Don Laughlin, RIP!!

[Looking Glass]

Don (Riverside Casino) Laughlin, has passed away at 92 early this morning, 10/22/2023

 

[Rayson1971]

Though he was already dead. Or is this Jr.?

 

[Dunerking]

Wow,a good run! RIP

 

[TimeBandit]

Love me some Riverside fried chicken... Don was a visionary no doubt.

 

[Hydroman55]

Took some balls to buy a cafe in the middle of nowhere….RIP Don

 

[RiverDave]

Guy is a legend.. RIP Don!! My condolences to the Laughlin family.

 

[angiebaby]

It takes something special to turn a chicken shack on the Colorado into a town. RIP, Don.

 

[FreeBird236]

Sad news. He lost his wife last year, now they're together. RIP Don.

 

[Outdrive1]

Legend! RIP.

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

RiP.... You'd often see that dude strolling around the casino. Lol... Pour out a Riverside Light for ole Don.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

My river “birthday” was a month after my actual birthday. I was living the river life that young at the river of Laughlin and Bullhead, and Mohave.

So i spent a ton of my childhood on river trips there and I’ve seen a lot of change, from the change in the casinos, the bridge going in, and all the growth on both sides of the river.

I will say that place wouldn’t be what it is today without Don. So thanks, Don for all the fun I had growing up on your piece of the river. Best memories of my childhood were made there.

 

[Loony Toon]

RIP Uncle Don
Always enjoyed talking with him whenever I got a chance.
When we demoed his place on the river for the ramp and gas dock, he had lots of very interesting stories to tell.

 

[manxman]

I saw Don a couple years ago at the Golden Nugget in Laughlin. The guy at the front said that he liked the Claim Jumper and came there allot. He pulled up in a white rolls with a young asian women. (I assume a "caregiver") but who am I to judge!!

 

[DILLIGAF]

He and his wife got kicked out of the Riverside one night. Lol. How the F does that happen? I guess they were dancing and started arguing and things got out of control.

True story

 

[DILLIGAF]

Then there are the helo stories of buzzing people on the river.

He couldnt park his helo at the Riverside anymore after he had a crash while drinking a bit.

 

[baja-chris]

RIP legend. Hell of a legacy. Had a house there (Laughlin) in 90’s and used to run the Schiada from Riverside Casino down to Parker Dam and back mostly WFO on weekday mornings.

 

[rmarion]

Don, kicked my boys out of the loser lounge, while signing Kareoke.

My guess... he didn't like the song (Santa Baby) or the fact the singer went over an put his arm around Don while singing....

LOL

 

[SoCalZero]

I watched a movie at The Riverside and Don was sitting six seats over from us. RIP Don.

 

[stonehenge]

I did Lauglhlin all through the 80's, always joked I would eventually end up there. Did the river all up and down (Mohave to Martinez) for decades and kept joking I would end up in Laughlin. Looked at every city along the river and kept joking I would end up in Laughlin. Well back in March we bought a place in Laughlin, love it.

Shoulda done it years ago.

Met him twice, once at the Riverside and another time at an event for the hospital he funded that is being built. Class act, tons of character.

At 92 he had a good run, he will be missed by many folks.

Prayers go out to his friends and family.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Don, kicked my boys out of the loser lounge, while signing Kareoke.

My guess... he didn't like the song (Santa Baby) or the fact the singer went over an put his arm around Don while singing....

LOL

I took Justin and his friend Alex in there when they were 14. They put on bucket hats and I told them just walk and don't look back. We got in there and those boys turned it up a notch. It was funny as shit watching them dance around the Losers Lounge....Crazy times. That was almost 25 years ago.....different times.

 

[BoatCop]

Don actually called me, when I was at the USCG Boating Safety Detachment (Summer Station) at Cottonwood Cove, May 1979. It seems skiers were buzzing the dock, spraying the people waiting for the Riverside shuttle boats. One of the skiers lost an edge and slammed into the concrete dock, killing himself and traumatizing a bunch of Blue Hairs. He asked us if we would come down off the lake and do some patrols. He said we could launch at their ramp, below the Casino just across from the old Post Office (which we took him up on) and offered us a bunch of comps for rooms, drinks, and meals (which we didn't).

There was little to no law enforcement on that stretch below Davis Dam. We went down a couple of weekends in a row, surprising the hell out of a whole lot of jet boaters. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. At least until we wiped out a prop, shaft and strut on the Spectra V-drive, when the BOR cut the flow, unexpectedly. Shortly after that, they sent the 18' Spectra jet to Parker, from San Diego, and assigned the upper River area to the Parker crew.

Rest in Peace, Don.

 

[FROGMAN524]

Don used to buzz the coves down the lake, maybe 100 feet off the water, when I was a kid. RIP.

 

[Looking Glass]

Took some balls to buy a cafe in the middle of nowhere….RIP Don

Don Laughlin AND Robert McCulloch, were both in a "League Of Their Own". They both had a Dream and a Vision and Laid it On The Line

 

[BingerFang]

Legend. RIP.

 

[Dan Lorenze]

I've been riding to Laughlin with my friends over the last 25 years on dirt bikes, so many great memories. One time years ago at the Riverside upstairs at the bar we saw Don Laughlin sitting at the bar behind some velvet ropes, security allowed us pass the velvet ropes and we sat next to Mr Don Laughlin. He looked as us and we said that we've been coming to the Riverside for over 20 years on our dirt bikes from California and it was an Honor to meet you... He said "We're open 24 hours" lol.... Til this day we all have this inside joke amongst us... "we're open 24 hours"..

Rest in Piece, pioneer and legend. Don Laughlin..

 

[Hardly Satisfied]

RIP

 

[Ducksquasher]

RIP...God Bless.

 

[Bobby V]

RIP Don

 

[Mandelon]

Donald Joseph Laughlin (May 4, 1931 – October 22, 2023) was an American gambling entrepreneur, hotelier, and rancher for whom the town of Laughlin, Nevada, is named.[1]

Early life[edit]​

A native of Owatonna, Minnesota, Laughlin worked winters during his youth as a fur trapper. He took the profits and used them to purchase slot machines for installation in hunting lodges. He was making $500 a week when his school principal gave him an ultimatum: get out of slots or get out of school. He chose to drop out of school.

Career[edit]​

Laughlin moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in the late 1950s and purchased his first casino, the "101 Club." By 1964, Laughlin had sold the 101 Club. That same year, Laughlin was flying his private plane over the California/Arizona/Nevada tri-state area near the Colorado River. Growth in the area, specifically in Bullhead City and Kingman in Arizona, and Needles in California, was spurred by the construction of nearby Davis Dam, completed in 1951. The area was also a major stop along Route 66. It was during that flight that Laughlin envisioned the potential of the area as a resort destination. Soon after, he purchased a shuttered, eight-room riverfront motel on 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) for US$250,000. Though the landowner had several offers, he decided to sell the property to Laughlin because of his previous casino background.

In less than two years the Riverside Resort was entertaining guests not only with gambling but with all-you-can-eat chicken dinners for 98 cents. Play at the casino was on twelve slot machines and two live gaming tables. Accommodations at the Riverside were available in only four of the motel's eight rooms; Laughlin's family occupied the remaining four.

The Town of Laughlin is believed to have received its name when a U.S. Postal Service inspector asked Laughlin to give a name to the area post office in order to receive mail. Laughlin suggested the name "Riverside and Casino," but the postal inspector in turn suggested "Laughlin" because of their common Irish heritage.

In 1972, the property, now known as the Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino, underwent a major expansion with the addition of 48 new rooms. In 1975, 52 more rooms were added. Construction of a 14-story hotel/casino tower in 1983 added 253 rooms and in 1986, a second 14-floor tower added 307 more rooms and an automotive museum. With free admission to the public, the Riverside's extensive collection is an offshoot of the famous Harrah's collection. One longtime exhibit, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro nicknamed "Big Red" and specially prepared for road racing, has been returned to service and was the cover story of the May 2005 edition of Hot Rod Magazine. The largest expansion came in 1994 with the addition of 800 more rooms for a current total of 1405 rooms. A bowling center, one of only two in Laughlin, was constructed in 1999. Mr. Laughlin also helped finance the construction of a bridge over the Colorado River between the northern tip of Laughlin and the Laughlin-Bullhead International Airport (on the Arizona side), connecting Nevada Highway 163 with Arizona Highways 95 & 68. He also helped to finance the expansion of the airport to enable it to accept full-sized commercial airliners.

Laughlin spent his time shuttling in his private helicopter between his penthouse suite atop the Riverside and his cattle ranch in nearby Kingman. He also used his helicopter in travels back to his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, for the Steele County Free Fair, parking it in a vacant lot behind the Owatonna Country Inn & Suites before it was replaced by a cinema's parking lot.

Personal life and death[edit]​

Laughlin married Betty L. Jones in 1953. They had three children and were married until her death in 2022.[2][3]

Laughlin died on October 22, 2023, at the age of 92

 

[mbrown2]

Some fun nights in the Loser's lounge...thx for the memories Don!

 

[EarpRider]

https://fb.watch/nUdGn49NVH/?mibextid=Nif5oz

 

[Beautiful Noise]

My Great Grandmother was from Owatonna,Minn and knew Don’s Mother …..
R.I.P. Mr. Don Laughlin

 

[TPC]

My late first wife was a separated-at birth-twin of a young Marlo Thomas. That,,, a thread in its own.
Early on Laughlin had 5 & 25 cent Jacks or Better video poker as video poker first caught on. A BFD - had every one talking. Generous jackpots.

Laughlin had ballroom style dancing (a few times a month if I recall), a BFD and Don would of course dance with all the girls,, including my wife. She loved it.

Comp'd booze included premium and often high premium booze. Tres' Hermanos' was the tequila of choice back then and they poured it generously. That changed over time.

To the fisherfolk, Laughlin was known as Southpoint until the postmaster asked Don what name he wanted.