegas RJ News), October 24, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008). Archived October 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^LAS VEGAS RJ:NEWS: Justice unchanged for killerArchived May 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Abramson testifies she didn't force Strohmeyer to take plea by Harriet Ryan, Court TV Online, February 8, 2000. Retrieved on August 25, 2008 Archived March 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Confessed Casino Child Killer Loses Federal Appeal, Associated Press (reprinted by abc7.com), January 18, 2006 (retrieved on August 25, 2008). Archived May 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/06/01/confessed-nevada-child-killer-seeks-parole-cites-immaturity/
- ^https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/judge-denies-new-sentence-for-man-who-killed-girl-at-nevada-casino/
- ^ abAdoptive parents of convicted killer sue social workers by Jennifer Auther, CNN.com, October 27, 1999 (retrieved on August 25, 2008).
- ^[1], The Michigan Daily, September 30, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived May 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Who can possibly reach David Cash's heart of darkness?, San Francisco Chronicle, October 4, 1998 (retrieved on February 16, 2009) Archived August 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^Protesters want student expelledArchived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Bruin, August 31, 1998 (retrieved on August 31, 2008)
- ^https://articles.latimes.com/2000/sep/19/local/me-23477
- ^'Assembly Bill No. 1422'(PDF). California Legislative Information.
- ^ ab'California Penal Code Section 142-181'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2015-03-17.
- ^'California Penal Code Section 281-289.6'. California Legislative Information. Archived from the original on 2016-05-12.