In 1971, at the age of 21, Bob moved to Las Vegas to reconnect with his older brother, Michael Darrin, who was an established dancer within the Las Vegas casino circuit.

As fate would have it, he ventured into a nearby Lafayette Electronics store to purchase a part for an amplifier circuit he was building. He found himself engaged in conversation with the store manager regarding a large mound of equipment repair jobs piling up in the shop due to the previous repair tech unexpectedly walking out the day before. Eager to find work, Bob offered to help with the repairs, even though he had no experience with about 95% of the equipment stacked on the shop table. The manager, appreciating his enthusiasm, agreed to try him on a commission basis, and for the next several weeks, Bob diligently poured through user/repair manuals, schematics, and technical specs, learning the ins and outs of every piece of gear on the repair table. This lead to a full-time permanent position with the company, and served as the vehicle that soon established him as an in-demand equipment repair technician within the electronics community.