It is rare to see Kenny Epstein without a smile.
After all, the 83-year-old chairman and chief executive officer of the El Cortez hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas will be the first to say he has plenty to be happy about. But on Thursday evening, surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, Epstein’s smile was as bright as the neon lights along Fremont Street.
A $20 million expansion of the historic downtown property was officially unveiled Thursday, complete with nostalgia-laden speeches, a ribbon-cutting and a mayoral proclamation declaring Feb. 20 as “El Cortez Hotel & Casino Day” in the city of Las Vegas.
“I feel great,” Epstein said after the pomp and circumstance was over, grinning ear to ear.
