For Terri Penuelas, the former Gold Strike Inn & Casino was more than just a place where she worked for nearly four decades. It was home.
“Back then, everyone was like family, customers included,” she said. “We had many regulars. Our customers were the best, and we still had many of the same regulars 37 years later. We had a $1.49 buffet, 99 cents (senior nights), and a Friday night all-you-can-eat crab/seafood buffet. This would bring in many customers, who would line up hours before to pick up a number to get into the buffet.”
But all that came to a screeching halt on June 16, 1998. In the early morning hours, a fire spread through the casino, destroying the entire building.
