Bernard Goldstein (casino owner)
Encyclopedia
Bernard Goldstein was the founder and chairman of Isle of Capri Casinos
and is sometimes called the "father of modern riverboat gambling" because he was the first person to run riverboat casino
s in the Midwest and South after they became legal in the 1990s.
scrap metal
firm, Alter Companies, owned by his father-in-law
in 1950 and served as secretary/treasurer until 1964, when he was elected executive vice president. He became president in 1973 and chairman in 1980.
In 1960 he launched a barge
and tugboat
service on the Mississippi River
, Alter Barge Line, to transport the scrap
Its first boat was the MV Frank R. Alter. Its boats are marked by districtive yellow trim. The boats initially transported coal upriver and scrap metal down and then expanded into carrying grain.
In 1998 he wrote a book about the company Navigating the century: A personal account of Alter Company's first hundred years - The History Factory (1998) ISBN 1882771028
, opened 30 minutes later in Davenport.
He opened the first casino in the South in Biloxi, Mississippi
on August 1, 1992.
In 1992 the company was listed on NASDAQ
under the ticker symbol
ISLE.
It now operates in six states across the U.S., approx. 2 million visitors each year.
Isle of Capri Casinos
Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. is a gaming company headquartered in Creve Coeur, Missouri which operates casinos and associated entertainment and lodging facilities in the United States and abroad....
and is sometimes called the "father of modern riverboat gambling" because he was the first person to run riverboat casino
Riverboat casino
A riverboat casino is a type of casino found in several areas of the United States which use a riverboat as a casino. Several states authorized this type of casino to limit the areas where casinos could be constructed under a type of legal fiction.-History:...
s in the Midwest and South after they became legal in the 1990s.
Early life
He received his undgraduate and law degrees from the University of Illinois. He was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1951Alter Companies
He joined the Davenport, IowaDavenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
scrap metal
Scrap Metal
Scrap Metal were a band from Broome, Western Australia who played rock music with elements of country and reggae. The members had Aboriginal, Irish, Filipino, French, Chinese, Scottish, Indonesian and Japanese heritage. The band toured nationally as part of the Bran Nue Dae musical and with...
firm, Alter Companies, owned by his father-in-law
Father-in-law
A parent-in-law is a person who has a legal affinity with another by being the parent of the other's spouse. Many cultures and legal systems impose duties and responsibilities on persons connected by this relationship...
in 1950 and served as secretary/treasurer until 1964, when he was elected executive vice president. He became president in 1973 and chairman in 1980.
In 1960 he launched a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
and tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
service on the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, Alter Barge Line, to transport the scrap
Its first boat was the MV Frank R. Alter. Its boats are marked by districtive yellow trim. The boats initially transported coal upriver and scrap metal down and then expanded into carrying grain.
In 1998 he wrote a book about the company Navigating the century: A personal account of Alter Company's first hundred years - The History Factory (1998) ISBN 1882771028
Riverboat gambling
In 1989 as he approached retirement he began lobbying Iowa to pass riverboat gambling. His boat the M/V Diamond Lady was the first legal riverboat casino in modern times when it sailed from Bettendorf on April 1, 1991. The President, a gambling boat owned by John E. ConnellyJohn E. Connelly
John Edward Connelly founded the Gateway Clipper Fleet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pioneered riverboat casino gambling along the Mississippi River via his President Casinos empire, and founded a fleet of ships operating out of Chelsea Piers in New York City.-Early life:Connelly was born in...
, opened 30 minutes later in Davenport.
He opened the first casino in the South in Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi, Mississippi
Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the population as 44,054. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County....
on August 1, 1992.
In 1992 the company was listed on NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The NASDAQ Stock Market, also known as the NASDAQ, is an American stock exchange. "NASDAQ" originally stood for "National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations". It is the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization in the world, after the New York Stock Exchange. As of...
under the ticker symbol
Ticker symbol
A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a short abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. "Ticker symbol" refers to the symbols that were printed on the ticker...
ISLE.
It now operates in six states across the U.S., approx. 2 million visitors each year.