360 Vegas

Random Vegas Nick Mazzolo. You may not know the name but you certainly know his work. Nick was cast as a table games dealer in 3 blockbuster titles. Rain Man in 1988, Casino in 1995 and Vegas Vacation in 1997. TwitPic of the week In a picture that looks like it was taking on the pool deck of the Plaza years before it existed, this picture, shared by @FSELV definitely captures the best the Las Vegas Club ever looked, years before her transformation into a faux baseball stadium on the roof. All of Fremont strip was sexy as hell during the 60s, before Golden Nugget absorbed the entire city block they occupy today. Back when the Lucky Club and California Club shared the space. But you can’t see any of that here so lets just wrap this up by saying here we also have the Golden Gate with its signage looking as dapper as ever, still sporting the Hotel Sal Sagev signage. News LOVE Ends Hard Rock Model Spearmint vs Peppermint Bait and Switch Ellis Island Expansion Nevada Opposes Funding Stadium Oasis Cinema Club

I’ve said this before: if I had a time machine, I know exactly what I’d do with it. No, I wouldn’t steal a sports almanac or try to get my parents to kiss at the big dance. I’ve already graduated high school, so I wouldn’t use it to pass my history final, either. No, I would head back in time at 88.8 miles per hour to the Copa Room at the Sands in 1960, to see the greatest show one could see for $5.95. Dinner included. Like many of you, I have a decidedly romantic view of “old Vegas.” A time where women were ladies and comps were truly comps. When men wore hats (thanks for nothing, JFK). And when you could see a legend performing in the lounge. Often for free. I also have a decidedly romantic view of the mid-century crooners. Dean Martin, with a voice dark and syrupy like bourbon, and a total cheeseball when live on stage. Sammy Davis Jr., the most talented of them all, who could sing, dance, and act all his contemporaries under the table. And of course, the man himself: the Chairman of the Board, the one who made loneliness seem cool: Mr. Francis Albert Sinatra. When I want to relax for the evening, it’s an old fashioned in my glass and the Rat Pack on my stereo. Despite peaking in Las Vegas 60 years prior, the Rat Pack is also inextricably intertwined with our Vegas trips today. The men of The Summit provide the soundtrack to our early evenings. While we shower and dress for an evening on the town, pre-dinner cocktails in our hotel room glasses, Sammy, Frank, and Dino provide the soundtrack. No two days in Vegas are the same; but the Rat Pack is part of the ritual that binds them together for my wife and I. Indeed, the bellman has no sooner closed the door and my wife is asking me to turn on the Bluetooth speaker and put on music. Not just any music; our Vegas music. The only music that will do. When planning a recent trip, I mentioned to my wife that there was a Rat Pack impressionist show a little off strip. “And why haven’t we seen it yet?” Was her response. “The Rat Pack is Back” is not a new show to Vegas. With a history of more than 20 years, the show was previously at several venues in Vegas, including the Rio and the Plaza before finding its current home at the Tuscany, just east of the Strip on Flamingo in 2015. In fact, if you’ve seen the movie Get Him to the Greek, you’ve seen a little of the Rat Pack is Back show at the Plaza. Russell Brand’s character musician stops by to see his dad, who is a drummer in the show. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I purchased our tickets to The Rat Pack is Back… Maybe 80 minutes or so of mediocre, karaoke-style covers of my favorite songs? What we experienced ended up being so much more, and it’s a show that we will definitely be returning to see again. The Rat Pack is Back is performed in a small theater at the Tuscany in Las Vegas, in an intimate venue appropriately named “The Copa Room.” It features 3 impressionist performers, of which 2 are great and 1 is just okay. (Our Dean Martin didn’t really look or sound like Dean Martin. I’m looking into whether he was out for the night, or just plain out.) An especially enjoyable aspect of the show was the live, seven-piece band backing the trio. I often caught myself watching the piano playing conductor as she guided the band through their various cues. True to their subjects, the band and impersonators often had moments of playful banter between them. The Copa Room at the Tuscany is unfortunately a shadow of its namesake at the Sands, but this didn’t take away from our experience. A relatively small-for-Vegas room, seating consists of movable “wedding venue” seats, with small cocktail tables between the front VIP tables. Lucky for us, the small size of the room contributes to a more intimate setting. Seating is assigned by “area” and is first come, first serve. I paid for VIP seating, and we arrived early enough to be granted front row seats on stage right. One gets the feeling you could slip the host a twenty for an...

Random Vegas Tropicana’s nickname was the “Tiffany of the Strip” because it was said to be the shape of a necklace when viewed from an arial perspective. TwitPic of the week This is another property I have an irrational affinity for. Like the Fontainebleau today, the Landmark was a project that stalled for almost a decade before it was completed. Unfortunately, she wasn’t finished by someone who had a passion for her and therefore she struggled. Once it did open it was no longer the tallest building in the city so the cache of that concept was lost. But still, something about her casino in the sky that just sounds appealing. Probably why it still exists for high rollers in properties like Encore. Regardless, I never got to see the Landmark and therefore she will remain idealized to me, like she is in this picture shared by @summacorp, which is probably better than the actual memories I would have made. News LVCVA 2023 Visitor Profile Study New Airport Synagogue & Hotel Neon Museum Tropicana Lighting

The Tropicana was a unique property in the evolution of Las Vegas. While ownership was consolidated all over the city, it managed to remain independent, relatively speaking. When older properties on the strip were imploded so new projects could replace them, Tropicana remained and instead was reimagined. Step inside and it was clear this was not another Super Casino. The property was able to capture the charm of old Vegas while evolving to keep up with modern tastes. The perpetual David to the corporate Goliaths that dominate the strip landscape, Tropicana stood as a beacon of hope that there will always be options in the market working hard to take care of guests in ways only independent competition can, even if it requires the protection of anti-trust regulations to do so. If your interested in learning more about the Tropicana, check out... Pinterest lvstriphistory.com Vegas Seven - Tropicana New Era Vegas Seven - Tiffany of the Strip Vegas Seven - Stained Glass Ceiling Masterpiece TheMobMuseum Blog Battle Born Pins Vintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Sammy Davis Jr was supposed to be in 3 major movies about Vegas. We all know he was in the original Ocean’s 11 but did you know he was supposed to be cast as Elvis’ sidekick in the movie Viva Las Vegas? But producers thought that much star power would distract from the story so he didn’t get the part. The third was Diamonds are Forever, a movie he actually played himself in but it got cut. It can now be seen as a part of the movie’s deleted scenes. TwitPic of the week What’s special about this picture, shared by@travis758, is what its missing…Treasure Island. Right down in front, still a huge parking lot on the strip. The next glaring omission is the strip as we know it south of Caesars today. Here we still see the Dunes and their massive golf course taking up real estate all the way down to where NYNY is today. It’s 1990 so we see Excalibur sitting down there with Hacienda, Tropicana and Marina all alone because it doesn’t yet have the company of the MGM Grand as we know it today. The Marina won’t transform into the MGM Grand for another 3 years away from being built. Speaking of Caesars, it looks quite diminutive next to the Mirage and the Flamingo expansion across the street. It would be another 8 years before they added the Palace Tower to better keep up with the mega resorts, a project that would inspire the retheming of the property to an architectural style more Greco roman. Lastly, you can see the Sands and Holiday Casino across the street from Mirage, showing just what smaller properties were competing against. News Eagles Sphere Residency Western For Sale Tropicana Update Superbowl Impact

Random Vegas Vegas has been attempting to go smoke free since the early 90s. The first casino to ban cigarette smoking was at Silver City Casino in 1991. Vegas Pic of the week It was the original mega sign. Not quite a super pylon but big enough that it was a statement piece. The champaign tower at Flamingo, shared by @_GrandPaD, stood as a beacon for the property for years while she was a low-rise building. The cylindrical structure lit up at night with glowing bubbles that cresecendoed into the revolving name of the property at the top. Sadly it was removed by Kirk Kerkorian who decided to push the property closer to the road to pull in more foot traffic. It was replaced in 1968 with the iconic super pylon known as the Flamingo plumb signage. News Where It's At Movie Bugsy The Documentary Best Places to Stay In Vegas Summerlin Studios Kennel Club Suite

Nothing special is probably a very good way to describe the Royal Nevada. Not that it wasn’t nice or well located, it just wasn’t memorable. Think Monte Carlo Vegas and its luxury on a budget theme. Mix that with the opening of 4 new Vegas properties in 1955 and the answer to the question is yes, Vegas was over built.

Random Vegas The office of Sam “Ace” Rothstein and the Tangiers sports book in Martin Scorsese’s Casino was filmed on the site of an unopened casino at the Jockey Club (Vintagelasvegas.com) Vegas Pic of the week This is a photo I didn’t even know existed and it blew my mind when I found it, like I’m sure it’s going to blow yours. It’s a picture of the Dunes, mid-evolution from a motel to a high rise. I found it at vintagelasvegas.com. Here we still see all the original façade with the Diamond of the Dunes behind it under construction. It wouldn’t be much longer before the sultan was relocated to the golf course, just off the freeway. That is until he caught fire due to an electrical short or something, I can’t remember. I’m just psyched that this picture exits and I can share it with all of you. Also, it’s not lost on me that this picture isn’t breathtaking it’s just a moment in time I’m grateful we have. News Downtown Beer FestivalA’s partnering with Neon MuseumHollywood 2.0Flat Rate CabsBally’s Corp Privatization

Premium Content Preview Benny Binion is a Vegas legend. Many of the policies and procedures he put in place to run his casinos are standard operating procedure today. Making everyone feel like they were someone was the key to establishing loyalty and more importantly, return business. At Binion’s, you knew you were getting a good gamble with a fair shake. For more information about Benny Binion, check out the following lvstriphistory.comThe Players: The Men Who Made Las VegasThe First 100Sharks in the DesertI Do My Own Damn Killin'Blood AcesPinterestBattleBorn PinsVintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas Many of YESCO’s contracts for the signs it manufactured were lease agreements that included service contracts for the life of the lease. When the lessee eventually removed the sign, the contract stipulated that it be returned to YESCO which either recycled the signs parts or retired the sign to a designated boneyard lot at the outskirts of Las Vegas (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) Vegas Pic of the week This week’s winner from VintageLasVegas.com is another snapshot in time of Vegas under development. Specifically, the Mint and Lucky Casino. The date is April 18th, 1963 and the Mint tower has broken ground behind the casino at the bottom of the picture. Right across the street, in between the Golden Nugget and Nevada Club, Lucky Casino is installing their record-breaking marquee frontage that will reach 160 feet tall once complete. It would only have the crown of tallest sign in the city for a year before the Dune’s 180-foot Super Pylon was built on the strip. News Tropicana StadiumFSE Free Concert Series360 Vegas DiscordABC store

Random Vegas In the late 1940s, the state of Nevada’s slogan was “If you can’t do it at home, come to Nevada”. (Spectacular – A History of Las Vegas Neon) Twitpic of the week Icons, paired together in a beautiful union. The Sands cylindrical hotel tower, the classic, original, Sands egg crate marquee with the name Frank Sinatra on it as the headliner in the Copa Room. For a time, it didn’t get any more iconic than these brands together. @Summacorp shared a lovely photo of this moment in time, specifically Nov of 1966, just after Caesars Palace opened News Smoke and MirrorsNew Vegas

Random Vegas In 2003, Las Vegas tried to buy a commercial slot during the Super Bowl to promote tourism to the city. The NFL stepped in, citing a contract that allowed it to reject any ad related to sports betting, even though the spot didn’t include any overt references to gambling (Forbes) Twitpic of the week It’s amazing to think that today, this is all Circa. The Las Vegas Club, Golden Goose, Glitter Gulch and Sassy Sally, shared by @_GrandPaD, gone. Granted Sassy Sally was Mermaid’s at the time of her demise but that’s beside the point. The point is look how much things change in Vegas, all the time. On a side note, this is the best picture I’ve seen showing that Vegas Vickie and Sassy Sally are not the same thing. The typical POV shot of Sally’s and this area makes it almost look like Vickie is sitting on top of the Sassy Sally sign, hence the misconception that Vickie used to be Sally. News Super Bowl SuccessTropicana StadiumF1 2024 Improvements

This is one of those projects that I would have loved to see make it to the strip; and who knows, we may still get it one day. Yes a space theme has failed before in Las Vegas but come on, it was Bob Stupak behind it. Just like Luxor before it, I wonder how long those themed attractions will last. Another problem with a space themed resort is how quickly things can look dated. $5 billion dollars is a crazy price tag for a concept that is clearly targeting the middle class. Only time will tell if this concept comes to market but considering its Vegas, I wouldn’t bet on it.

We recently released the 360 Vegas show review for X-Country, and Mrs Jaydubs complained that we spent half the review talking about Fantasy. I can’t help it, though. Fantasy is the litmus test by which all other Vegas topless revues will be judged for a long time. Note: I have in the past referred to Fantasy as the Gold Standard of Vegas topless revues, and thought I was very clever for coming up with that. Then I saw the same words on a Fantasy poster on the way into Luxor and realized I was just subconsciously plagiarizing something I’ve seen before. To quote my father, “When someone steals your idea, it’s plagiarism. When you steal someone else’s idea, it’s inspiration.” I’ll run with that. If you aren’t aware, Fantasy is a nightly topless revue show at the Luxor. The production dates back to 1999, and is the oldest running topless show in Vegas. It was originally titled “Midnight Fantasy,” and it had a 12 am showtime to match. In 2001, Luxor dropped the midnight showtime in exchange for an earlier time slot, but didn’t drop the “Midnight” from the title until 2006. Over its nearly 25 year history, Fantasy has gone through several revisions. I myself have seen it 3 or 4 times, and it is always a solid choice. The structure is simple: beautiful women take off their clothes for the audience. There are a variety of acts, and the show switched them out regularly. The content of the show can vary by season - or even nightly - due to the various performers taking time off. Your favorite dancer isn’t going to perform in the show 7 days a week, she needs a break! There are numbers that feature single performers, as well as duo and ensemble pieces. To mix things up, the show also features a couple of acrobatic numbers with an aerialist on the silk web. Driving the show forward is a female MC who sings a few songs while performers dance. The performers themselves are absolutely lovely, and I would describe them as ______________. I should say that Fantasy has a specific aesthetic for its performers, which some may not appreciate. Probably the best way to describe this would be the classic Playboy look, the cast favors lean blondes, and even the darker-skinned girls are light-skinned, if that makes sense. None of the performers are conventionally unattractive, but if you prefer your eye-candy thick and curvy, you won’t find it here. I had no complaints. An important note: every topless show I’ve seen in Vegas makes an effort to be welcoming of the ladies and the women in the audience, but probably none do it better than Fantasy. Any women reluctant to attend with their SO or girlfriends should put that fear aside. You will not be the only woman there and no one will make you feel strange for being there. This is probably one of Fantasy’s biggest selling points for Mrs. Jaydubs and myself. Fantasy runs nightly at the Atrium theater at the Luxor. The show shares the venue with Carrot Top, and I can’t help but think that this must lead to some fascinating backstage moments. The venue is a traditional theater with a very sloped house. What this means is there are no bad seats, and you have a bigger risk of accidentally kicking the person in front of you in the head than not being able to see around them. The seats themselves are very comfortable, and the theater can accommodate about 350 people. In terms of the Audience Fuckery Factor, you should avoid the first 5 rows if you don’t want to be singled out for questions or attention, and the first 2 rows if you don’t want to be called on stage. Fantasy runs every night at 10:30 pm. There is also sometimes an early show at 8:00 pm. Tickets start at $52 on Vegas.com.

Random Vegas Built in 1982, the 2-story building that was the Oasis Casino @Dunes was supposed to be comprised of two components, a casino on the 1st floor and a restaurant on the 2nd floor. The restaurant never opened and the space remained unused until its destruction in 1993 (vintagelasvegas.com) Twitpic of the week Here is another @summacorp picture that mesmerizes me with all the history going on. For example, we know that this is 1968 because they are working on the fountains in front of the new Circus Circus casino. You’ll notice that fountain 5 is being deconstructed. That’s because they are moving the carousel marquee from the left of the fountains to that location on the right; all so they can make room to build Slots-A-Fun. Next door to that is Westward Ho still 3 years away from adding a casino in 1971. And next to that is the mammoth Stardust 1,000 motel units all lined up neatly like an OCD dream come true. If you look to the top left you’ll see both the Stardust casino and the 12-story expansion tower from 1964. And across the street from it all we have the Riviera with her classic marquee. It’s truly remarkable to think about how much land they needed back in the 50s through to the 70s and even 80s in some cases. Its no wonder why they all sold for the right price. News Sphere Demonstration360VV14CaesarsStratLuxor

Random Vegas After a 4 month remodeling and a rebranding, in 1963, Lucky Casino, formerly known as Lucky strike, reopened with the largest sign in the city of Las Vegas at 160 feet tall. It held that titled until it was surpassed in 1964 by the Dunes turret marquee towering 180 feet tall. Lucky Casino is now the middle part of Golden Nugget Fremont St frontage. Twitpic of the week So much development goodness in this picture it’s not hard to see why @summacorp shared it. Set in what looks like 1993 based on the various projects in various states of progress. Front and center, we see the massive MGM Grand theme park and Grand Garden Arena under construction. Beyond that we can see Luxor is also still under construction. Noticeably missing from the landscape is NYNY and Mandalay Bay. Here we still see Hacienda occupying the space Mandalay Bay would one day call home. News Tropicana ClosingFontainebleau ProblemsFlamingo RestorationFontainebleau Signage

Random Vegas The Caesars Palace marquee has caught on fire twice. In both cases, Tom Jones was the featured artist on the billboard at the time (vintagelasvegas.com) Twitpic of the week Ever wonder what it looked like when your Grandparents were on vacation in Vegas. Well, thanks to @_GrandPaD, we can relive that moment poolside at the Stardust in the 1950s. How do I know it’s the Stardust, you say? Easy, look at the top of the building. You can see the unmistakable outline of the original Stardust marquee, at least the back of it. Something about the idea of my grandparents chasing each other around like I chase my wife gives me an ear-to-ear grin, as it should. News A’s FumbleSibella JusticeRedneck Escape RoomRio's Marquee UpdateGlass Bar @Planet HollywoodHard Rock Window Tint

Random Vegas In Vegas history, 3 signs have been knocked down due to high winds. The first was the Silver Slipper in May of 1978. The second, in May of 1991, was Bob Stupak’s Vegas World sign. The third was the Hilton sign, the tallest free-standing sign in the world at 365 feet, had the top portion of the sign collapse in July of 94. The incident caused designers to be questioned how a sign designed to withstand winds of over 100 mph fail at 70 mph. The sign was repaired, then totally replaced in 1997 with the sign they have today at Westgate, the current tallest free standing advertising sign in the world at 279 feet high. (News3lv.com) Twitpic of the week When installed in 1967 the Frontier, formerly the Last Frontier and, for a time, the New Frontier, was the tallest sign in the world at 184 feet tall. It had 16-foot-tall letters and a giant 30 foot tall “F” logo resting at the top. The sign contained more than a mile of fluorescent tubing, a mile and half of neon and more than 23,000 light bulbs. In Dec of 2008, after the property had closed and was being prepared for new construction, Wynn paid to have the signage be taken down for the opening of Encore across the street. This week, @summacorpshared that moment in time. The Neon Museum sought to save portions of the sign but exactly what they were able to retain from the pylon marquee is unknown. News 360VV14 UpdateSphere CEO Accused of Sexual MisconductFalse F1 Loses Reported1,000-piece puzzle

Patreon Exclusive Content Many regard Jay Sarno as the father of the themed casino as well as the mind behind family friendly Las Vegas. His contributions to the strip, Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, are complete opposites on the theme and customer base scale. While he was many things, a womanizer and a gambling addict, no one can dispute that he was also a visionary. Jay Sarno was exactly what Vegas wanted during a time when all its current owners were being scrutinized by attorney general Bobby Kennedy; a legit guy with no previous connection to organized crime. If you're interested in learning more about Jay Sarno, check out GrandissimoThe Players: The Men Who Made Las VegasSharks in the Desertlvstriphistory.comPinterestBattle Born PinsVintage Vegas Shirts

Random Vegas A typical arcade game makes about as much per day as a typical slot machine (Vital Vegas) Twitpic of the week Here @summacorp shares a time before the Golden Nugget consumed all of its western casino competition to acquire the Fremont footprint they have today. It was also the initial incarnation of their greatest exterior façade with the bullnose corner of Fremont and 2nd St, known today as Casino Center Blvd. Knowing what it would become it looks kind of cute. Especially next to what was, for a time, the tallest sign on Fremont St at Lucky Casino standing at 153 feet high. Beyond that you can see the adorable Californian club ending the block the Nugget absorbed. If you really want to, you can also see Vegas Vic at the Pioneer Club and the Golden Gate marquees in the distance. All that to avoid looking at the high waisted gentleman in the foreground. News 360VV14Rio’s CanteenSuperbowl DetailsPotential New Black Book MemberWynn West UpdateNevada Craft Beverage PassportPalazzo’s New MarqueeVenetian RewardsMGM 1.62 acre purchaseRio's New Exterior