In 1946 the Flamingo was the talk of the town, with its fantastic clusters of pink and orange neon, glitzy decor, Broadway-style entertainment and tuxedo-wearing janitorial staff. Even up to a few years ago, it retained a sense of those retro roots, but a lot of that charm has since been lost in recent updates. However, it's still manically crowded in the sprawling gaming hall, which has more than 1600 gaming tables and slots.
The 'old' Flamingo 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 (you can learn all about it at the Mob Museum). 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.
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 cool off at the Flamingo's adults-only party Go Pool.
