Mr. Howard Gerald Bock

Howard Gerald Bock, a beloved resident and fixture of Las Vegas, Nevada, passed away on the evening of Friday, August 10, 2017. Howard, the longtime owner and operator of John s Loan & Jewelry in downtown Las Vegas, was 84. Born on the Lower East Side, the youngest of four children to Tilly and Meyer Bock, Howard graduated from Rabbi Jakob Joseph Yeshiva High School in 1950, and was the student body president. As a young man, he once tried out for the New York Yankees, and attended Queens College, wanting to be a playwright and screenwriter. A veteran of the Korean War, where he made rank of Private First Class, Howard, while working for Stars and Stripes, wrote jokes for at least one of Bob Hope s USO shows. He moved to Las Vegas in the mid-nineteen sixties, at first working in the casinos as a dealer. In the 1970 s, Howard took over as the owner of John s Loan, now one of the oldest operating pawn shops in Las Vegas. Known to customers as Honest John, Howard ran John s Loan for forty years first with his wife Caryl and, later, with two of his sons, Anthony and Yale during which time he became known throughout downtown for his gregarious manner, generosity, and flair for marketing (example: in the early eighties, when John s moved across the street from the Golden Nugget, Howard put a large cold-air balloon atop the shop to draw customers from the casino). From 1993-2007 Howard also opened and ran 4 Aces Emporium in the space formerly belonging to Leroy s Sports Book, as well as a neighboring clothing store catering to dealers and casino workers. Howard also had run-ins and negotiations with Vegas legends including Benny Binion, Steve Wynn, and Tillman Fertitta. In the late 1990 s, he was listed in the Who s Who of Las Vegas. A devoted family man, Howard is survived by his wife, Caryl, their four adult children Anthony, Yale, Charles, and Crystal and their many grandchildren. He donated to many Jewish charities. A memorial service will be held at Sinai Chapel in Queens on Wednesday and the burial will be afterwards, at Mount Hebron Cemetary in Queens, NY. Those in Las Vegas wishing to remember Howard are encouraged to to stop by either John s Loan or Ace Loan Company. We d love to see you. Donations can be made to any of the Jewish charities Howard supported including the holocaust survivor commemoration at Temple Beth Shalom or the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America or to the ASPCA.