Clifford "Cliff" Perlman

Clifford "Cliff" S. Perlman, the former Chairman and CEO of Caesars World, Inc., parent company of Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas passed away on Sunday, September 5, 2016. He is the son of Bernard and Freda Perlman and survived by his wife Nancy Hutson Perlman, his five children, Robyn, Billy, Jason, Clayton, Ivy, his two grandson’s Michael and Benjamin and sister Marilyn Tredwell. Perlman was 90 years old and was born March 30, 1926 in Philadelphia. In 1943 he joined the U.S. Army and served in the 86th Infantry Division in the European Theater participating in the Battles of the Rhine and the Bulge. He received the Combat Infantryman Badge, three Battle Stars and the Bronze Star. Following the war in 1947 he entered the University of Miami and in 1948 the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated in 1951. He was the founding member of the University of Miami Bar and Gavel Legal Society and the editor of the first law school newspaper, The Barrister. Upon graduation he practiced law in Miami Beach under the firm name Perlman, Litman and Sponder. In 1956 Perlman and his brother Stuart purchased Lum’s a small bar on Miami Beach known for their hot dogs steamed in beer. The Perlman’s grew Lum’s to more than 400 owned and franchised stores and acquired Dirr’s Gold Seal Meats, and Eagle Army-Navy Discount stores along the way. In 1969 under ownership of Lum’s Inc., the Perlman’s purchased Caesars Palace making it the first public company to own a Las Vegas casino. Perlman created the financial structure for the Las Vegas’ casino industry, as it exists today, bringing established financial institutions into gaming for the first time. Cliff Perlman and Caesars became known throughout the world. Under his tenure the hotel gaming casino became the anchor that built up the Las Vegas Strip growing from 550 rooms to 1,750.

With fight promoter Don King, Caesars hosted major boxing events including the Ali vs. Holmes fight and the Holmes vs. Cooney fight, which created a record live gate of $7,294,600 with 29,284 in attendance. The Alan King Tennis Classic became, after the U.S. Open, the most prestigious tennis event in the U.S.

Perlman also built the first moving sidewalk in Las Vegas. It went one-way, into the casino. For more than a decade, Frank Sinatra would only perform at Caesars in Las Vegas due to his loyalty and friendship with Cliff Perlman. He and his brother went on to create other businesses including Regent Air that provided passengers with luxury first class travel. During his life he was founder and chairman of Boy’s Clubs of America CSP Educational My Program, Trustee at UNLV and Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach. Perlman was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s first “Sports Man of the Year” and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. Services will be held on Monday, 12:30 PM, September 12, 2016 at Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapel, 20955 Biscayne Blvd, Aventura. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to The Business & Leadership Institute for Early Learning, www.bliel.org, 1271 Hayes Street, Hollywood, FL 33019, attention Robyn Perlman.

rrangements under the direction of Riverside Gordon Memorial Chapels, Miami, FL.