Last updated: April 03, 2024
The iconic Tropicana Casino, a symbol of Las Vegas glamour, closes its doors on the Strip after 67 years to make room for a new sports arena. Initially tied to mobster Frank Costello, its early years reflect a darker side of Sin City’s history. A failed assassination attempt on Costello exposed the mob’s involvement, leading to the casino’s eventual regulatory scrutiny and closure.
There has been news on the Strip, one of the most famous casinos in the city, as it permanently closed its doors. In preparation for partial demolition scheduled for summer 2023, The Tropicana will shut down on Tuesday.
This is going to convey to a new sports complex, where the Oakland Athletics baseball team will probably move in, starting in 2028, a year that is not too far away.
Ever since its building was completed in the 1950s, this place has been a symbol of the wealth and glamour of Las Vegas (the city of sin). It became the iconic symbol of its time, with the most famous people from all over the world passing through it, the longest show-running theatre plays in the city, and even films were being shot while it was at the present moment.
However, in its initial sparkle, it was inextricably linked to a less glamorous underworld of Las Vegas – the seedy, ruthless one of organized crime. Probably the most popular figure at the time of the casino’s opening in 1957, Frank Costello, who once owned and operated legitimate businesses while simultaneously being engrossed in organized crime activities, was attributed to the casino’s management.
On April 9th, 1957, Jaffe’s company (Miami-based), The Tropicana, built on Jaffe’s Fontainebleau land holdings in Miami Beach. Jaffe also had an interest in it. On the other hand, the implementation itself was under Conquistador Inc.’s control, which was helmed by the smarts of ‘Dandy’ Phil Kastel.
Kastel got their connection with organized crime primarily through his partnership with authoritative mafia boss Frank ‘The Prime’ Costello, whom he previously ran casinos within New Orleans. Despite Costello’s active role, Kastele still belonged to the class that acknowledged only their friendship as a formal business relationship and nothing more. The $15 million cost of The Tropicana was the most astronomical in history on the Strip, followed closely by the other lavish developments in the vicinity.
Following an assassination attempt on Frank Costello tied to an emerging scandal involving the Tropicana casino, the fragile partnership between Phil Kastel and Costello faced scrutiny.
Vincent “the Chin” Gigante wounded Costello under Vito Genovese’s orders, leading to the discovery of incriminating evidence in his possession. Among the revelations was a document disclosing the casino’s earnings, prompting regulatory intervention by the Nevada Gaming Commission. Consequently, Kastel’s control of the Tropicana came to an end, with Ben Jaffe appointing J. Kell Houssels as his replacement.
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