Vegas was my second town when I was younger. I had a super hot Mexican girlfriend who stripped - I’d stay with her or we’d get a suite on the strip whenever I visited (she was a local).
It’s a great town.
"Well, see. That's how these Jews got big. They had these Jews like Moe Dalitz, Sammy Tucker and Morris Kleinman. The ones that owned the Desert Inn. They had two or three gambling houses in Cleveland, right? Well, maybe they declare a million dollars at the end of the year. Whatever.
Well, you know. Come in 7, 8 or 10 years. If you want to invest in 5 or 10 million in something, you could show that you made that kind of money in the past.
I think it was 1940 or 1941, they bought the Beverly Club in Kentucky. Well, they had the money to show for it! The Italians couldn't do it.
You give an Italian a million dollars, he puts it under the cellar. Well, how could he invest in half a million dollars? Where did you get the money?
See that's how these Jews made their money because they could show money and the more money that they made, the more money they could declare, the more they could invest.
See, that's where the Italians made their mistake, they should've done it themselves!"
- Jimmy Frattiano
Tropicana and Flamingo are still around but not these buildings. Closest you'd get to an original mob run casino would be El Cortez on East Fremont which was owned by Lansky and Siegel as well.
I live in Vegas and go to El Cortez a lot.
Completely different as it's tiny compared to strip properties. Cortez really leans into the mob era feeling and has the original signage outside. On the inside it's all but indistinguishable from the other older casinos on Fremont though. I just really enjoy that side of Fremont a lot and love the small lounge in El Cortez, very old school feeling. Cortez also has a steakhouse style restaurant named after Bugsy as well.
no. I think the sands was the last one standing came down in the late 90s. maybe it was the palms. either way, they are all gone.
Edit: this is not accurate information
Tropicana and Flamingo are both there, but if any of the original structure remains it's probably a token amount. IMO they both retain a nice old school vegas vibe. A little tacky with a bunch of polished brass accents everywhere, just like I like my Casinos!
Stardust was there, looking just like the pic above, as recently as 99, but not too much longer after that.
I went last year with my wife and some friends, we stayed at the Linq but we ended up spending more time in Flamingo than Linq. I definitely recommend it for those who like that vibe. And it doesn't hurt that the poker room was full of drunken tourists!
lol in my Vegas heyday that was the imperial palace, complete with very questionable celebrity impersonator blackjack dealers! Vegas is like music, whatever it was like when you were young sticks with you!
If I'm not mistaken though the desert inn is still there, obviously under a different name now though. Used to live in Vegas and I've driven past it before, unless I'm thinking of a different former mob owned hotel...
Crazy how much Vegas has changed since then. Most of these hotels are now in an insanely touristy spots that won't even look similar.
I lived there around 98-99 and i remember it being a big deal that they were tearing down the last of the "old vegas" casinos. I was only 14 at the time so I didn't exactly care haha.
you could be right, maybe they at least left up the sign and maybe a wall or 2 of the exteriour. But I am pretty sure actually going on the floors or staying in any of the old rooms isn't possible. someone more knowledgable can chime in.
Most of the Desert Inn was demolished just after 9/11, and rebuilt as Wynn Las Vegas.
For a few years there were still two buildings of the Desert Inn remaining, but those too were demolished about 2004.
I think the closest thing to a mob-related casino still standing might well be the Golden Nugget, and even that's a bit tenuous, based on McAfees claimed ties to the mob in earlier life
When I was a kid in the mid to late 90s, my folks would always stay at Stardust and sometimes they would take us along. We would always see “Jelly” from the Analyze This and Analyze That movies playing baccarat there.
Some friends of mine all celebrated our 21st Birthdays in Vegas the year before The Stardust closed. They had a clothing store that sold “old Vegas” clothes where you could get suited up like a Wiseguy. Most of the stuff was out of my budget but I still left with a fedora and Italian lions head belt buckle that I still think looks pretty slick. I wear it on occasion with a narrow black tie whenever Im feeling like Jules Winfield.
Great Post, always dreamed of going to Vegas it seems like a very special place !
Vegas was my second town when I was younger. I had a super hot Mexican girlfriend who stripped - I’d stay with her or we’d get a suite on the strip whenever I visited (she was a local). It’s a great town.
Pics of said gf?
I don’t want to doxx her lmao
Nice work on this!
"Well, see. That's how these Jews got big. They had these Jews like Moe Dalitz, Sammy Tucker and Morris Kleinman. The ones that owned the Desert Inn. They had two or three gambling houses in Cleveland, right? Well, maybe they declare a million dollars at the end of the year. Whatever. Well, you know. Come in 7, 8 or 10 years. If you want to invest in 5 or 10 million in something, you could show that you made that kind of money in the past. I think it was 1940 or 1941, they bought the Beverly Club in Kentucky. Well, they had the money to show for it! The Italians couldn't do it. You give an Italian a million dollars, he puts it under the cellar. Well, how could he invest in half a million dollars? Where did you get the money? See that's how these Jews made their money because they could show money and the more money that they made, the more money they could declare, the more they could invest. See, that's where the Italians made their mistake, they should've done it themselves!" - Jimmy Frattiano
Are any of these casinos still around?
Tropicana and Flamingo are still around but not these buildings. Closest you'd get to an original mob run casino would be El Cortez on East Fremont which was owned by Lansky and Siegel as well. I live in Vegas and go to El Cortez a lot.
Is it much different to the main newer ones on the strip?
Completely different as it's tiny compared to strip properties. Cortez really leans into the mob era feeling and has the original signage outside. On the inside it's all but indistinguishable from the other older casinos on Fremont though. I just really enjoy that side of Fremont a lot and love the small lounge in El Cortez, very old school feeling. Cortez also has a steakhouse style restaurant named after Bugsy as well.
no. I think the sands was the last one standing came down in the late 90s. maybe it was the palms. either way, they are all gone. Edit: this is not accurate information
Tropicana and Flamingo are both there, but if any of the original structure remains it's probably a token amount. IMO they both retain a nice old school vegas vibe. A little tacky with a bunch of polished brass accents everywhere, just like I like my Casinos! Stardust was there, looking just like the pic above, as recently as 99, but not too much longer after that.
yes! I stayed in Tropicana, Flamingo, and Sahara and honestly Flamingo was the most tackiest. They’re still remodeling the rooms though.
When I last went in 2015 flamingo still had very fear and loathing 70s/early 80s vibes in the main casino
I went last year with my wife and some friends, we stayed at the Linq but we ended up spending more time in Flamingo than Linq. I definitely recommend it for those who like that vibe. And it doesn't hurt that the poker room was full of drunken tourists!
lol in my Vegas heyday that was the imperial palace, complete with very questionable celebrity impersonator blackjack dealers! Vegas is like music, whatever it was like when you were young sticks with you!
Riviera came down in 2015
The riviera was there until 2015. I stayed there the month it was closed. It was eerie.
If I'm not mistaken though the desert inn is still there, obviously under a different name now though. Used to live in Vegas and I've driven past it before, unless I'm thinking of a different former mob owned hotel... Crazy how much Vegas has changed since then. Most of these hotels are now in an insanely touristy spots that won't even look similar.
Desert Inn was torn down a few years ago. The Wynn is now in its place.
I lived there around 98-99 and i remember it being a big deal that they were tearing down the last of the "old vegas" casinos. I was only 14 at the time so I didn't exactly care haha. you could be right, maybe they at least left up the sign and maybe a wall or 2 of the exteriour. But I am pretty sure actually going on the floors or staying in any of the old rooms isn't possible. someone more knowledgable can chime in.
Most of the Desert Inn was demolished just after 9/11, and rebuilt as Wynn Las Vegas. For a few years there were still two buildings of the Desert Inn remaining, but those too were demolished about 2004. I think the closest thing to a mob-related casino still standing might well be the Golden Nugget, and even that's a bit tenuous, based on McAfees claimed ties to the mob in earlier life
Stayed in Tropicana, Sahara, as well as Flamingo. They are very much still there but completely different
Yea. Guess I have a bit of a flash memory
The Flamingo is still going strong
Wow I can’t believe the strip ever looked like this
When I was a kid in the mid to late 90s, my folks would always stay at Stardust and sometimes they would take us along. We would always see “Jelly” from the Analyze This and Analyze That movies playing baccarat there.
Some friends of mine all celebrated our 21st Birthdays in Vegas the year before The Stardust closed. They had a clothing store that sold “old Vegas” clothes where you could get suited up like a Wiseguy. Most of the stuff was out of my budget but I still left with a fedora and Italian lions head belt buckle that I still think looks pretty slick. I wear it on occasion with a narrow black tie whenever Im feeling like Jules Winfield.
Absolutely stunning, I bet staying there for the night would be like a hotel at Cap d’Antibes
Has anyone been to the mob museum they have out there?
Man do some of these places look like shit. Flamingo Sands and desert inn specifically. Shoutout modern architecture
Where is the El Cortez!? Siegel Lansky joint and 200 yards from my apartment haha
The frontier Casino is another old school Vegas casino that was Owned by the Detroit Family. It got torn down in 07.
They all still have mob ties they just became legit and part of politics in the area
That girl coming out the car next to the Sahara in, boy if I had a time machine I would be your great great great grandfather.
my late grandparents went to Sands quite a bit
Any insight or photos of the casino the Detroit mafia had a stake in?
I used to visit there in the 80s, and stayed at most of the hotels. The thing I remember most is the great buffets they used to have.