ROBERT RIGHETTI 

Robert "Bob" G. Righetti, passed away at his home in 
Smith River, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009. He was 78. 
Bob was born July 20, 1931, in San Francisco, to George 
Maheras and Louise Righetti. He grew up there, attending 
parochial school and then three years at Jesuit College, 
where he majored in epistemology. Following that, Bob 
entered the U.S. Air Force. He served four years and 
played on the Air Force basketball team. The scoring 
records he broke while playing there remain to this day. 
His talent in basketball landed him an opportunity to 
play for the Washington Senators, the traveling team 
that played against the Harlem Globetrotters. The 
grueling tour schedule got to him after a while; his 
final stop was at Las Vegas, where he would begin an 
illustrious career in the gaming industry. Beginning as 
a lifeguard at the Flamingo, Bob worked his way up, 
learned the games and, at the age of 27, became the 
youngest casino manager in Nevada history. He later went 
to work for the Nevada State Gaming Commission as an 
enforcer to ensure casinos and patrons were following 
the rules. His experience in this led him to create a 
unique investigation agency that provided inside 
protection for casinos against gaming fraud. Bob even 
developed a mug book of frequent offenders that would 
come to be world renown. While in Las Vegas, Bob met a 
young cocktail waitress by the name of Elaine Hendricks. 
The two would eventually fall in love and be married at 
noon Dec. 11, 1965, in Lake Tahoe. They moved to 
Brookings, Ore., in 1989, and purchased the Sporthaven 
Restaurant and Lounge. Bob was a very kind and generous 
man; he went out of his way to help anyone in need and 
was a mentor to many. Survivors include his wife, of 
nearly 44 years, Elaine of Smith River; daughters, 
Pamela Righetti of Harbor, Ore., and Carol Reems and her 
husband, David, of Clayton, Ga.; sons, Mark Righetti of 
Clayton, Rick Nelson Righetti of Brookings, and Ronald 
Righetti and his wife, Chrissy, of Brookings; 
grandchildren, Victor Banks and his wife, Misty, 
Brittany Righetti, Cheyenne Righetti, Kedrick Nelson, 
Chantelle Nelson, Kenny Reems and Kevin Reems; one 
great-grandchild, Taylor Reems; and brother, Oliver 
Treewartha of Las Vegas. A potluck celebration of Bob's 
life was held Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Voodoo Lounge, on 
Lower Harbor Road, at the Port of Brookings Harbor, 
where favorite memories of Bob were shared.

Published in Las Vegas Review-Journal on November 22, 
2009