Las Vegas Tutors

About Las Vegas

During the rise of Las Vegas, mobsters and gangsters were running the country. Naturally, mob bosses were attracted to the desert city. Eventually they would develop the area into the Sin City we know today. A tutor can help you finish your studies quicker so you can see if lady luck is on your side at the slots. Most will tell you the founder of the strip was Bugsy (Benjamin) Siegel, a Jewish mobster with Hollywood looks. However, the strip was already present with several casinos. But Bugsy was the start of something much larger than a few run down casinos.

In the year of 1946 a 40 acre construction zone stood at a halt on the Vegas strip. The strips first hotel and casino combination was in the works but funds ran too low. Bugsy saw opportunity in the real estate investment. With the financial backing of his old friend and mob boss Meyer Lanksy and several other underground figures, he had the funds to proceed with construction. With the help of the mafia, the Pink Flamingo Hotel and Casino was opened. But after $6 million dollars, the lot still wasn't complete. A plan was devised to make the rest of the money needed from the grand opening of the hotel. Popular singer and comedian Jimmy Durante and other well known guests such as George Raft, George Sanders, and Sonny Tufts were in attendance along with many others. Despite Bugsy’s glitz and glamour grand opening, the casino lost over $300,000 during the first week of operation.

Bad weather prevented guest from Hollywood to arrive and those who did had no where to stay at the hotel. This meant winnings didn’t stay within the casino but guest took them elsewhere. To save the casino, Bugsy had previously purchased the El Cortez for $600,000. Later he sold the hotel for a profit of $166,000. Once again, the casino was reopened with the name “The Flamingo”. The inspiration for the hotel came from Bugsy’s redheaded girlfriend. Her long legs and red hair gave her the name Flamingo which then was passed on to the casino. Once again, two weeks after the grand opening The Flamingo was closed down. This was still not the end of the road for Siegel. The hotel was reopened for a third time as The Fabulous Flamingo on March 1st, 1947. A profit was finally reported in May of that year. Unfortunately for Siegel this still was not enough to save him.

Not more than a month later, Bugsy Siegel was found shot dead in his Beverly Hills mansion on June 20th, 1947. A classic mobster is how most would describe Siegel and a classic mobster death is what he suffered. The murder case of Bugsy Siegel remains open to this day. Although, he lost more money out of the Flamingo than he profited, Siegel was the mafias foot in the door for luxury Las Vegas hotel and casinos.