In 1946, Willie Martello came to Searchlight, purchased the Wheatley Hotel, and remodeled it into a casino and restaurant. Renaming it the El Rey Club after a favored beer, he transformed Searchlight history with a club that offered gourmet meals, casino table games and slot machines, live nightly entertainment, and dancing. As he could, he added new amenities, including the first in-ground pool in Searchlight, had an airstrip built just south of town, and sponsored junket flights from California to bring in customers. The club burned in 1962, and with outside funding Martello rebuilt it as the El Rey Resort, but he died in 1968. During his years in Searchlight, the El Rey Resort was the place to stop, relax, have a meal, and enjoy entertainment, and Martello gave significant support to the small community and helped Searchlight continue as "the camp that didn't fail."