close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas demolished to make way for the athletics stadium
news

Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas demolished to make way for the athletics stadium

That’s it, folks.

The Tropicana Casino, one of the longest-standing and most historic hotels in Las Vegas, went out with a bang Wednesday when it was demolished to make way for a new Major League Baseball stadium.

The infamous mob-era resort was reduced to rubble just after 2:30 a.m. in an elaborate and colorful, 22-second controlled implosion involving 555 drones and a fireworks display to celebrate its long-standing legacy, according to a press release from Bally’s.

The infamous resort was demolished in a controlled implosion on Wednesday. AP

“It’s a little sentimental because it’s like part of our neighborhood,” said Louis Gamboa, who lives within walking distance of the Tropicana, according to KVVU.

“But at the same time, I like progress, I like seeing Las Vegas grow.”

The implosion included 555 drones and a fireworks show. Getty Images for Bally’s Corporation and the Athletic

The now-demolished site will be transformed into a $1.5 billion ballpark for the Oakland Athletics and an entertainment complex.

The implosion lasted 22 seconds. AP

The Tropicana opened in 1957 on the iconic Las Vegas Strip as the largest casino in Las Vegas, attracting an elite crowd of high-rollers and celebrities, Bally’s said.

The three-story fixture contained 300 rooms across two wings and was quickly dubbed the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence, the company added.

The demolished site will now house a new Major League Baseball Stadium. Getty Images for Bally’s Corporation and the Athletic

The resort underwent two major hotel expansions as Las Vegas developed: the opening of the Tiffany Tower in 1979 and the Island Tower in 1986, Fox News reported.

For more than sixty years, it remained an iconic presence on the Strip, featuring the likes of the Rat Pack and debuting a risqué show featuring topless feathered showgirls — but it also had close ties to famed gangster Frank Costello, the outlet noted.

The casino was the first to debut a risqué show featuring topless feathered showgirls. AP

Costello was shot in the head in New York weeks after the Tropicana opened, and while he survived, police found a piece of paper detailing the Tropicana’s exact earnings in his jacket pocket – highlighting the Mafia’s interest in the casino , the report said.

By the 1970s, federal authorities investigating gangsters in Kansas City would indict more than a dozen Mafia operatives for conspiring to siphon nearly $2 million in gambling revenue from Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana.

The Tropicana closed in April, just before its 67th birthday. AP

The charges related to the Tropicana alone resulted in five convictions.

The casino closed its doors on April 2 after welcoming guests under the age of 67 for two days.

The resort was also infamous for its ties to the mafia. AP

A’s owner John Fisher called Wednesday’s implosion — the first in nearly a decade — a significant milestone as the baseball association partners with Bally’s to relocate to Las Vegas.

“The Tropicana Las Vegas was one of the original pioneers of the Strip and set the stage for the vibrant, larger-than-life entertainment destination we know and love today,” said Soo Kim, chairman of Bally’s Corporation, in a press release.

A $1.5 billion baseball field for the Oakland Athletics and an entertainment complex will be built on the Tropicana site. AP

“It is fitting that this iconic venue now represents the future of Las Vegas as we look forward to welcoming Major League Baseball, athletics and an exciting new entertainment complex.”

The Flamingo is now the only remaining casino from the city’s Mafia era still on the Strip.