Morgan Cashman

Morgan Cashman rolled into Vegas with his Mom and twin brother, Harris, and became the King of Resort Photography. He passed away a few years ago, but his legacy will be remembered forever. With a keen mind for business and a love for novelty, Cashman Photo had concessions in nearly every hotel on the strip.

A few months before the end of 2000, I flew into Vegas from Los Angeles solely to meet Mr. C. My only goal was to demonstrate some new technology I believed would benefit his company. Before that trip, I had only spoken to him a few times on the phone. He’d call whenever one of his video guys needed an accessory for a special-event shoot. Sometimes it was just for advice on whether something wasn’t working correctly. I guess I became his video “go-to-guy”. Of course, there was always a never-ending stream of people in his office when he’d call, some of them chiming in, and gradually I came to understand who did what at the company. That was Morgan’s managerial style. When he met with a vendor or anyone for that matter, he liked to have his team in the room, and that office could hold a lot of people.

Morgan was a throwback to a time when political correctness was two words that never appeared together in the same sentence. But I was no stranger to alpha dogs like Mr. C. I grew up surrounded by men like him. His booming voice, quick wit, and massive ego were refreshing to me. He reminded me of my Uncle Charlie, loud and abrasive at times, brash, charming, and unfiltered. My takeaway from our first encounter was that if you needed a photo or photo service while in Sin City, he was practically the only game in town. He cornered the market and was restlessly looking for new ways to make more money.

Morgan was always polished in appearance, sporting manicured nails, hair perfectly quaffed, clothes always pressed, and his diamond-encrusted Piaget shouted success the moment he first appeared. Constantly brimming with confidence and an endless supply of energy, his relationship-building skills were unmatched by anyone I’d met before. I learned a great deal from him. He taught me the importance of always making the person you’re meeting the center of the universe and always being memorable. His indominable spirit is the reason why he practically monopolized the photo services market in Las Vegas for more than half a century. No small feat when you consider Las Vegas was and still is one of the most photogenic destinations in the world.

A few weeks later, Morgan invited my girlfriend Stephanie (later my wife) and me back to Vegas for a quick visit. Morgan picked us up at the airport and took us on a whirlwind journey through a dozen hotels. First MGM, then Flamingo, a fast ride or two on a rollercoaster, and then up to the top of the Stratosphere tower, the highest point in Vegas. Sample all of the rides at the top and leave with our complimentary photo, then a quick descent to the ground floor, where he says upon exit from the elevator, “Let’s meet Karen and the others at my office”, so off to Cashman HQ, but first, “Let’s grab a doughnut to munch on”. At each stop, we took a picture and had a nosh, mostly junk foods like doughnuts, a piece of cake, a soft pretzel, and that was just fine with both of us. Of course, we also took lots and lots of photos. There were photos in front of green screens, photos printed in stores, photos spit out by selfie-taking photo machines and kiosks, photos printed on mugs and keychains; it was a nonstop photo party. He had the stamina of a teenager, despite a 30-year age difference. Stephanie and I were struggling to keep up.

The last stop before the airport was the New York New York Roller Coaster. I still laugh every time I see that photo he took of us (see below). Especially the expression on my wife’s face (who to this day is still deathly afraid of coasters).

I would later be given a generous opportunity to become his partner and get to know him much better. Still, from that day on, there was never any mistaking Morgan from anyone else you ever knew or ever would know in the future.

Morgan was memorable, like meeting the president or a movie star. A few minutes in his presence, no matter what else happened to you before your encounter, or later, your time with him was time never forgotten.

Morgan Cashman was bigger than life, a no-apologies, one-of-a-kind, straight-talking, fun-loving, thrill-seeking stand-out in a cookie-cutter world. Where have all the Morgan Cashman’s gone? Rest in peace Mr. C.