In its early years, the Dunes was known for the 35-foot tall sultan that stood above its main entrance. Although it opened to much fanfare, it struggled from the start; one of the reasons possibly being it was located at what was the southernmost part of the Strip at the time. The hotel frequently had to borrow money, and even the Sands Hotel lent its executives to help out, as well as bringing in numerous famous celebrities and entertainers such as actor/singer Frank Sinatra’s surprise appearance dressed as a sultan. In 1957, in a desperate move to keep the resort afloat, the Dunes became the first hotel/casino in Nevada to offer a topless show, called Minsky’s Follies.

The Dunes went through many owners during its existence, and on November 17, 1992, it was sold for the last time to developer Steve Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. On January 26, 1993, the Dunes closed its doors for good. Like some of the other legendary hotel/casinos of its era, it could no longer compete with the newer and more exciting mega-resorts that were being built.

On October 27, 1993, the Dunes was imploded in a grand ceremony that involved major fireworks displays, and the use of several “cannon blasts” from the pirate ship of Treasure Island hotel and casino, another of Wynn’s properties at the time, in order to simulate the effect of the ship’s cannons being responsible for the destruction of the Dunes. Everything, including its legendary neon sign, was destroyed. The implosion also served as a very symbolic effect for the city. Many longtime residents knew the Dunes was controlled by the mafia, having been first built with money from it and the Teamsters’ Pension Fund, and the implosion signaled the end of any kind of significant mafia control and influence in Las Vegas.

The Bellagio replaced the Dunes.

Source : Wikipedia

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EDIT : I've decided that rather then making seperate topics about the now defunct hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, I would just combine them into this one topic. So I've re-named the topic. DEFUNCT LAS VEGAS HOTELS


Don Cardi

nice bit of info

now let's make some posts about more important shit

That was very rude.

since when are mobsters 100% polite?

They're respectful of other members since they post on this board.

If they're not they don't post on this board.

Since when are you a mobster?

One by one, our old hotels are gone. Implosion, natural or otherwise, the wrecking ball, remodeling....The Tropicana, The Flamingo, The Sahara, and The Stardust are the only ones left, because they always made money for their partners.

Ok, here you go :

In 1959, a golf course was added to The Dunes . In April of 1959, construction began on a new Exhibitor & Convention Hall and a 500-car parking lot.

In 1961, a new 24 story highrise was added to The Dunes, bringing the hotel's number of rooms to 450. For a while, this tower would be the tallest building in the state.

New England mob boss Raymond Patriarca had financial interests in the Dunes Hotel and Casino.

In 1964, the Dunes added a 180-foot sign at a cost of $250,000. With electric lava erupting through the sign into the sky every minute, the Dunes' sign was phenomenal. In 1966, it was noted that the sign alone, which contained 10,000 lighting units cost the Dunes $47,500 a year to operate.

In 1970, Howard Hughes attempted to purchase the Hotel and Casino, and began negotiations with the owners of The Dunes. The Gaming Board decided that Hughes had enough gaming licenses. Hughes was considering removing the gaming license from the Castaways, another Casino that he owned, so he could purchase the Dunes. Eventually Hughes bowed out of the deal for The Dunes.

Seventeen years later, Japanese millionaire investor Masao Nangaku purchased Dunes for $155 million. However he failed to make it a financial success. So in 1992 Nangaku sold The Dunes to Steve Wynn for $75 million dollars, more than half of Nangaku's oroginal purchase price, and Wynn closed it down.


And as they now say at The Mirage, the rest is history.


Don Cardi

the bellagio is one nice fukin hotel too. You're gonna spend alot of cash thier though. Cranb's and greygoose are 10 a piece but the women at that joint are top notch. Never went to the club inside it though. Wonder how that is. Next time.

You're old enough to drink?

what's your problem guy?

Hey Scabones, you are the problem. You started with the insults from the moment you joined the boards. If you are not mature enough to participate on these boards in a constructive and civil manner, then I suggest that you take a hike!

Now I'll be the rude one.


Don Cardi

The Sands Hotel was a legendary Las Vegas, Nevada hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. It was the seventh resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip.

During its heyday, the Sands would be the center of entertainment and cool on the Strip, and hosted many famous entertainers of the day. Regulars would be able to mingle with the stars in the lounge after their late-night shows. Even most of the Presidents stayed at the Sands when they were in town.

Its most famous claim to fame was a 3-week period in 1960 when, during the filming of the movie Ocean's Eleven, they organized an event in the Copa Room called the “Summit at the Sands”, where for the first time Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford performed on stage together. They would forever be known after that as the Rat Pack. Sinatra would also own a stake in the Sands for a time.

The hotel first began as just a casino with a few hundred
rooms.

In its final years, the Sands became a shadow of its former self; a throwback to the old days, and it ultimately could not compete with the newer and more exciting megaresorts that were being built on the Strip. The decision was eventually made by its final owner, Sheldon Adelson, to shut it down and to build a brand new resort. On November 26, 1996, it was imploded and demolished much to the dismay of longtime employees and sentimentalists. The Las Vegas scenes of Con Air (1997) were filmed at the Sands prior to its demolition.

Today, the Venetian now stands where the Sands once stood.


From Wikipedia.

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Don Cardi

Jimmy Alo and Meyer Lansky were partners in the Sands hotel. The Chicago Mob had Babe Baron looking after their interests while Lansky had Doc Stacher looking after his.

Longy Zwillman, Tony Accardo, Sam Giancana & Frank Sinatra were all alledged to have financial interests or "points" in The Las Vegas Sands.

Frank Sinatra would entertain then Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. It was at the Sands that John F. Kennedy was introduced to Judy Campbell, who eventually went on to be the mistress of Chicago Crime Boss Sam Giancana.

In 1967, Lansky and Alo sold the Hotel and Casino to Howard Hughes for $14.6 million.


Don Cardi

I thought the Dunes had Wilbur Clark's name on the sign as a front, but it was really built by Moe Dalitz, with some participation by Frank Costello.
The Sands, if memory serves, was where Howard Hughes holed up when he first came to Vegas. He took the entire top floor and welded the elevator doors shut. After a week, the management wanted him out to comp the high rollers. That's when he decided to buy the place--and a good deal of the rest of Vegas.

I believe that Wilbur Clark owned the Desert Inn.


Don Cardi

Yes, here's a pic ( Look closely at the sign.)





Don Cardi

Ah, you're right again, DC. Thanks for the correction.

Ok, why don't you? So far you haven't posted anything useful to these boards, mind you important.

Thanks for the "history" lesson DC. Although I never was in Vegas that far back, I do remember those signs, The Dunes, The Sands were always shown in movies/tv in shots of the strip. Great pic of The Rat Pack too. Man, I wish I'd have been old enough to travel to Vegas during that time. That would have been "far out." :p

Of course, I always knew Vegas was mob "connected", but with the info you've given, moreso than I even thought.

I remember seeing footage of them destroy the Dunes. Kind of sad really. Like blowing up a bunch of memories for some I imagine. The new hotels are beautiful, but I do hope they keep the few older ones.


TIS

I can't remember who exactly it is, but someone famous is rumored to be building a RETRO-THROWBACK Las Vegas Style Hotel in Vegas.

I'll see if I can come up with some more info.


Don Cardi

You know Cardi, that rings a bell. Seems like within the past year or two I remember hearing that too. That would be fantastic wouldn't it? I'll see if I can find out some more info too.


TIS

Don't laugh too hard, but a couple years back I heard that Max Baer Jr. (Jethro Bodine fame)was going to build a Vegas hotel/casino. But then, I swear he was going to go with (hold back laughter)a "Beverly Hillbillies" theme. :p Could it possibly be he changed his mind???


TIS

Ok, I found the info about the building of a retro casino in Las Vegas. It's George Clooney who will be doing this:

Clooney's 'Luck' lies in nostalgia
By Scott Bowles, USA TODAY

LOS ANGELES Oct 4, 2005 (AP) — "What are you drinking?" George Clooney asks, waving his hand over an impressive table of wine, beer, sodas and bottled water.

The greeting, like the man, is something of a Hollywood anachronism. And that suits Clooney just fine.

The 44-year-old actor is the first to admit he's nostalgic for days gone by — and that he is doing his best to bring them back.

Clooney is investing millions in a $3 billion casino that he sees as a throwback to Las Vegas' golden years, with swing bands and '50s-style décor.

He's investing in a proposed $3 billion development called Las Ramblas, which will be built east of the Las Vegas Strip. The project includes plans for more than 4,400 apartments in 11 high-rise towers surrounding a 1950s-style casino.

Clooney, who followed his Aunt Rosemary to her clubs as a child, plans to recruit big bands and swing bands to perform.

He explains: "We have this romantic vision of putting on a suit, getting dressed up and going down to the casino and having a big band playing, having dinner and pushing the tables back and people dancing. We will have some sort of dress code so that it will feel like you are walking into a more formal Las Vegas of a different age or a classic Monte Carlo casino."


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Don Cardi

That sounds cool... off the strip though, huh? Interesting.

Aunt Rosemary... Awwww. "That's-a nice!"


By the way DC, very cool idea for a thread! Keep it up, it's fascinating stuff.

I just now found this link. Haven't gone through it, but the it looks like it's really going to be nice. It's by the Hard Rock which I believe is on Harmon St., right off the strip. Check it out. Probably "upper end", but looks great. Nice place for a BB meet, wouldn't you say?

Btw, I had a hard time getting this link to work. I just checked and it did. If you can't get it to open try typing it in your address bar.

TIS


http://lasramblasvegas.com/

The link worked fine, TIS. Thanks for posting it!

So this is the one that Rande Gerber's involved with, too... then I had heard about it, but not for a long time. I had thought it was still just an idea, I didn't realize there was already so much progress in the planning! But it's slated to open at the beginning of 2008... That's a ways.

Either way though, it looks like it's gonna be really cool.

Thunderbird

In 1946, attorney Cliff Jones, and Los Angeles developer and Nevada gambling pioneer, Marion Hicks, invested $2 million in a 111,000 Sq. foot new complex across from the El Rancho from Guy McAfee and his associates.
It was not until October of 1947, when building restrictions were met sufficiently, to allow construction to start.

On September 2, 1948, the Thunderbird opened. Hicks had the distinction of being the only man in town who had built two resort hotels. His original venture, El Cortez, opened in 1941.

The Thunderbird's name was derived from an ancient Navajo legend - "The Sacred Bearer of Happiness Unlimited".

The walls were concrete block with the ubiquitous weeping mortar. The cocktail lounge displayed murals of cowboys, chuck wagons, and saguaro cactus. The Navajo-style Pow Wow dining/showroom, had a small stage and heavy wood trusses over the white tablecloth covered tables. The use of native stone connected The Thunderbird to the region.

The room wing imitated the Flamingo's, with a central three-story section raised above the two-story wings. In front of the main wing was the pool with a high dive, palms, and lawn. This pool was billed as the largest pool in Nevada with it containing 360,000 gallons of water.

It was the first Strip hotel covered with a porte cochere. On top of the desert tower lookout was the Thunderbird, its talons gripped onto the tower roof. Another neon mate was perched on the roadside sign.

In 1950, the Thunderbird had a total of 206 rooms and an annex. It then added a six unit bungalow and the Casino Bar.

In 1952, Thunderbird was overbooked so the owners built the 110 room Algiers on the property to accommodate the overflow. Guests of The Algiers were given the same perks and benefits as if they were staying at the Thunderbird.

In 1954, the 450 to 500 seat Terrace Room was added. It was equipped to show movies and had a public address system. A dance floor was also installed for social functions. Its ceiling domes were lit enhancing the flame-colored ceiling and its pompeliano had tinted walls.

In 1955, the Thunderbird lifted the roadside bird higher into the air on a pylon rising out of a new porte cochere. She also expanded her casino out toward the road, framing its new second floor with a rectangular box. A new porte cochere and a taller sign pole with three pennant signboards attached were added.

In 1955, The Thunderbird was closed down for a short time by the Tax Commission after articles appearing in the Las Vegas Sun alleged that Meyer Lansky and other underworld figures held hidden interest in the property.

In 1964, Del Webb bought the Thunderbird, adding a new façade south of the original entry as well as bringing the room count to 500. The thunderbirds were replaced by an updated one created by Ad-Art. The 700-foot sign stretched across the old room wings south of the entry was the Strip's biggest, over three times as long as the Stardust.

In 1966, Ken Curtis (Gunsmoke's Festus) and his bride Torrie Connelly honeymooned at the resort.

In 1972, the Thunderbird was sold to the owners of Caesars Palace, Clifford and Stuart Perlman. The new name was Thunderbird, A Division of Caesars World, Inc.

The Thunderbird saw many stars/shows perform on its stages including Rosemary Clooney, Larry Storch, Mills Brothers, Morton Downey, Orson Bean, and Dale Robertson, Kaye Ballard, Belle Barth, Henny Youngman, Breck Wall, The Treniers, Dorothy Shay Show, the Donald O'Connor Revue , Mel Torme, Dick Shawn, Frank Gorshin, Edie Adams, Jim Bailey, Marty Barris, Pete Candoli, Bobby Goldsboro, Tony Martin, China Doll Revue, Ecstasy on Ice, and Les Foley's Glacees, showcased All Star Ice Revue, Follies on Ice, Scandals on Ice with George Arnold, Sketches on Ice starring Edie Adams, and Summer Ice Revue with Sammy Shore, South Pacific, Flower Drum Song starring Jack Soo, Latin Fire '71 with Marta Cisneros, Latin Fire '72 starring Freddy Manjon, and Latin Fire '73 starring Manolo Torrente.

The Perlmans sold the hotel in 1977 to Dune's owner Major Auterburn Riddle who changed the name to Silverbird.

Silverbird’s restaurant Top Brass, advertised "the Major stakes his reputation on it." Also advertised was the Mexican restaurant La Paloma.

In 1981, veteran gambling operator Ed Torres purchased the Silverbird, added a Spanish style mission front, and renamed it El Rancho in 1982.

A new tower was built along with a 52 lane bowling center with a bar and snack restaurant, and a 90,000 square foot casino/race and sports books. The casino held seven poker tables.

The El Rancho closed in 1992. New Jersey Horseracing Association purchased the El Rancho but they couldn't get financing. The City ordered the Association to tear down the building. They commenced destruction in June of 1999, but subsequently halted the demolition.

In 2000, Turnberry Associates, purchased the El Rancho from the defunct New Jersey company.

The Thunderbird/Silverbird/El Rancho was imploded with 700 pounds of explosives in front of more than 2,000 onlookers just after 2:30am on October 3, 2000.

During the implosion, The Algiers, which is now owned by Hicks’ daughter Marianne Kifer, was draped in plastic, and suffered only a sprinkling of dust. There were no guests inside because LVI paid for all of the lodge's rooms for the night.


The Turnberry Place condominium complex now stands on its former grounds.

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Don Cardi

The great thing about Vegas is that it's unabashed wretched excess--right out there, in your face: "Look at me!" Every year, someone tries to outdo everyone else. No half-assed efforts, as in Atlantic City.
As for "retro" hotels: We had dinner and a show at the Riviera 12 years ago. It was considered one of the last "gangster hotels," and definitely had a lingering '50's quality to it. Pretty neat. But we stayed at the Luxor, which was kinda disappointing then. Now we have an old friend who lives in Henderson, so we stay with her.

Well if you want a 50's ish style show, then next time you are there go see The Rat Pack. The guys who play them are really fantastic, and the room that the show itself is in is a throwback to the old style set-ups that the retro hotels used to have, The long tables facing the stage, the waiter picking up the round table so that a lady could sit down, smearing the Matr'd, etc.

A warning though : Unfortunately the show is in the Greek Isles Hotel. It looks like it belongs right in the middle of Coney Island next to the Half Moon Hotel, if it was still there! The place must have been condemned about 30 years ago, but somebody forgot to tell the owner.

But the show itself is really worth it. Just close your eyes when you are walking through the Hotel and open them when you get into the showroom itself.


Don Cardi

I've stayed at the Riveria several times. It definitely has an "old" feel to it, as does the Flamingo, even tho that's been remodeled several times. If I remember correctly, I stayed at the El Rancho once as well back in the 80's.

This may be elementary to those of you who know AC but: Do people walk down the street with drinks in their hands; are there wedding chapels there for those quickie weddings? Do the casinos have the same casual atmosphere as in Vegas? Are there just as many big name performers and shows there as in LV? I guess in other words, do both LV & Vegas attract the same type of crowd?

TIS