In 1946 the Flamingo was the talk of the town. Its original owners – all members of the East Coast mafia – shelled out millions to build this unprecedented tropical gaming oasis in the desert. It was prime gangster Americana, initially managed by the infamous mobster Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel, who named it after his girlfriend, dancer Virginia Hill (nicknamed 'the Flamingo' for her red hair and long legs).
Siegel died in a hail of bullets at Virginia's Beverly Hills home soon after the Flamingo opened, the victim of a contract killing. The Flamingo had gotten off to a slow start and the casino's investors believed it would ultimately fail, so they 'took care of business'. They had made a big mistake: the Flamingo not only survived, but it jump-started the modern Strip.
Today the Flamingo isn't quite what it was back when its janitorial staff wore tuxedos, although fantastic clusters of pink and orange neon lights outside the hotel vaguely resemble flamingo feathers – think more Miami Vice, less Bugsy . It's always manically crowded in the casino, which has more than 1600 gaming tables and slots.
At Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville , Parrot Heads wait for the margarita volcano to overflow into their glasses. Outside in the Flamingo's wildlife habitat , Chilean flamingos and African penguins wander around, and palm trees and jungle plants flourish in the middle of the desert. On hot summer days, knock back local microbrews at Sin City Brewing Co or cool off at the Flamingo's adults-only party Go Pool .
