Casino executive Aline Davies dies

Aline "Line" Davies broke several barriers in the Las Vegas casino industry during the 1960s.

Being able to speak and write in seven different languages helped.

Davies, 80, who passed away Friday following complications from surgery, was considered one of the Strip's first female casino executives when she handled customer relations at the Tropicana in the 1970s. Davies also worked at the Sands, Caesars Palace and the Riviera.

"She was very personable, and people would rely on her," Davies' sister, Starr Leavitt, recalled Tuesday. "She was very smart, very observant, and the customers were naturally attracted to her."

Davies came to Las Vegas in 1965 after being born and raised in Romania. Her language skills led to a front desk job at the Sands.

"She was the first female front desk clerk in Las Vegas," said her daughter, Tanzy Bell. "Women didn't have those type of jobs back then. She was able to break that ceiling because she was good with the customers."

Eventually, Davies was able to take her language skills onto the casino floor.

Her sister recalled that if a big player from a foreign country showed up at the casino where Davies worked, it was her job to make sure things went smoothly.

"She was a very unique person," Leavitt said. "She even spoke a little bit of Chinese. She could pick up languages pretty quickly, and she could switch back and forth between languages."

During her career, Davies worked with or knew some of the industry's top casino operators at the time, including Caesars Palace developer Jay Sarno and casino executive Ash Resnick.

Even after she retired, Davies still kept her hands in the casino business.

"She really enjoyed working with the customers," Bell said.

Davies is survived by her daughters, Bell and Louise Karen, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Davies cared for cats in her later years, and the family asked that donations be made to the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Funeral services will be private, and Davies will be buried in her native Romania.