While he was working for The Idaho Statesman newspaper writing for their education section, the editor found out that he was installing slot machines at a hotel.

[4] Graves reacted by selling all of his premises in Idaho and moving to Nevada where he opened three clubs called "The Nugget" in Yerington, Carson City, and Reno within four months.

[5] Working with his food manager John Ascuaga, he opened Dick Graves' Nugget in Sparks in 1955.

[6] Graves would also use unique promotion styles such as paying a man to sit on the top of a 60-foot pole for seven months and drawing lots to give away random prizes such as groceries or silver dollars.

[8] Prior to the subsequent court case of United States v. One Solid Gold Object in Form of a Rooster, Graves promoted the controversy by placing a bronze replica of the gold statue in a prison uniform while the original was being held in federal custody.

[10] When he died on January 12, 1990, his funeral was held at St Teresa's Catholic Church in Carson City.