Yesterday in Las Vegas

Fremont Street looking southeast from what is now the Plaza Hotel in the 1950's. Golden Gate (Hotel Sal Sagev) still stands, mostly unchanged. Las Vegas Club (Biff's) still occupies the same site, but with a great expansion.	Corner of Paradise and Convention Center Drive, showing the recently-completed Landmark (left) and Hotel International (upper right, now Las Vegas Hilton.) Las Vegas Convention Center at lower right. ca. 1969

The original El Rancho burns to the ground! The tract stands vacant to this day. (What newcomers to Las Vegas know as the El Rancho was the Thunderbird back in the 1950's.) ("The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire ... We don't need no water, let the mo....")	Ka-BOOOOoooooommmmmmmm !!!! The Landmark Hotel and Casino, built by Howard Hughes in the 1960's, comes crashing to the ground in a spectacular implosion which was used in the plot of some very-forgettable film. (See photo above.)

New Years eve on Fremont Street in the early 1970's.	The El Cortez Hotel and Casino as it looked in the early 1950's. This building still exists, as a mere corner of the existing property. These hotel rooms are still used today.

Looking northwest up Fremont Street, showing the Fremont Hotel and Casino in its original location. Binion's Horseshoe appears in the center. The Fremont is now located where the Mint appears here.	Off Fremont Street downtown, showing the California as it appeared in the 1950's.

Postcard showing the Stardust as it appeared in 1958. This was built with gang money, and at the time was operated by the notorious Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and Tony "The Ant" Spilotro. The film "Casino" tells the story of the early Stardust, although it was filmed across the street at the Riviera. The original operators (those that were not killed in gang disputes) lost their gaming licence, and the property was taken over by the squeaky-clean Boyd Group. (Fremont, et. al.)

The Silver Slipper as it appeared in the 1960's. This is where Kenny Kerr and "Boylesque" first opened. The property was razed in the early 1990's to make room for an expressway underpass. Kenny Kerr and Boylesque are currently playing at the Plaza Hotel and Casino downtown.