### Tropicana Toppled: Las Vegas Landmark Makes Way for New Beginnings

In a spectacle of color and sound, the Tropicana hotel and casino, a fixture of Las Vegas's mob-era history, was dramatically demolished early Wednesday morning. Notably known for its connections to the Rat Pack and immortalized by James Bond in the 1971 film "Diamonds Are Forever," the iconic structure was brought down in a carefully orchestrated implosion. The event featured a fireworks display, marking the first such demolition in nearly a decade for a city continually reinventing itself.

Geoff Schumacher, a historian and vice-president at the Mob Museum, explained that Las Vegas has a history of turning these demolitions into highly publicized events. This tradition began in 1993 when casino mogul Steve Wynn transformed the implosion of the Dunes into a public spectacle to make way for the Bellagio. This set a precedent for future demolitions, embedding them in the city's culture.

No stranger to change, Las Vegas last witnessed an implosion on the Strip in 2016 with the demolition of the Riviera's final tower to expand a convention center. Now, with the Tropicana's fall, only the iconic Flamingo remains from the city’s mob era, though Schumacher noted that its original structures were completely rebuilt in the 1990s.

The Tropicana, the third-oldest casino on the Strip, closed its doors in April after a 67-year run. Opened in 1957, its history is marked by a significant mob influence, spearheaded by reputed mobster Frank Costello. Shortly after its grand opening, Costello was shot in the head but survived, with police later finding a note in his coat pocket detailing the Tropicana's exact earnings. This discovery reinforced the mob's deep-rooted ties to the establishment.

By the 1970s, federal investigations revealed that Kansas City mobsters were siphoning off $2 million in gambling revenue from multiple Las Vegas casinos, including the Tropicana, leading to several convictions.

While there were no public viewing areas for the controlled implosion, fans had a final chance to visit the Tropicana in April. Joe Zappulla, a New Jersey resident, emotionally summed up the sentiment of many as he bid farewell to the vintage venue, recognizing the end of an era for "Old Vegas."