Farewell to the Tropicana: A Majestic Democification in Las Vegas
Date: 2024-10-09 Author: Robert Beloved Categories: CASINO
As previously announced, the demolition of the Tropicana went ahead as scheduled Wednesday after Bally's decided to donate some of the memorabilia to the University of Nevada.
The democification marked the end of a 67-year chapter in the city's rich history. Fireworks shot into the sky as the hotel's skyscrapers came down, making the moment unforgettable.
The Tropicana was the first of its kind to be demolished in nearly a decade, reviving a long-standing tradition in a city that is constantly reinventing itself and reinventing itself. In fact, casino demolitions have become an integral part of Las Vegas' identity, as important as gambling and entertainment.
Historian and vice president of the Mob Museum Jeff Schumacher has noted that “what Las Vegas has done in the classic style is turn a lot of these demolitions into spectacles.” This theatrical approach to demolition began in 1993, when former casino magnate Steve Wynn, co-founder of Wynn Resorts, demolished the Dunes to make way for the Bellagio.
Wynn decided to televise the event, adding drama to the footage with pirate ships from his other casino shooting at the doomed building. Since then, Schumacher notes, Las Vegas has embraced demolition as a spectacle worth watching.
The last major casino to be demolished on the Strip was the Riviera in 2016, making way for a convention center expansion.
The demolition of the Tropicana marks a transition to a new era as the city continues to transform itself into a sports hub, with the Flamingo the only remaining reminder of the mob era. Opened in 1957, the Tropicana was once considered the “Tiffany of the Strip,” reflecting its elegance and popularity with celebrities like the Rat Pack.
However, its history is deeply intertwined with organized crime. Notorious mobster Frank Costello had ties to the casino, and an investigation in the 1970s revealed that the mobster had stolen millions of dollars from his earnings. Despite these dark connections, the casino’s opulence and grandeur left a lasting mark.
In a nostalgic gesture, Tropicana fans were able to bid farewell to the hotel in April before it closed. One visitor, Joe Zappulla, summed up the general sentiment: “Old Vegas is going away.”
The site is now slated to become the site of a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics, as well as a state-of-the-art resort as envisioned by Bally’s, which in late July reaffirmed its commitment to Las Vegas as part of its ambitious expansion plans.
