MID-1980s (a pprox i m at ely)
Benny Binion chip from the Horseshoe Club
1946
Ceramic flamingo from the opening of the Flamingo
Horseshoe owner Benny Binion was a core enigma of Vegas — a Texas bruiser with a deadly streak reinvented as an avuncular burgher of postwar Sin City who, as you can see above, more or less had his face on his own money. (Read Doug Swanson’s new bio, Blood Aces, reviewed in these pages last month.) One of many people over the years who have laundered their pasts here, the onetime Texas gangster founded the World Series of Poker, which would go on to add considerably to the city’s mystique and appeal. He epitomizes the phrase, “They don’t make them like that anymore.” Extra cool points: This chip was owned by yet another old-Vegas legend, Jackie Gaughan, whose face was on some El Cortez chips. — SD
Over the years, Las Vegas casino openings have been momentous affairs, featuring lavish culinary spreads, marquee entertainers and gaggles of gamblers queued for a shot at what they believe are unusually loose slot machines. The tradition started almost 70 years ago, on Dec. 26, 1946, when Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, the handsome hoodlum with anger-management issues, organized a big party to mark the opening of his Flamingo Hotel. Siegel had a grand vision for an unforgettable evening, but it didn’t unfold as he had hoped. Siegel invited all of Hollywood royalty. More might have come, but storms drenching Los Angeles grounded Siegel’s chartered plane. Another impediment was newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst, who spread the word that he frowned on entertainment types associating with Siegel. It wasn’t a shutout on the celebrity front. Some second-tier stars, such as Siegel’s actor-buddy George Raft, showed up, as did the evening’s entertainment lineup, led by Jimmy Durante, Xavier Cugat’s band and a young singer named Rose Marie (who may be best remembered today for her long-term occupancy of the upper-center square on Hollywood Squares). People were impressed with the elegant Flamingo, and they enjoyed taking home a ceramic pink flamingo as a memento of the historic occasion. But the lackluster opening-night guest list was only the beginning of Siegel’s troubles. First, under pressure from partners who wanted to start seeing a return on their investments, he moved up the opening by several months. As a result, when the evening’s festivities wound down, everybody piled into their
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Culinary Union protest sign When visitors hear the word “culinary,” they’ll probably think of Strip restaurants and fancy kitchens. When the word is used by locals, they’re probably referring to the region’s most powerful union and its celebrated bargaining unit, Culinary Local 226. The union’s history is the story of war, ongoing in some cases, with powerful casino and entertainment companies (such as the long, contentious Frontier strike, memorialized at left); as well as cooperative peace, often, with other powerful industry giants. Other memorable union actions in Vegas include a musician’s strike in the late 1980s, and, in 1977, the murder of union president Al Bramlet. He was found dead in the desert, the victim, allegedly, of mob interests. His body’s outstretched arm and clenched fist became known as the “Bramlet salute” in labor-organizing circles. Amid such colorful history, union activity in Las Vegas has ensured many stable, well-paying jobs. No wonder this has been called “the most unlikely union town in America.” — LR
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