Ron Markin

Ron Markin (1928-2017) was Stage Door Casino’s visionary founder. The Canadian native moved to Las Vegas in 1958 and set his sights on being a part of Las Vegas’ growth. Ron called Las Vegas home for nearly 60 years and he left his mark on the city he grew to love.  Ron lived life on his own terms and he embraced Las Vegas’ culture, where things got done with a handshake and your word was your bond.

Ron’s life in Las Vegas began with his cousin’s invitation to move to Las Vegas to work at a gift store at the Fremont Hotel.  That move was just the beginning of the life the outgoing, natural businessman would create for himself and for his family.  After briefly working at the Fremont Hotel gift shop, Ron embarked on his own venture and opened Ron Markin Men’s Wear and Ladies Wear boutiques at the Tropicana.  During the 50s and 60s, the boutiques were the places to shop for fashionable high-end designer couture.  Ron’s customers included Las Vegas’ most distinguished residents, and Las Vegas Strip celebrity performers, including Elvis Presley, often shopped at Ron Markin.

Pictured:

• Ron Markin hosting Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme in the late 1970s.

• Ron Markin Boutique at the Tropicana

In the 1960s, Ron owned and operated the Bali Hai Motel on Desert Inn Road. The Markins like to recount a story about how Ron eventually sold the property. As the story goes, Howard Hughes bought the Desert Inn and had moved into the penthouse suite and knowing Hughes’ obsession with privacy, Ron saw a “unique” business opportunity.  Half-jokingly, he placed a sign on the Bali Hai property that read “Future Home of High-Rise Condominiums.”  He faced the sign towards the Desert Inn where Hughes could see it, with the assumption that Hughes would be taken aback by the potential of high-rise occupants being able to peer across the street into his suite. Within 24-hours of posting the sign, Ron received a cash offer from Hughes to buy the Bali Hai Motel and was given just 3-hours to vacate the property. No contract, no escrow. Just a handshake and a cash transfer – the old Vegas way.  Ron’s son Randy laughs as he recalls how his dad called family and friends to help him clear out the Bali Hai in just a matter of hours.

Long-time Las Vegas residents remember when the original MGM Hotel was located where Bally’s stands today. The MGM’s stage door exit faced Flamingo Road, and Ron saw an opportunity to open a lounge where performers and guests could easily cross the street to relax – that lounge was called The Stage Door.  The Stage Door became popular with many Las Vegas legends including Frank Sinatra, who regularly visited The Stage Door after performances to relax with a bottle of his favorite whiskey.

Today, Stage Door Casino continues to carry out Ron’s legacy; he always used to say you’re as good as your last name – something that he taught his family and that his family embraces today.  Tanya Markin, Ron’s wife, and Randy Markin, Ron’s son, operate the family-owned Stage Door Casino and Stage Door Liquor.  The décor may have changed throughout the years, but Stage Door’s old Vegas hospitality and value live on.