Las Vegas is set to say goodbye to the historic Tropicana casino with an elaborate implosion early Wednesday morning. The implosion, scheduled for 2:30 a.m., will bring down the casino’s hotel towers in just 22 seconds.
The event will feature a fireworks display and a drone show, marking the first casino demolition in nearly a decade. Historian Geoff Schumacher, vice president at the Mob Museum, noted that Las Vegas has made these demolitions “must-see events,” turning them into grand spectacles since the 1993 implosion of the Dunes by Steve Wynn.
The Tropicana, which opened in 1957, was known as the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its luxurious design and connections to the Rat Pack. However, its mob-connected past has secured its place in Vegas history. The casino had ties to organized crime, particularly to reputed mobster Frank Costello, whose involvement was revealed after being shot weeks after the Tropicana’s opening. Federal investigations in the 1970s uncovered a scheme to skim $2 million in gambling revenue from the casino, leading to multiple convictions.
The implosion will clear the way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium for the Oakland Athletics, as Las Vegas continues its transformation into a sports hub. The Tropicana closed its doors in April after 67 years of operation, leaving the Flamingo as the last remaining mob-era casino on the Strip. Although there will be no public viewing areas for the demolition, fans had the chance to bid farewell to the landmark in April
