Bugsy Siegel and the Flamingo Hotel

The Flamingo Las Vegas, opened in stages beginning in 1946, was financed and developed by mob associate Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and investors linked to organized crime. Siegel's involvement in the Flamingo and the cost overruns and alleged skimming of funds from its construction are central episodes in Las Vegas mob lore. Siegel was murdered in 1947, and the Flamingo remained a landmark tied to early organized crime influence on the Strip.