Las Vegas Bids Farewell to Tropicana with Monumental Implosion

Las Vegas witnessed the end of an era as the iconic Tropicana hotel towers were demolished in an elaborate implosion early Wednesday morning. The event marked the last true mob-affiliated building on the famous Las Vegas Strip and followed an extensive fireworks display as part of the spectacle.

The Tropicana’s demolition represents the first casino implosion on the Strip in nearly a decade, a tradition that has become emblematic of the city’s penchant for reinvention. “What Las Vegas has done, in classic Las Vegas style, they’ve turned many of these implosions into spectacles,” commented Geoff Schumacher, a historian and vice president of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum.

Steve Wynn, a former casino mogul, set the trend for making such demolitions public events in 1993. Wynn’s theatrical implosion of the Dunes to make way for the Bellagio involved a narrative featuring pirate ships, establishing a new standard for such events in Las Vegas.

The latest implosion clears land for the expected new ballpark for the Oakland Athletics, as Las Vegas continues its transformation into a hub for sports. This transformation leaves the Flamingo as the only remaining Strip structure from the city’s mob era, although its original buildings have been completely replaced since the 1990s.

Known as “The Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence, the Tropicana opened in 1957 and became a favored haunt of the Rat Pack. Despite several expansions and remodeling over the years, the Tropicana retained its original low-rise wings, making it a symbol of its storied past.

The casino’s history is intertwined with organized crime, primarily linked to notorious mobster Frank Costello. Police investigations after an attempt on Costello’s life revealed the mob’s interests in the Tropicana, leading to significant indictments and convictions in the 1970s for skimming operations involving over $2 million in casino revenues.

While there were no public viewing areas available for the implosion, fans and patrons had an opportunity in April to say their goodbyes to the historic site. Joe Zappulla, a deeply moved visitor from New Jersey, was among those who paid their respects to the vintage Vegas landmark shortly before it closed. “Old Vegas, it’s going,” he remarked tearfully.