Bernard Goldstein grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Illinois. His boyhood days by the river shaped his future career as a visionary businessman utilizing America’s waterways.
He was the first person in the Quad Cities to move scrap iron and steel on the Mississippi River, beginning in 1957. Based on that success, he founded Alter Barge Line in Davenport, Iowa, in 1960, moving scrap on the river with his own equipment.Mr. Goldstein saw opportunity in the riverboat gaming industry as well. In 1991, he founded Steamboat Casino River Cruises (later called Isle of Capri Casino), establishing one of the first riverboat casinos in America.His businesses of Alter Barge Line and Isle of Capri Casino have helped rejuvenate many waterfront communities in the Midwest. These ventures have created new businesses, steady jobs, and a more dependable tax base to bring many challenged waterfront economies back to life.