Dunes (hotel and casino)
| The Dunes Hotel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Opening date | May 23, 1955 |
| Closing date | January 26, 1993 |
| Casino type | Land |
The Dunes Hotel was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel and casino that operated from May 23, 1955 to January 26, 1993, and was the tenth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The Bellagio now stands on the former grounds.
History
The Dunes opened on May 23, 1955, as a low rise resort with "Hollywood Star" Vera-Ellen providing the entertainment in the Magic Carpet Review. When the North Tower was added in 1961 it was one of the finest and largest hotels on the strip. The South Tower was added in 1979. The hotel was built in part with financing from movie mogul Al Gottesman and the Teamsters Pension Fund. The resort boasted an 18 hole golf course, a rooftop health spa and a 90 ft (27 m)-long pool. The Hotel's Slogan was "The Miracle in the Desert."[1]
In its early years, the Dunes was known for the 35 ft (11 m) tall fiberglass sultan (1964) that stood above its main entrance.
Although it opened to much fanfare, it struggled from the start; one of the reasons possibly being it was located at what was the southernmost part of the Strip at the time. The hotel frequently had to borrow money, and even the Sands Hotel lent its executives to help out, as well as bringing in numerous famous celebrities and entertainers such as actor/singer Frank Sinatra’s surprise appearance dressed as a sultan. On January 10, 1957, in a desperate move to keep the resort afloat, the Dunes became the first hotel/casino in Nevada to offer a topless show, called Minsky’s Follies - the first of which was "Minsky Goes to Paris." The State Legislature was "in an uproar," but the show set a record for attendance in a single week at 16,000. In 1961, a 24 story tower was built, bringing the number of rooms up to 450. In 1970, there were rumors Howard Hughes would buy into the hotel but that did not end up happening. In 1979, the hotel expanded to 1300 rooms. In 1985, the sultan statue, by now on the golf course, had caught on fire - reportedly due to an electrical short in its stomach. In 1987, Japanese investor Masao Nangaku purchased the Dunes "for $155 million but could not make it a financial success".[1]
On November 17, 1992, the Dunes was sold for the last time to developer Steve Wynn's company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. for $75 million.[2][1] On January 26, 1993, the Dunes closed its doors for good. Like some of the other legendary hotel/casinos of its era, it could no longer compete with the newer and more exciting megaresorts that were being built.
Steve Wynn bought the Dunes and started the implosion trend with the implosion of the Dunes North Tower. On October 27, 1993, the Dunes was imploded in a grand ceremony that involved major fireworks displays and the use of several "cannon blasts" from the pirate ship of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. The cannon blasts simulated the effect of the ship’s cannons being responsible for the destruction of the Dunes. Over 200,000 people watched the implosion. Everything, including its legendary neon sign, was destroyed "amid a shower of fireworks never before equaled west of the Mississippi."[2]
The Dunes counts as two implosions as the South Tower was obliterated in July, 1994 with no fanfare and minimal media.
The implosion also served as a very symbolic effect for the city. Many longtime residents knew the Dunes was controlled by the mafia, having been first built with money from it and the Teamsters’ pension fund, and the implosion signaled the end of significant mafia control and influence in Las Vegas. For many years, the hotel was owned by Morris Shenker - "an attorney associated with the St. Louis Mafia, Meyer Lansky, Jimmy Hoffa, Frank Foster Owner of Athony Alarm out of St.Louis was connected with Morris Skenker and the Dunes Hotel".[3] Shenker later became a target of the Organized Crime Strike Force in St. Louis.[4]
The Bellagio now stands in its place. During the construction of the Bellagio, workers found four bags of Dunes casino chips that were apparently buried at the site.[5]
Age
The tower Diamond of the Dunes, built in 1961 and destroyed in 1993, was 32 years old.
The South Tower, built in 1979 and destroyed in 1994, was 15 years old.
In The Showroom for 3 years, Johnny Elvis Foster starred in his Elvis show For The Love Of Elvis. Morris Shenker was Johnny Elvis Foster's godfather. Johnny was the first Elvis impersonator before Elvis passed away,on the strip, from 1976 to 1978 at the Hotel.
External links
References