Tropicana Las Vegas Demolished for New Stadium

The historic Tropicana hotel in Las Vegas was demolished in a spectacular event featuring fireworks and drones, marking the end of an era for the last true mob-era building on the Strip. Opened in 1957, the Tropicana was once celebrated for its opulence and links to the Rat Pack and the mob, earning it the nickname 'Tiffany of the Strip'. The implosion, which took 22 seconds using over 2,000 pounds of explosives, paves the way for a $1.5 billion stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics, as Las Vegas continues its transformation into a sports hub. This event was reminiscent of past casino demolitions which have become a part of Las Vegas's identity, starting with Steve Wynn's theatrical implosion of the Dunes in 1993. The implosion leaves the Flamingo as the only remaining casino from the mob era, though it has been entirely rebuilt since the 1990s. This demolition event was the first of its kind since the Riviera was brought down in 2016, reflecting the city's penchant for turning destruction into spectacle.