When it first opened in 1946, as the dream child of noted mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel Las Vegas' famed Flamingo hotel and casino was easily the most notorious joint in the city. These days, the only original thing that remains of one of Sin City's most infamous sites is the name.
At the time of its opening, the Flamingo (then called The Pink Flamingo) was easily the largest and most luxurious casino and resort in Las Vegas, but it was also incomplete. For a month, the new property operated heavily in the red until Siegel was forced to close it in January of 1947. Two months later the now finished Flamingo was reopened, and this time its rooms were full. Fearing assassination attempts after the casino's first failed opening, Siegel spared no expense in building his own special suite inside the hotel. Unfortunately, Siegel wasn't inside the steel walls of his safety room when he was shot in June of 1947. When the last of the original buildings were bulldozed in 1993, the storied suite went with them.
The Flamingo has changed hands five times and names four times in its 60+ year history, and with each change and the resulting renovations its dark reputation has faded. It was the flagship Hilton Las Vegas property for over 20 years, but today it is owned by the largest casino operator in the world, Harrah's Entertainment. In its heyday, the Flamingo attracted some of the hippest celebrities and hottest acts in the country, but these days it caters to a more conservative audience with acts like Donny and Marie. Its current crowd of fanny pack favoring middle aged slot players are certainly a far cry from the gun-toting mobsters that once marched its halls.
