Vegas witnesses the demolition of the Last True Mob Casino at the Tropicana

Las Vegas said goodbye to the Tropicana Casino early Wednesday morning, bringing down the last real mob-era building on the Strip.

Accompanied by fireworks, the implosion reduced the casino's hotel towers to rubble in a predawn spectacle.

This was the city's first major implosion since 2016 Part of a project to clear land for a $1.5 billion stadium for the Oakland Athletics baseball team. The team is Moving to Sin City as part of its push to become a sports hub.

The Tropicana Las Vegas, which operated for 67 years before closing in April, was one of the Strip's oldest properties and a rare remnant of the city's storied past.

The building opened in 1957 with 300 rooms and cost $15 million – a record for the time.
In its heyday, the “Tiffany of the Strip” was known for its luxurious design and reputation as a celebrity hangout.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. of the Rat Pack were all regulars.

Elvis Presley is also known to have performed at the Tropicana, where he often attended shows or met up with friends. Parts of his 1964 film Viva Las Vegas and Sean Connery's sixth James Bond film, Diamonds are foreverFilms were also shot there, which added to the building's appeal.

While the casino was known for its glamorous atmosphere, its history also had ties to organized crime.

Italian-American gangster Frank Costello had a financial interest in the property when it opened. Weeks later, he survived an assassination attempt in New York and a note found in his pocket revealed the Tropicana's earnings, suggesting a deeper criminal network.

The casino became embroiled in a broader investigation in the 1970s when federal authorities investigated how Kansas City gangsters siphoned millions from several Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana.

Charges related to the Tropicana led to multiple convictions and further cemented its place in Las Vegas lore.

The demolition followed the tradition of turning casino implosions into public events.

“What Las Vegas has done, in classic Las Vegas style, has turned many of these implosions into spectacles,” said Geoff Schumacher, historian and vice president of the Mob Museum.

This approach began in 1993, when former casino mogul Steve Wynn turned the Dunes implosion into an entertainment spectacle by broadcasting the event and staging a dramatic storyline to accompany it.

The Tropicana's original low-rise wings had endured several renovations over the years, making it a rare piece of Las Vegas history amid the Strip's rapid transformation.

Notable elements such as the stained-glass ceiling added in 1979, popular for its distinctive green and amber tones, became emblematic of the casino's mid-century charm.

With the Tropicana gone, the Flamingo is the only Vegas casino remaining from the city's mob era, although its original buildings have been rebuilt.

Fans and regulars had the opportunity to say goodbye to the Tropicana before it closed in April.

“Old Vegas, here we go,” said Joe Zappulla, a New Jersey resident who visited the casino just before it closed its doors for good.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press.