Don Barden
A downtown casino owner from Detroit
An entrepreneur whose Majestic Star business acquired Fitzgeralds and operated the downtown casino during the 2000s.
The Fitzgeralds acquisition
UNLV’s collection history records Majestic Star’s purchase of Fitzgeralds out of bankruptcy, including properties outside Nevada. Barden’s ownership forms a distinct chapter between the casino’s earlier history and its later conversion to the D. [1]
Following the downtown record
After Barden’s death in 2011, his estate sold the property to Derek and Greg Stevens. The UNLV collection and Neon Museum’s Fremont Street history provide complementary routes into the property’s changing identity. [1] [2]
Key dates
- 2011
Barden dies; the estate sells Fitzgeralds to the Stevens brothers. [1]
People in the same story
Derek Stevens
Follow Fitzgeralds into the Stevens brothers’ downtown portfolio. [1]
Read the profileIn the archive
248 entries about associated places, not necessarily this person in the saved collection.
The Horseshoe makes room for the racing crowd
An opening-day Sun item introduces Sammy Cohen’s race book at the new Horseshoe on Fremont Street.
The Horseshoe opens downtown
The Sun introduces the newly opened Horseshoe and describes its lavish casino interior.
Fire strikes the Boulder Club
The Sun reports a major fire at the downtown gambling property.
Activists for disabled step up battle against Fremont Street Experience
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Fitzgeralds in bankruptcy, three casinos being sold
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Golden Gate CEO interim chief of Fremont Street Experience
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Go deeper into the record.
Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
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