Las Vegas Casino Myths Busted: The Truth Behind the Woman Who Sat Atop This Famous Sign

While many travelers head to a Las Vegas casino to chase high-stakes thrills and legendary wins, an even more daring legend exists within the citys history. An iconic image has sparked intense curiosity about how LaVeeda Varley executed the stunt of sitting atop the 90-foot tall Las Vegas Club sign, fueling the local mythos. However, the reality behind this feat is far less thrilling than the gamble suggested by the legend.

• LaVeeda Varley did not actually sit atop the sign.
• The well-known photo was a clever fabrication, combining a real image of Varley with an illustration of the sign.

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The image first surfaced on a Facebook group dedicated to the Golden Age of Las Vegas, stirring up discussions and theories about the photographer’s vantage point. One bystander noted, “Just to the left of the lady appears to be a shadow of an airplane. Could that be where the photo was taken from?”

Another contributor proposed, “Helicopter or crane. I’m guessing it was a crane, since the photographer would have remained on board.”

However, there was already an elevator installed inside the sign, used to maintain the numerous incandescent and neon bulbs adorning it, rising up to 90 feet above the Las Vegas Club.

Nevertheless, LaVeeda Varley never utilized that elevator nor did she pose atop this famous sign.

The Real Story

The aerial image of the Las Vegas Club was, in fact, the work of Hermon Boernge, the art director at YESCO (the company behind the sign). He co-designed the casino’s sign in the Art Moderne Style alongside Kermit Wayne, a senior sign designer.

Boernge took a genuine photo of Varley enjoying a snack and a soft drink at the El Rancho pool in 1949, then artificially inserted her image atop the sign illustration.

Boernge meticulously cut and pasted Varley’s image into his artwork, even crafting shadows to make it look more realistic.

Upon closer inspection, the absurd positioning of the letters “LAS VEGAS CLUB” at street level and the peculiar angle of the parking sign reveal the alteration. This artistic piece was used in national advertising campaigns for the casino and as a colorized postcard, boosting its popularity.

Despite the brevity of this myth-busting tale, the underlying narrative of LaVeeda Varley’s selection as a figure in this illustration—and the associated repercussions in her life—is far more intriguing than the myth itself.

LaVeeda’s Life

On July 30, 1951, at the age of 27, Varley wedded Luther Bacon “Tutor” Scherer, a man 44 years her senior. They met in 1950 at the El Rancho where he managed and she poured drinks. Scherer had a stake in the Las Vegas Club, thus making her presence in the iconic photo logical.

Dubbed the social event of the season, their extravagant wedding was hosted at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Las Vegas, attended by 4,000 guests and requiring a hefty sum of $25K (equivalent to over $300K today).

However, their happiness was short-lived: three weeks before their first anniversary, Varley discovered Scherer with another woman. In a fit of anger, she shot him in the leg, although both declared it an accident.

Ultimately, Varley was not arrested, and no charges were pressed against her.

Shortly afterward, a satirical poem about the incident featured in the Las Vegas Sun, which poked fun at Scherer’s poetry, furthering the couple’s notoriety.

By year-end, Varley and Scherer had divorced. Scherer later remarried another waitress, marking the end of a tumultuous chapter filled with fleeting fame and infamy.

Be sure to check out “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. To explore more previously busted myths, visit VegasMythsBusted.com. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs to be debunked? Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Summary: Despite the glamorous façade of Las Vegas, the truth behind LaVeeda Varley’s infamous photo atop the Las Vegas Club sign unveils a fascinating blend of reality and artistic interpretation. From the origins of the iconic image to the tumultuous relationships intertwined with her life, this story reminds us that many myths in the dazzling world of Vegas deserve a thorough investigation.