El Cortez Sign with a black and white image of Jackie Gaughan

Jackie’s Kingdom

Chapter 4 of our El Cortez Spotlight series When Jackie Gaughan arrived in Las Vegas in the early 1960s, Fremont Street was a street caught between memory and ambition. The Strip was rising fast to the south, promising fountains, fountains, and even more fountains, but downtown remained the beating heart of the city’s older rhythm. The El Cortez, already decades old, was quietly waiting for … Continue reading Jackie’s Kingdom

The Imperial Palace, Las Vegas Nevada

The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

The Imperial Palace was originally opened as the Flamingo Capri in 1959 as a 180-room motel. Ralph Engelstad purchased the property in 1971, added a casino in 1972, and renamed it the Imperial Palace in 1979 when a new casino facility opened. Engelstad expanded the resort with additional hotel towers from 1982 to 1987, making it one of the largest hotels in the world with … Continue reading The Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

El Cortez Sign Bugsy and Meyer Lansky

El Cortez: The Mob Arrives

Chapter 3 of our El Cortez Spotlight series By the mid-1940s, El Cortez had become a tidy little cash machine on Fremont Street, attracting both curious travelers and the kind of men who didn’t like to explain where their money came from. The war had ended, soldiers were returning home, and Las Vegas was poised for a kind of rebirth -one that would shimmer under … Continue reading El Cortez: The Mob Arrives

Las Vegas airport is officially named Harry Reid International

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): A Comprehensive Overview Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), located in Paradise, Nevada, is the primary airport serving Las Vegas and the surrounding region. Named after the former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the airport has undergone significant transformations over the years to accommodate the growing demands of air travel, particularly due to Las Vegas’s status as a major tourist … Continue reading Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)