3 Large Vintage Postcards...TROPICANA & FLAMINGO

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3 Large Vintage Postcards...TROPICANA & FLAMINGO:
$2.95

Hi. This sale is for Three Large Vintage Postcards from the TROPICANA & FLAMINGO CASINOS in Las Vegas. They measure 8 1/4\" x 3 1/2\" and are in Great Condition (see pics)...So... Good Luck offerding and Have Fun!All sales are Final and Sold As Is. If you are not certain about an item we Welcome All of your Questions. If there is any problem with your purchase (Other than Buyers Remorse) Please contact us First so we have the opportunity to Make Things Right!We ONLY Ship to the USA (50 States). NO Exception.We will also Combine Shipping on Multiple sales, just let us know. We Accept Paypal. Payment is Due within 4 Days of the Close of the sale. If Not Received within the 4 Days we will be forced to file a Non-Paying buyer Report and have the right to Relist the Item. Thanks for Looking and have a Wonderful Day! Tropicana Las VegasFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaTropicana Las VegasLocationParadise, NevadaAddress3801Las Vegas BoulevardSouthOpening dateApril 4, 1957; 60 years agoThemeTropicalNo.of rooms1,467Total gaming space50,000sqft (4,600m2)Permanent showsLaugh Factory
ImaginariumCasino typeLand-basedOwnerPenn National GamingRenovatedin1979, 1986, style=\"margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;\">TheTropicana Las Vegasis ahotelandcasinoon theLas Vegas StripinParadise, Nevada. It is owned and operated byPenn National Gamingand is a franchise ofHilton\'sDoubleTreechain. It offers 1,467 rooms, a 50,000-square-foot (4,600m2) gaming floor, and 72,000sqft (6,700m2) of convention and exhibit space.[1]

This location, theTropicana – Las Vegas Boulevard intersection, has the most hotel rooms of any intersection in the world and is extremely busy. Pedestrians are not allowed to cross at street level. Instead, the Tropicana is linked by overhead pedestrian bridges to its neighboring casinos: to the north across Tropicana Avenue, theMGM Grand, and to the west across the Strip, theExcalibur.

Contents[hide]

1History
- 1.1Film history
2Amenities and entertainment
- 2.1Shows
- 2.2Attractions
- 2.3Dining
- 2.4Other amenities
3References
4External links

History[edit]The leaded-glass ceiling of the Tropicana casino before the 2011 renovation.

In 1955, Ben Jaffe, an executive of theFontainebleau Miami Beach, came to Las Vegas and bought a 40-acre parcel at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Bond Road (now Tropicana Avenue).[2]Jaffe aimed to build the finest hotel in Las Vegas, featuring a Cuban ambience, with four room themes for guests to choose from: French Provincial, Far East, Italian Renaissance, and Drexel.[2]

Construction ran over schedule and over budget, due in part to competition for labor with the under-constructionStardustdown the road.[2]Jaffe had to sell his interest in the Fontainebleau to complete the project, which finally opened in April 1957.[2]

Jaffe first leased the property to his associate,Phil Kastel. TheGaming Control Boardraised suspicions over Kastel\'s links to organized crime, which were confirmed in May when a note bearing a Tropicana earnings figure was found in the possession of mobsterFrank Costello.[2]Jaffe next turned to J. Kell Housells, owner of theLas Vegas Club. By 1959, Housells bought out Jaffe\'s interest, gaining a majority share in the Tropicana.[2]

The Tropicana Country Club opened in 1961 on 125 acres (51ha) of land, across the street from the hotel.[3][4]

In the early 1970’s, the Tropicana fared poorly from competition with larger hotels likeCaesars Palaceand theLas Vegas Hilton.[2]Houssels sold out in 1968 toTrans-Texas Airways.[2]Deil Gustafson, a Minnesota financier, bought the Tropicana in 1972.[5][6]He undertook an expansion plan, but ran into financing difficulties.[7]Edward and Fred Doumani took over management on an emergency basis in 1974 after investing $1 million into the property.[7][8]Mitzi Stauffer Briggs, heir to theStauffer Chemicalfortune, bought a majority interest in the Tropicana in 1975. Briggs began construction of the 22-floor Tiffany Tower in 1977.

The Tropicana became the target of a mobskimmingoperation in 1978.[9]Joe Agosto, the owner of the casino\'s Folies Bergere show, oversaw the siphoning of money from the cashier cage to theKansas City crime family.[10]The scheme was exposed in 1979 by an FBI investigation into hidden mob interests in Las Vegas casinos.[11]Briggs and Gustafson faced revocation of their gaming licenses because they had allowed Agosto to manage the casino without a license.[12]They had little choice but to sell the Tropicana. Hotel chainRamada Innspurchased the business in December 1979, along with the 50% share of the property\'s real estate that had been owned by the Doumanis.[13][14]

A 21-story Island Tower was constructed in 1986.

Ramada spun off its gaming properties, including the Tropicana, in 1989 asAztar Corporation.

The Tropicana\'s country club was closed in 1990 after being sold toMGM Grand Inc.to become part of the site of the newMGM Grandcasino.[15][16]

In 2002, Aztar consolidated ownership of the Tropicana by buying the remaining 50% interest in the land and buildings from the Jaffe family for $117.5 million.[17]

Aztar was acquired byColumbia Sussexin January 2007. A $2-billion renovation of the Tropicana was announced, planned to be completed in 2010, making it the largest resort casino in the world. The existing Paradise and Island towers would have received both interior and exterior renovations, and four new towers would have been built on the property, one of which would be branded as a separate hotel.

The plans included a 100,000-square-foot (9,300m2) casino, five hotel towers totaling 10,000 rooms, and a sprawling 200,000-square-foot (19,000m2) retail promenade. Other amenities included spas and fitness centers; more than 20 restaurants and lounges; a 1,500-seat entertainment venue for big-name headliners; and a water–ride attraction.

All improvements to the property were put on hold because of theglobal financial crisis, and became moot when Columbia Sussex\'s gaming arm filed for bankruptcy in 2008. The Tropicana, which had a $440 million secured loan against it,[18]was bought from the bankrupt company in July 2009 by its creditors, led by Canadian private equity firmOnex Corporationand formerMGM MirageCEOAlex Yemenidjian, who took over as CEO.[19]

The remainder of Columbia Sussex\'s gaming business, reorganized under new ownership asTropicana Entertainment Inc., promptly sued the Las Vegas property, demanding royalties for use of the Tropicana name. The case was eventually settled, with the Tropicana Las Vegas receiving exclusive rights to use the name in the Las Vegas region, royalty-free.[20]

In August 2009, Yemenidjian announced a $165-million plan to renovate the property around aSouth Beachtheme, to be done in several phases. The first phase would renovate the Tropicana\'s back office facilities, with completion planned for the end of 2009. The second phase would renovate the conference facilities, rooms, and common areas, with construction to finish at the end of August 2010. The third phase, including a Nikki Beach Night Club and Nikki Beach multimillion-dollar pool renovation was planned to be completed by April 2011.[21]

On November 9, 2010, Tropicana imploded a wing which contained rooms adjacent to Tropicana Avenue. The rooms were the resort\'s oldest, dating back to 1957. The section was removed to make room for a second entrance to the property and open up space for additional parking.[22]

In February 2011, the Tropicana opened a new sports book, operated byCantor Gaming.[23]

In 2012, the Tropicana announced an affiliation withDoubleTree by Hilton.[24]

In August 2015,Penn National Gamingpurchased the Tropicana for $360 million.[25][26]

In December 2016, as part of Penn\'s Interactive Division, the Tropicana created an online experience for customers to play.[27]

Film history[edit]

A scene from Folies Bergere is featured in the 1964Elvis PresleyfilmViva Las Vegas.
In the 7thJames Bondfilm,Diamonds Are Forever, 007 stays at the hotel Tropicana, claiming it looks \"quite comfortable\".
The Las Vegas sequence ofThe Godfatherwas filmed in the Tropicana.[28]
The hotel is also referred briefly inThe Godfather Part IIand a few deleted scenes take place inside the hotel. To avoid copyright issues, the name of the hotel was changed to \"Tropigala\" during filming, although the original name remained in the final draft of the script.
The TV seriesVega$was also filmed at the Tropicana Hotel during the 1970s.
It was featured on the TV ShowCharlie\'s Angelsin the episode \"Angels In Vegas\" in 1978 withDean Martinguest starring.
It was featured on the TV ShowAngelin the episode \"The House Always Wins\" as the casino where the character Lorne had his show.
A show was taped here forMalcolm in the Middlein 2003.
A two part episode ofDesigning Women, Season 7, is set here. Anthony meets and marries a showgirl from theFolies Begere.
The game showsDealer\'s Choice&Las Vegas Gambitwere taped here.
The first half of the first season of the revival of the game showLet\'s Make a Dealwas being taped here. Hosted byWayne Brady, it began airing onCBSOctober 5, 2009.[29]The show moved to Los Angeles during a reconstruction period.

Flamingo Las Vegas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThis article is about Flamingo Las Vegas. For other uses of Flamingo, seeFlamingo (disambiguation).\"Flamingo Hotel\" redirects here. For the former Florida hotel, seeFlamingo Hotel, Miami Beach.Flamingo Las VegasFlamingo Las Vegas in SouthLas Vegas BoulevardOpening dateDecember26, 1946; 71 years agoThemeArt Deco
MiamiNo.of rooms3,626Total gaming space72,299sqft (6,716.8m2)Permanent showsDonny and Marie
Olivia Newton-JohnSignature attractionsWildlife HabitatNotable restaurantsCenter Cut Steakhouse
Jimmy Buffett\'s MargaritavilleOwnerCaesars Entertainment CorporationPrevious namesThe Fabulous Flamingo (1947–1974)
FlamingoHiltonLas Vegas (1974–2000)Renovatedin1953, 1967, 1975, 1977, 1982, 1990, 1993, 2004, style=\"margin: 0.5em 0px; line-height: inherit;\">Flamingo Las Vegas(formerlyThe Fabulous FlamingoandFlamingoHiltonLas Vegas) is ahotelandcasinolocated on theLas Vegas StripinParadise,Nevada. It is owned and operated byCaesars Entertainment Corporation.
The property includes a 72,299-square-foot (6,716.8m2) casino along with 3,626 hotel rooms. The 15-acre (6.1ha) site\'s architectural theme is reminiscent of theArt DecoandStreamline Modernestyle ofMiamiandSouth Beach. Staying true to its theme, the hotel includes a garden courtyard which serves as a wildlife habitat forflamingos. The hotel was the third resort to open on the Strip and remains the oldest resort on the Strip in operation today. The Flamingo has aLas Vegas Monorailstation called theFlamingo & Caesars Palace stationat the rear of the property. After opening in 1946, it has undergone a number of ownership changes.

Contents

[hide]
- 1History
  - 1.1Land background and hotel design (1945)
  - 1.2Development under Bugsy Siegel (1945)
  - 1.3The Flamingo Hotel & Casino opens (1946)
  - 1.4Siegel\'s murder (1947)
  - 1.5Post-Siegel ownerships (1947–1960)
  - 1.6Recent years (1960–present)
- 2Facilities and attractions
- 3Current headliners
- 4In popular culture
  - 4.1Film
  - 4.2Television
  - 4.3Music
  - 4.4Literature
  - 4.5Games
- 5See also
- 6References
- 7External links
The Flamingo site occupies 40 acres (16ha) originally owned by one of Las Vegas\' first settlers, Charles \"Pops\" Squires. Squires paid $8.75 an acre for the land. In 1944, Margaret Folsom bought the tract for $7,500 from Squires, and she then later sold it toBilly Wilkerson. Wilkerson was the owner ofThe Hollywood Reporteras well as some very popular nightclubs in the Sunset Strip:Cafe Trocadero,Ciro\'sand La Rue\'s (Hollywood).[1]
In 1945, Wilkerson purchased 33 acres (13ha) on the east side ofU.S. Route 91, or about 1-mile (1.6km) south of theHotel Last Frontier, in preparation for his vision. Wilkerson then hired George Vernon Russell to design a hotel influenced by European style. Wilkerson also requested the hotel be different than the \"sawdust joints\" on Fremont Street. He planned a hotel with luxurious rooms, a spa, health club, showroom, golf course, nightclub, an upscale restaurant, and a French style casino. Due to high wartime material costs, Wilkerson ran into financial problems almost at once, finding himself $400,000 short and hunting for new financing.[citation needed]

Development under Bugsy Siegel (1945)[edit]

Bugsy\'s original Flamingo Las Vegas in 1947
In late 1945, mobsterBugsy Siegeland his \"partners\" came to Las Vegas. Vegas reportedly piqued Siegel and his mob\'s interest because of its legalized gambling and off-track betting. At the time, Siegel held a large interest in Trans America Wire, a racing publication.[2]
Siegel began by purchasing theEl CortezonFremont Streetfor $600,000. His expansion plans were hampered by unfriendly city officials aware of his criminal background, so Siegel began looking for a site outside the city limits.[3]Hearing that Wilkerson was seeking extra funding, Siegel and his partners posed as businessmen and directly bought a two-thirds stake in the project.[3]
Siegel took over the final phases of construction and allegedly convinced more of his underworld associates to invest in the project. Siegel reportedly lost patience with the project\'s rising costs leading to outbursts which frightened his construction foreman,Del Webb. Reportedly, Siegel told him, \"Don\'t worry – we only kill each other.\"[4]
Siegel had also built a secret ladder in the \"Presidential Suite\" to escape if necessary. The ladder led down to an underground garage where a chauffeured limo was also waiting.[5]

The Flamingo Hotel & Casino opens (1946)[edit]

\"The West\'s Greatest Resort Hotel,\" matchbook advertising the Flamingo resort, circa 1946
Siegel finally opened The Flamingo Hotel & Casino on December 26, 1946 at a total cost of $6 million. Billed as\"The West\'s Greatest Resort Hotel,\"the 105-room property – and first luxury hotel on the Strip[6]– was built 4 miles (6.4km) fromDowntown Las Vegas. During construction, a large sign announced the hotel as a William R. Wilkerson project. The sign also readDel Webb Constructionas the hotel\'s primary contractor and Richard R. Stadelman (who later made renovations to theEl Rancho Vegas) as the building architect.
Allegedly, Siegel named the resort after his girlfriend,Virginia Hill, who loved to gamble and was nicknamed \"Flamingo\". It is reported that Siegel called her this because of her long, skinny legs.[7]Organized crime king,Lucky Luciano, wrote in his memoir that Siegel once owned an interest in theHialeah Park Race Trackand viewed the flamingos who populated nearby as a good omen. The \"Flamingo\" name is reported to have been given to the project at its inception by Wilkerson.[8]

Siegel\'s murder (1947)[edit]

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Siegel\'s trouble with the Flamingo began when, a year after its official groundbreaking, the resort had produced no revenue and drained the resources of its mob investors. ThenMeyer Lanskycharged – ata major mob conference in Cuba– that either Siegel or Hill was skimming from the resort\'s building budget. This charge was amplified at a time when Hill was revealed to have taken $2.5 million and had gone to Switzerland, where the skimmed money was believed to be going.[citation needed]
Las Vegas Sun\' Ad Congratulating Flamingo\'s Grand Opening in 1945
\"There was no doubt in Meyer\'s mind,\" Luciano recalled in his memoir, \"that Bugsy had skimmed this dough from his building budget, and he was sure that Siegel was preparing to skip as well as skim, in case the roof was gonna fall in on him.\" Luciano and the other mob leaders in Cuba asked Lansky what to do. Torn because of long ties to Siegel, whom he considered like a brother, Lansky nevertheless agreed that someone stealing from his friends had to die. At first, Lansky persuaded the others to wait for the Flamingo\'s casino opening: if it was a success, Siegel could be persuaded in other ways to repay. Luciano concurred and persuaded the others to agree.[citation needed]
Bugsy Siegel Memorial at Flamingo Las Vegas in 2012
The splashy opening – stars present included Spanish band leaderXavier Cugat(whose band provided the music),George Jessel,George Raft,Rose Marie, andJimmy Duranteas entertainment, with guests includingClark Gable,Lana Turner,Cesar Romero,Judy Garland,Joan Crawford, and others – was a flop.[citation needed]Lansky managed to persuade the mob chiefs to reprieve Siegel once more and allow the Flamingo more time. But by January 1947 Siegel had to order the resort closed until the hotel could be finished.[citation needed]
The Flamingo re-opened in March despite the hotel not being complete, and this time, the results proved different. By May, the resort reported a $250,000 profit, allowing Lansky to point out that Siegel was right about Las Vegas after all. But it wasn\'t quite enough to save Siegel. On June 20, 1947, relaxing in the Beverly Hills house he shared with Hill, who was away at the time, Siegel was shot to death.[citation needed]
A memorial plaque exists on the Flamingo site near the outdoor wedding chapel.[9]

Post-Siegel ownerships (1947–1960)[edit]

Casino management changed the hotel name toThe Fabulous Flamingoon March 1, 1947. After Siegel\'s death,Moe SedwayandGus Greenbaum, magnates of the nearbyEl Cortez Hotel, took possession of the Flamingo. Under their partnership, the Flamingo became a non-exclusive facility affordable to almost anyone. They made the enterprise extremely successful. In the year 1948 alone, the Flamingo turned a $4 million profit.[10]The Flamingo presented lavish shows and accommodations for its time becoming well known for comfortable, air conditioned rooms, gardens, and swimming pools. Often credited for popularizing the \"complete experience\" as opposed to merely gambling, the Flamingo staff became known for wearing tuxedos on the job.[citation needed]Among the many entertainers who performed at the Flamingo between 1947 and 1953 wereMartin and Lewis,Sammy Davis Jr.,Danny Thomas,Tony Martin,MargeandGower Champion,Polly Bergen,Lena Horne,The Mills Brothers,Alan King,Betty Hutton,Billy Eckstine,Sophie Tucker,Pearl BaileyandSpike Jones.[citation needed]Rose Marie, who was one of the Flamingo\'s first entertainers under Siegel\'s ownership in 1946, remained loyal to the Flamingo for the rest of her life, only performing at other casinos with permission from \"the boys\" at the Flamingo, according to herlast words.
In 1953, the Flamingo spent $1 million in renovations and remodeling. The original entrance and signage was destroyed. A new entrance with an upswept roof was built and a pink neon sign was designed by Bill Clark of Ad-Art. A neon-bubbled \"Champagne Tower\" sign with pink flamingos rimming the top was also installed in front of the hotel.[11]From 1955 to 1960, the Flamingo was operated byAlbert Parvinof theParvin-Dohrmann Corporation.[12]Parvin owned 30% of the stock while businessman Harry Goldman owned 7.5%; other investors included singerTony Martinand actorGeorge Raft.[13]

Recent years (1960–present)[edit]

In 1960, it was sold for $10.5 million to a group including Samuel Cohen, Morris Lansburgh, and Daniel Lifter, Miami residents with reputed ties to organized crime.[12][14]Lansky allegedly served as middleman for the deal, receiving $200,000.[12][13]
The Flamingo name has been applied to gambling operations elsewhere, such as this New Orleans riverboat, circa 1997
Kirk Kerkorianacquired the property in 1967,[15]making it part of Kerkorian\'s International Leisure Company, but theHilton Corporationbought the resort in 1972, renaming it theFlamingo Hiltonin 1974. The last of the original Flamingo Hotel structure was torn down on December 14, 1993 and the hotel\'s garden was built on-site.[citation needed]The Flamingo\'s four hotel towers were built (or expanded) in 1977, 1980, 1983, 1986, 1990, and 1993. A 200-unitHilton Grand Vacationstimesharetower was opened in 1993.[16]
In 1998, Hilton\'s gaming properties, including the Flamingo, were spun off asPark Place Entertainment(later renamed to Caesars Entertainment). The deal included a two-year license to use the Hilton name. Park Place opted not to renew that agreement when it expired in late 2000, and the property was renamedFlamingo Las Vegas.[17]
In 2005,Harrah\'s Entertainmentpurchased Caesars Entertainment, Inc. and the property became part of Harrah\'s Entertainment company. The company changed its name to Caesars Entertainment Corporation in 2010.
On September 9, 2012,Port Adelaide Football ClubAFLfootballerJohn McCarthydied after falling 30 feet (9m) from a rooftop of the hotel. The incident occurred at the start of a post-season holiday for McCarthy and other Port Adelaide players. They had arrived in Las Vegas only a few hours before the incident.[18][19][20]After reviewing evidence, police said that McCarthy had attempted to jump off the roof onto apalm tree, but fell to the ground.[21]