The Tropicana, the last true mob-built building on the Las Vegas Strip, was demolished in an elaborate implosion ceremony. The event included fireworks and was the first implosion in almost a decade in a city known for its casino implosions. Former casino mogul Steve Wynn changed the way Las Vegas blew up casinos in 1993 with the implosion of the Dunes, setting the stage for spectacular demolition events. The implosion of the Tropicana cleared the way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics, part of the city’s transformation into a sports hub.
Once known as the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulent design, the Tropicana had a long and storied history as a favorite spot of the Rat Pack and with ties to the mob. The casino opened in 1957 and went through several renovations over the years, including the addition of two hotel towers and the installation of a $1 million stained glass ceiling in the casino. Despite these changes, the original low-rise hotel wings remained, making it the last true mob structure on the Strip with connections to organized crime figures like Frank Costello.
Behind the scenes at the Tropicana’s grand opening, ties to organized crime were uncovered through Costello and other mobsters. By the 1970s, federal authorities were investigating mobsters in Kansas City for skimming gambling revenue from Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana. Charges related to the Tropicana resulted in several convictions. Despite its shady past, the Tropicana had a dedicated following of fans who had the opportunity to bid farewell to the vintage Vegas relic before its demolition.
The implosion of the Tropicana marks the end of an era for Las Vegas, with only the Flamingo remaining on the Strip from the city’s mob era. However, the Flamingo was completely rebuilt in the 1990s, meaning the original structures are long gone. The demolition of the Tropicana signals the city’s latest rebrand as a sports hub, with a new baseball stadium planned for the site. Las Vegas has a long history of casino implosions, with each one marking a new beginning for the city and its ever-evolving entertainment landscape.
In classic Las Vegas style, the implosion of the Tropicana was turned into a spectacle for locals and visitors to witness. The city has a reputation for its extravagant implosions that have become as much a part of its identity as gambling. With each new implosion, Las Vegas continues to reinvent itself and embrace change as it looks towards the future of entertainment on the Strip. The demolition of the Tropicana, while a bittersweet moment for many, symbolizes the city’s ongoing transformation and the evolution of Las Vegas as a global entertainment destination.
