Bugsy Siegel

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American gangster, popularly thought to be the impetus behind large-scale development of Las Vegas. He hated the nickname, Bugsy, and wouldn't allow anyone to call him that to his face.

His Las Vegas venture

According to popular myth, Bugsy envisioned building a large casino and hotel to which gamblers would flock. His vision was fueled by the fact that Nevada had legalized gambling in 1931. Back in the East, Siegel convinced his fellow mobsters of the possibilities of building a gambling mecca in the Nevada desert, complete with a casino, hotel and entertainment. Siegel returned to the West Coast and began working on his dream to construct a hotel-casino complex on what would later become known as the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel called the place the "Flamingo," his pet name for Virginia Hill.

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The reality is that the Mafia had had a presence in Las Vegas casinos dating back to at least 1941. The swank Flamingo was actually conceived and started by Los Angeles businessman Billy Wilkerson, who handed the project over to Siegel only after running short of funds. In return, Siegel allowed Wilkerson to retain a one-third ownership.

Related Topics:
1941 - Billy Wilkerson

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