Silvio Petricciani (December 1, 1917 - September 16, 2011) was a long-time casino manager in Las Vegas and Reno. His father, John was an owner/operator of the Palace Club in Reno and supplied slot machines to many other clubs in the area, including the Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe and the Bank Club in Reno, both owned and run by Bill Graham.

Sil graduated from Central High in Reno, Nevada in 1935 and spent several years - before and after graduation – repairing and moving slot machines for his father’s business.


When he turned 21, he became an expert Faro dealer, which was still quite popular in Reno before the Second World War. When the war broke out, Sil enlisted in the United States Army and earned a Bronze Star for his time serving with the 1^st Cavalry in the European Campaign.

When he returned to Reno he found that his father had leased the Palace Club to Ernie Primm and Baldy West. The lease was for a term of five years and had an option for an additional five years, which was executed in 1948. Not wishing to be seen as the property-owners son begging for a job, Sil went to work for his brother-in-law, Pick Hobson, at Shorty’s Club in Sparks. He dealt dice and Faro at Shorty’s, and managed to keep both current and ex-servicemen from trampling the small club and bar. Sil recalled later that fights didn’t breakout in the club, they were constant.

Sil was back from the war before this time, and with the casino leased-out, he went to work for his brother-in-law, Pick Hobson, at Shorty’s Club in Sparks.

  When Shorty’s was sold, he moved with Pick to the Frontier Club next door to Harrah’s on S. Virginia Street and then asked Bill Harrah for a job.

The following day he heard that Warren Nelson, then Harrah's casino manager, told his boss, “We can give him a job; we’ll put him on the Faro Bank with Bill Panelli so Bill can carry him.”

Sil immediately met with Bill Harrah and told him, “I don’t need anybody to carry me, so thank you very much, but no thank you”. Instead, Sil and his brother John took a $15,000 bankroll down to Las Vegas and ran the Faro Bank game for Eddie and Benny Moss.  After the club was sold to Benny Binion and became the Horseshoe, Sil worked at the El Rancho for Beldon Katleman.

The El Rancho was very popular and attracted Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor and the Gabor sisters, and men like Marshall Caifano and Howard hughes. Years later, Sil remembered that Hughes was dressed in sneakers and a pair of old, white duck pants and came over to his game and bet a dollar back and forth, but never more.

Returning Home

Petricciani was brought-in to open the Strip's first Keno game at the new Stardust casino.and it was very popular. His deal included points in the casino,which was very successful, and he made enough money to return home in 1964 and invest in the now-available Palace Club. With brother John and sisters Marietta and Clorinda, the family once again refurbished the old casino and added enough lights outside  for the neon to be seen from miles away.

The casino was located on the corner of Commercial Row and Center Street, next door to Harrah's and Harold's Club, which both had frontage on Virginia Street.For the next 15-years the casino was a favorite with Reno locals and had a friendly feel about it for casual gamblers and regulars who liked to dine in the restaurant.

When the club closed in 1978, Sil worked for other gaming operations in town, including the Mapes, which he helped prior to its own demise, and Sil had the unfortunate luck to have to close that landmark casino also.

In later years he stayed busy as a life member in the Air Force Association and Director Emeritus of the Reno Air Racing Association. He was also on the Board of Trustee for the Airport Authority for a dozen years.