The Tropicana casino in Las Vegas was brought down in an elaborate implosion early Wednesday morning, marking the end of an era for the last remaining true mob building on the Las Vegas Strip. The event was celebrated with a fireworks display as the hotel towers crumbled, making it the first casino implosion in nearly ten years in a city known for its dramatic demolitions.
Historian Geoff Schumacher noted that Las Vegas has transformed casino implosions into notable spectacles. This tradition began in 1993 when former casino magnate Steve Wynn televised the implosion of the Dunes, using a theatrical narrative that captivated audiences and set a precedent for future demolitions. The last implosion on the Strip was in 2016 when the Riviera was taken down.
The demolition of the Tropicana paves the way for a new $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics, which is part of Las Vegas’s ongoing transformation into a sports destination. With this implosion, only the Flamingo remains from the city’s mob era, although its original structures have long been replaced.
Open since 1957, the Tropicana was once the “Tiffany of the Strip” and frequented by the iconic Rat Pack. The casino closed its doors in April after 67 years in operation. Originally comprised of three stories and 300 hotel rooms, the Tropicana underwent numerous renovations throughout its history, including the addition of two more hotel towers and its famous stained glass ceiling in 1979.
The Tropicana had deep-rooted connections to organized crime, notably involving mobster Frank Costello. Despite his survival from an assassination attempt shortly after the casino’s opening, an investigation into Costello uncovered ties to the Tropicana’s earnings, highlighting its mob associations. By the 1970s, federal investigations led to charges against multiple individuals for skimming money from the casino.
Though there were no public viewing areas for the implosion, many fans had the opportunity to say goodbye to the historic casino earlier this year. As Joe Zappulla from New Jersey expressed his sorrow upon leaving, “Old Vegas, it’s going.”