The Casino in Las Vegas "Flamingo" appeared thanks to a very vivid figure in the criminal history of the United States. His name was Benjamin Sigel.
The Second World War stopped the rise of Las Vegas slightly, but its future was already predetermined. Though there were not more than 5000 residents in Las Vegas at that time, the newly arisen casino-hotels "El Rancho", "Last Frontier" and "Club Bingo" consolidated its world-wide "the refuge of excitement" fame once and for all.
Then one more chance took place in the history of Las Vegas.
The above mentioned person, Ben Sigel, was widely known in not very narrow criminal circles by "Bugsi" nickname. This gentleman, who was New York State born, had a winning appearance and matchless manners, and was engaged in stealings and extortions from very tender age. In addition, sometimes he was a heroin dealer.
Such "outstanding talents" were not unnoticed and so when he was past 20, he was admitted to the criminal group of Meyer Lanski. Benjamin loved contraband of alcohol most, but from bad to worse.... After joining up with a young gangster Lucki Luchiano, who also had proved himself to be a good gangster, the trio created the greatest criminal syndicate in America, which existed, by the way, for more than 20 years. They simply separated the spheres of their influence and never broke the rules which they announced once.
As to Mr. Sigel, he became the head of a band of killers, had many customers among bosses of the American mafia and was held in respect in the most diverse circles of New York.
At last, one day he probably decided to change his role. His attention was attracted by Las Vegas. Bugsi was a venturesome person, liked to be on the verge of disaster and bought a huge lot of land near Las Vegas to construct a magnificent casino for not less than 105 rooms (by the way, the Casino in Las Vegas "El Rancho", the previous biggest hotel, could be proud of 63 rooms only).
Bugsi found the name "Flamingo" for this new Casino in Las Vegas himself and started to realize his dream at once.
"Flamingo" was to become the best hotel-casino among all Casinos in Las Vegas existing at that time, and it was supposed to give beautiful shows there. The imagination of Mr. Sigel had no boundaries. He planned to scatter soil on the territory of his casino, to plant trees, to create ponds with rose flamingos. But he was thrown into confusion when his architects told him the primary cost of the new casino. That primary cost was about 1 million dollars.
So Mr. Sigel had a cherished dream and had not got the necessary sum of money. He persuaded his criminal "brothers" to become his companions. Moreover, he had to swindle money out of some "serious" persons, and he did this fraud with all his artistry.
From that time Bugsi was in great danger. Though, he was so blinded by the future fabulous profits, that he did not feel any jeopardy. After all, the new splendid and luxurious casino-hotel cost Bugsi 6 million dollars, and his life... Now this Casino in Las Vegas is famous as "Flamingo Las Vegas" and "Hilton Hotel Group" owns it.