The Tropicana, the last mob-associated building on the Las Vegas Strip, was demolished in a dramatic implosion early Wednesday morning. This event, complete with a fireworks display, marked the first casino implosion in nearly a decade.
Las Vegas has a long history of demolishing old casinos to make room for new developments, and the Tropicana’s implosion was the latest example of the city’s tradition of turning these events into grand spectacles.
Geoff Schumacher, historian and vice president of the Mob Museum, noted how the city has embraced the spectacle of implosions, making them a core part of its identity alongside its well-known reputation for gambling.
The trend of spectacular implosions in Las Vegas began in 1993 when Steve Wynn demolished the Dunes to build the Bellagio. Wynn elevated the event by not only televising the implosion but also creating a narrative involving pirate ships firing at the Dunes, making it an iconic moment in the city’s history.
Since then, Las Vegas has treated large-scale demolitions as public events, making them must-see spectacles. The most recent major implosion prior to the Tropicana occurred in 2016 when the Riviera was brought down to make space for an expanded convention center.
Iconic Tropicana Casino Demolished in Spectacular Implosion, Making Way for New Las Vegas Developments
The Tropicana’s demolition is paving the way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium that will house the relocating Oakland Athletics, marking Las Vegas’ continued evolution into a major sports hub. With the Tropicana now gone, only the Flamingo remains as a symbol of the city’s mob history, though the original structures of the Flamingo were rebuilt in the 1990s.
The Tropicana, which opened in 1957, was the third-oldest casino on the Strip and had welcomed guests for 67 years before its closure in April 2024. It was once a glamorous hotspot frequented by stars like the Rat Pack, solidifying its place in Vegas lore.
Despite its glamour, the Tropicana had deep ties to organized crime. Mobster Frank Costello was closely linked to the casino’s operations, and an attempt on his life shortly after the casino’s opening led authorities to uncover mob involvement in its earnings.
By the 1970s, federal investigations revealed that the Kansas City mob had been skimming millions from Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana. Several individuals were convicted for their roles in these illegal activities, further cementing the casino’s notorious history.
Fans of the Tropicana had a chance to say their goodbyes before it closed, as the casino held a final farewell in April 2024. For some, like longtime visitor Joe Zappulla, the closure of the Tropicana was an emotional moment, marking the end of an era for vintage Las Vegas.
The implosion of the Tropicana represents not only the physical demolition of a historic casino but also the continuing transformation of the Strip, where old Vegas is being replaced by new developments as the city reinvents itself yet again.
