Last night, almost 1,000 people showed up to remember and celebrate the dynamic life of Don Carano.
From an Eldorado press release:
A pioneer in law, gaming and wine industries, Mr. Carano was also an entrepreneur, hotelier, restaurateur, husband, father and grandfather. Don is celebrated as a family-oriented, passionate leader in his many businesses, including: Eldorado Resorts, Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, and the McDonald Carano law firm. He was also known throughout his life as a longtime supporter of philanthropic endeavors in both Reno and his wine country home in Geyserville, Alexander Valley, CA.
Even though I had never met Don Carano, last night being in a room full of his family, friends, former employees, and those who followed him from afar I could feel the love and respect many felt for him. The room was filled with the who’s who of old Reno as well as the movers and shakers of the next phase of Reno’s rich tradition of gaming and tourism.
Don Carano was a lawyer with a degree from the University of San Francisco and USF Law School and had a thriving law practice in Reno of which he was part of until his passing on Oct. 3, 2017.
He also made a substantial impact on Reno’s gaming industry with many projects such as the Boomtown Casino opened in 1972 and the Eldorado Hotel Casino opened in 1973. Today the Eldorado Resorts organization includes 19 properties in 10 states.
As a second-generation Italian-American, born in Reno on Oct. 17, 1931, Carano’s Italian heritage showed strong with the annual Eldorado Italian Festival, held just last weekend, and at his Ferrari-Carano winery. The family owns 24 estate ranches with over 1,900 vineyard acres in Northern California. At the celebration of life last night there were hundreds of bottles of Ferrari-Carano wine enjoyed by the family and friends attending.
What struck me was how the family opened their arms to anyone who wished to join the celebration. There was perhaps the best buffet I have ever experienced, and with the wine flowing the love for this man was evident and the family’s commitment to the Reno community is heartwarming.
