Tropicana Las Vegas

3801 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Who could’ve guessed that when someone known as “Dandy” Phil Kastel wanted to open a casino, it would have ties to the mob? Kastel, a longtime associate of Luciano family crime boss Frank Costello, insisted his friend had nothing to do with the Tropicana. Then, on May 2, 1957, less than a month after its opening, Costello survived an assassination attempt. Police found notes in his coat pockets that contained numbers matching the Tropicana’s winnings for its first few weeks — to the penny. “That sort of confirmed a lot of rumors about the mob’s involvement in Las Vegas".