1957
After Robert Van Santen and Cecil Lynch’s business partnership in the Las Vegas, Nevada Fortune Club went sour (Lynch broke off to open his own gambling club at the Golden Slot site), the two fought over use of that name for their respective casinos.
The dispute led to Van Santen suing Lynch for $100,000 in damages ($860,000 today). Eventually, Van Santen re-named his place Nevada Club but still didn’t want any downtown enterprise using the moniker Fortune Club.
When Clark County commissioners threatened to resolve the issue, though, the men came to an agreement, and Van Santen dropped the lawsuit.
