Las Vegas bids farewell to mob-era Tropicana casino in implosion

Jack Aylmer

LAS VEGAS SAID GOODBYE TO ONE OF ITS LAST MOB-ERA LANDMARKS.

THE TROPICANA, THE THIRD-OLDEST CASINO ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP, WAS REDUCED TO RUBBLE IN AN 22-SECOND IMPLOSION JUST BEFORE DAWN.

THE TOWERS CRUMBLED IN A CELEBRATION COMPLETE WITH FIREWORKS, MARKING THE CITIES FIRST MAJOR DEMOLITION IN NEARLY A DECADE.

LAS VEGAS HAS A HISTORY OF TURNING DEMOLITIONS INTO SPECTACLES, ACCORDING TO GEOFF SCHUMACHER, HISTORIAN AND VICE PRESIDENT AT THE MOB MUSEUM.

THIS TIME, THE IMPLOSION CLEARS THE WAY FOR A ONE-POINT-FIVE-BILLION-DOLLAR BASEBALL STADIUM, PART OF LAS VEGAS’ NEW ROLE AS A SPORTS HUB.

WITH THE TROPICANA GONE, ONLY THE FLAMINGO REMAINS FROM THE MOB ERA ON THE STRIP, THOUGH ITS ORIGINAL STRUCTURES WERE REPLACED LONG AGO.

ONCE KNOWN AS THE “TIFFANY OF THE STRIP,” AND A RAT PACK FAVORITE, THE TROPICANA OPENED IN 19-57 BUT ALSO HAD TIES TO ORGANIZED CRIME.

MOBSTER FRANK COSTELLO WAS LINKED TO THE CASINO’S EARLY DAYS, AND AUTHORITIES LATER UNCOVERED A SKIMMING OPERATION THAT LED TO MULTIPLE CONVICTIONS.

FANS HAD A CHANCE TO SAY GOODBYE WHEN THE CASINO CLOSED BACK N APRIL AFTER 67-YEARS.

FOR SAN, I’M JACK AYLMER