Female casino ‘pioneer’ Jeanne Hood dies

Jeanne Hood, who as president of the Four Queens in the 1970s helped raise the profile of women casino executives in Las Vegas, has died, sources close to her family say.

“There is nothing I would have wanted to change,” she told reporter Dee Coakley in 1978. “I had a wonderful life with my husband and my children. I’ve had a lot of lucky things happen – being in the right place at the right time. I consider myself a very fortunate woman. And I look forward rather than back.

“I love my life.”

She took over the Four Queens in 1977 amid difficult economic times and tough labor disputes. She joined Elsinore Corp. as president in 1985. She started managing hotels in 1958.

Some of Hood’s fondest memories were living for six years in Hollywood’s famous “Garden of Allah” apartments with her husband, Dave Hood, who managed the place famous for its movie star residents.