Las Vegas bid farewell to the Tropicana with a dramatic implosion, marking the end of the last mob-connected building on the Strip.
The Tropicana, the third-oldest casino on the Strip, shuttered its doors in April after operating for 67 years. Formerly dubbed the “Tiffany of the Strip” due to its lavishness, it was a favored hangout of the iconic Rat Pack.
Don’t forget to check out our Las Vegas hotel and sportsbooks reviews and see below the list of the best online sportsbooks.
Former casino mogul Steve Wynn revolutionized casino implosions in 1993 with the televised implosion of the Dunes.
The Tropicana’s hotel towers came down amidst a fireworks display, symbolizing a fresh start for the city.
The Tropicana’s demolition was a spectacular event featuring a seven-minute celebration with 550 drones and 150 “pyrodrones,” all counting down to the controlled demolition of the historic resort.
It has been a while since the city demolished a Strip casino. The last implosion occurred in 2016 when the final tower of the Riviera was demolished to make way for a convention center expansion.
As Las Vegas experienced rapid development in the subsequent years, with a surge in the construction of megaresorts along the Strip in the 1990s, the Tropicana also underwent significant transformations.
Additional hotel towers were constructed in later years. In 1979, the iconic $1 million green-and-amber stained glass ceiling was installed above the casino floor, adding to the casino’s allure.
The only remaining relic from the city’s mob era on the Strip is the Flamingo. However, the original structures are no longer standing. The casino was completely rebuilt in the 1990s.
Remember to check out the top Vegas betting sites where you can wager online and choose the best one.
The casino’s notorious association with the mob has solidified its position in Las Vegas history. Initially launched in 1957, the Tropicana featured three stories and 300 hotel rooms divided into two wings.
Despite numerous renovations, the Tropicana’s original low-rise hotel wings have endured, solidifying its status as the last authentic mob-era structure on the Strip.
Behind the scenes of the Tropicana’s grand opening, the casino had deep ties to organized crime, notably through reputed mobster Frank Costello. Just weeks after the Tropicana debuted, Costello was shot in the head in New York.
Though he survived, the investigation uncovered a piece of paper in his coat pocket listing the exact earnings of the Tropicana, exposing the mob’s involvement in the casino.
By the 1970s, federal authorities investigating mob activities in Kansas City charged over a dozen individuals with conspiring to skim $2 million in gambling profits from Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana. The charges related to the Tropicana alone led to five convictions.
The implosion not only marked the end of an era but also cleared the land for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics, signaling the city’s transformation into a sports hub.
The Athletics played their final game in Oakland on Sept. 26 after 56 seasons, and they plan to play the next three years in Sacramento. They hope to open a new ballpark in Las Vegas before the 2028 season.
Three key documents, the lease, non-relocation, and development agreements, still need to be approved by Dec. 5 for the Athletics to begin construction on a new $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat domed stadium.
The agreement provides an initial 30-year lease that ultimately can be extended up to 99 years. The A’s have said they expected to spend $350 million in public money rather than the full $380 million allocated by the Nevada Legislature.
The team plans to finance $300 million of the stadium cost, and the other $850 million would come from private equity.
You’ll want to check back here regularly to stay updated on the news.
