John Harris Sheridan

Howard Hughes: the Las Vegas Years: the Women, the Mormons, the Mafia John Harris Sheridan

Publisher Marketing: Many people know about Howard Hughes, America's first billionaire. He was an aviation engineer, an Oscar-winning motion picture producer and director, and a hotel and casino owner in Las Vegas and Reno, with seven establishments. He built the biggest airplane in the world at the time-known as the Spruce Goose-and the Glormar Explorer supership for the CIA. He owned RKO Motion Picture Studios in Hollywood, as well as tens of thousands of acres in California, Nevada, and Texas. Fewer people, however, know the Howard Hughes of the neon world of Las Vegas in the 1970s. Reclusive and eccentric, Hughes spent his later years surrounded by Mormon aides who insulated him from outsiders. This collection of biographical anecdotes includes stories of the power players of the time-celebrities, famous actresses, and the Las Vegas Mafia-as well as tales of Hughes's bevy of less-well-known ladies. Told by an insider who knew Hughes in that era, these stories reveal new aspects of an American icon, set against the background of Sin City, the town he loved so much. "John has captured a fascinating era here; I know ... I was there." -Alvin Zuckert, Emmy-award winning television director "John's book caused me to relive an exciting and wonderful time in my life. There were sides of Hughes you never knew existed ... until now!" -Ted West, engineer for Hughes Television, KLAS-TV and FOX-TV, Las Vegas, Nevada "No crapshoot here; John's got an absolute winner." -Gary Marlow, technical director for Hughes Television, KLAS-TV, Las Vegas, Nevada Contributor Bio:  Sheridan, John Harris John Harris Sheridan comes from a 'Show Business and Sports Family'. His Grandfather owned Vaudeville Theaters in Pittsburgh, PA and started the first all motion picture theater in the world and coined the name 'The Nickelodeon'. Nickel=The price of admission and Odeon= The Greek word for theater. John's uncle John H. Harris opened the first Sports Arena in Pittsburgh called Duquesne Gardens. He brought the American League Hockey team The Pittsburgh Hornets to Pittsburgh, winning three Caulder Cups. He was the Creator, President and Producer of the greatest show on ice and called it Ice Capades. John Harris Sheridan joined Ice Capades right after high school and skated with the show in '55, '56 & '57 before returning to Phoenix College and Arizona State University. In 1968, John went to work for KLAS-TV in Las Vegas. He didn't realize it but, Howard Hughes owned KLAS-TV and John was put in charge of his films, video tapes and personal viewing and communicated with Hughes 3 or 4 times a week. John has worked in television since 1959 starting in Phoenix, Los Angeles, New York City, St. Louis, Las Vegas, and El Paso, Texas and smaller cities along the way. John's father Andrew E. Sheridan was a lawyer, his Mother Mary Harris Sheridan was a housewife and they had five children: John, Thomas, Harry, Eleanor and Denny. John and his brother Thomas are the only survivors. John has three children: John who owns his own business, Kevin who is attending college and Brendan who is a police officer.