Las Vegas Bids Farewell to the Iconic Tropicana Casino

By Jane Shaw Senior Editor Updated: 04/15/2024

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Iconic Tropicana Casino Resort Shuts Down

The Tropicana Las Vegas, a landmark casino fixture on the Las Vegas Strip for 67 years, closed its doors for the final time on April 2.

A Bittersweet Farewell for Employees and Visitors

On its last day of operation, the Tropicana’s main entrance was crowded with employees and visitors who gathered to witness the historic moment. Cheers and tears filled the air as security guards locked up the casino just before 1 p.m.

Charlie Granado, a bartender who worked at the Tropicana for 38 years, expressed mixed emotions about the venue’s closure. He said:

It’s time. It’s run its course. It makes me sad, but on the other hand, it’s a happy ending.

Many visitors, like New Jersey resident Joe Zappulla, made a memorable trip to the Tropicana to be among the final guests to check out before the doors were locked. Zappulla’s parents honeymooned in Las Vegas in 1961 and often shared stories of their encounters with the Rat Pack during the Tropicana’s heyday.

From Tiffany of the Strip to Mob Ties: The Tropicana’s Interesting Past

When the Tropicana opened its doors in the 1950s, it was nicknamed the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its perfectly mowed lawns, elegant showroom, and luxurious amenities. The $15 million resort boasted 300 rooms, mosaic tiles, wood-paneled walls, and a towering tulip-shaped fountain near the entrance.

Over the years, the Tropicana hosted A-list stars like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, and Sammy Davis Jr., becoming a favorite haunt of the rich and famous.

However, the resort’s history wasn’t all glitz and glamor. The Tropicana also had ties to organized crime, mainly through reputed mobster Frank Costello. Weeks after the casino’s grand opening, Costello was shot in the head in New York, and police found a piece of paper in his coat pocket with the Tropicana’s exact earnings figure and a mention of “money to be skimmed” for his associates.

In the 1970s, federal authorities investigating mobsters in Kansas City charged more than a dozen mob operatives with conspiring to steal nearly $2 million in gambling revenue from Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana.

Adapting to the Changing Face of Vegas

As Las Vegas evolved over the decades, the Tropicana underwent several transformations to keep pace with the changing times. The resort added hotel towers, installed a $1 million stained glass ceiling above the casino floor and underwent themed rebrands like “The Island of Las Vegas” in the 1980s and a South Beach-themed renovation in 2011.

The Tropicana was also home to the city’s longest-running show, “Folies Bergere,” a topless show imported from Paris that helped make the feathered showgirl one of the most recognizable Las Vegas icons.

The closure of the Tropicana is part of Las Vegas’ latest rebrand as a hub for sports entertainment. The resort’s demolition will make room for a new baseball stadium expected to open in 2028. It will be home to the A’s, adding to the city’s growing number of professional sports teams, which includes the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights.