SPARKS, Nev. (AP) â John Ascuaga, the son of Basque sheepherders who became a northern Nevada gambling icon after he bought a small coffee shop with a few slot machines in Sparks in 1960 and turned it into a major hotel-casino he operated for more than a half century, has died. He was 96.
Ascuaga was known for roaming the casino floor and greeting patrons personally at the Nugget that bore his name along U.S. Interstate 80 just east of Reno until it first was sold in 2013.
Anthony Marnell III, CEO of Marnell Gaming which acquired the property now called the Nugget Casino Resort in 2016, said Ascuagaâs family notified them of his death on Monday. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Nevada Gaming Legend John Ascuaga Dead at 96 - Casino org Nevada Gaming Legend John Ascuaga Dead at 96
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John Ascuaga, Nevada casino icon, dies at 96 - Los Angeles Times
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Jacks Valley Ranch owner and philanthropist John Ascuaga died on Monday.
“We are truly saddened to hear of John Ascuaga’s passing and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and all the members of the community who knew him and benefitted from his impact,” said Marnell Gaming CEO Anthony Marnell III. “John was not only an icon in Northern Nevada and throughout the region, he was also one of the true pioneers in Nevada gaming and helped shape the direction of the entire state.”
Ascuaga purchased the Nugget from founder Dick Graves in 1960 and operated it for the next 53 years, shepherding the growth and expansion from a coffee shop with a few slot machines to the two-tower hotel, convention center, full-service casino and multi-outlet dining facility it became.
Nevada gaming pioneer John Ascuaga dead at 96
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