Bugsy's Vision
Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel was a New York mobster, a childhood friend and business partner of Meyer Lansky, and one of the most feared gangsters in America. In the mid-1940s, Siegel saw potential in the Nevada desert that no one else did. He envisioned a luxury resort that would bring Hollywood glamour to the dusty frontier town of Las Vegas — a place where movie stars, gamblers, and high society would mingle under one roof.
Siegel took over an existing project started by Hollywood reporter Billy Wilkerson, who had run out of money. Pouring mob funds into construction, Siegel watched the budget balloon from an original estimate of $1.5 million to a staggering $6 million — an astronomical sum in 1946. The Flamingo finally opened on December 26, 1946, but opening night was a disaster. Bad weather grounded flights from Los Angeles, keeping the celebrity guests away. The casino lost money in its first weeks, and the mob's patience was running thin.
Murder and Legacy
The mob suspected Siegel of skimming construction funds. His girlfriend, Virginia Hill, had been making frequent trips to Swiss banks, and the massive cost overruns looked suspicious. On June 20, 1947 — just six months after the Flamingo opened — Siegel was shot dead through the window of Hill's Beverly Hills mansion at 810 Linden Drive. He was hit by multiple rounds from an M1 carbine while sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. The murder was never officially solved.
Within minutes of the shooting, Moe Sedway and Gus Greenbaum walked into the Flamingo and took over operations. Under new management, the casino became hugely profitable and proved that Siegel's vision had been right all along. The Flamingo's success inspired a building boom that created the modern Las Vegas Strip. The original buildings have been completely demolished and rebuilt multiple times over the decades — nothing from Siegel's era survives except the name and the iconic flamingo wildlife habitat in the garden, which serves as an unlikely memorial to the mobster who started it all.
Key Facts
Opening Night Disaster
The Flamingo opened December 26, 1946, but bad weather grounded flights from LA, keeping Hollywood celebrities away. The casino lost money its first weeks and temporarily closed in January 1947 before reopening in March.
The $6 Million Price Tag
Originally budgeted at $1.5 million, construction costs ballooned to $6 million — nearly $85 million in today's dollars. The overruns enraged mob investors and likely sealed Siegel's fate.
Siegel's Murder
On June 20, 1947, Bugsy Siegel was shot dead through the window of his girlfriend's Beverly Hills home. Multiple rounds from an M1 carbine struck him while he sat on the sofa. The killing was never solved.
The Wildlife Habitat
The Flamingo's garden features real Chilean flamingos, swans, ducks, and koi fish. It is the last remnant connecting the modern resort to its colorful past and is free to visit daily.
What's There Now
Visiting the Flamingo
Address: 3555 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV
Status: Still operating as Flamingo Las Vegas. The original buildings from Siegel's era are completely gone, replaced by modern towers.
What to See: The wildlife habitat garden with real Chilean flamingos is free to visit and located behind the casino near the pool area. A memorial plaque near the garden acknowledges the hotel's history. Bugsy's original buildings are gone — the current resort bears no physical resemblance to the 1946 original.
Nearby: Caesars Palace and The LINQ are directly adjacent. The Sands Hotel site (now The Venetian) is a short walk north.
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