Todd Simons:  

Life Married 21 yrs., 3 children ages 14, 17, & 20. Live in Las Vegas since 1980, employed at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino as Executive Vice President of Gaming Operations / Marketing..Call me if you are ever in Vegas - 702-591-5517. As a young kid growing up on the streets of New York, from a very young age, I was always trying to figure out the correct path to take in order to lead me out of the concrete jungle. Coming from a middle class, blue collar family, I knew two things. I wanted to make enough money to lead a successful, fulfilling life, and have the ability to make a difference. In order to stay out of trouble and off the streets, my friends and I would look for something to focus on other than Stick Ball, Paddle Ball, Basketball, Roller Hockey, surfing the top of the elevators in our apartment building, hopping a free ride on the back bumper of a city bus and running from the local gang members who were constantly on the prowl looking for trouble¿..you get the picture. Fortunately, one of our friends ¿Uncle¿ owned an Amusement Machine company that operated Pinball / Video machines, jukeboxes and Cigarette machines. One Saturday when I was 15 years old, his Uncle invited us to his shop to help clean and organize it. Our pay was as much pinball and video games we could play¿¿little did I know that this was the opportunity that would one day lead me to a succesful career in the Gaming (Gambling) Industry. I ended up in Las Vegas on vacation in the summer of 1979 visiting an Aunt & Uncle who had moved here from Brooklyn New York in 1976. Bored and home alone midweek while they were at work, I picked up the yellow pages and began calling Slot Machine companies as I was curious as to what they paid. I felt I had enough expe...Expand for more