When you think of Vegas in the late 1940s the setting that may come to mind is parlors filled with thick cigar smoke, live bands performing, men and women alike drinking and socializing to their heart’s content. The late 40s were known for their distinct celebratory feel. World War II was over, the war restrictions were lifted and a sense of liberation inspired individuals to take advantage of their new found freedom and live the good life.

Vegas Post World War II

Arguably, Vegas previously may have not been as pretty a sight as many might think. With all the attention on the Vintage Vegas era and its frivolous splendor, the general public often forgets that prior to this period there was a serious war underway. Apart from the military feel that the war imparted on the town, the stretch itself was an uninspiring road with a number of gas stations, fast food outlets and the odd slot machine or two. It wasn’t much to get overly excited about.

The Rise of the Strip

The stretch of land now known as the Vegas Strip was observed with great interest by many businessmen. Not to exclude the likes of Al Capone but the real brains behind the rise of The Strip was Bugsy Siegel. He spotted a gap in the market and had a vision for this stretch of land, partnering with a number of investors on hand to fit the bill for the development of the aptly dubbed ‘Sin city’. With the knowledge that people were travelling all the way to South America, namely Cuba, to have a good time, the idea was to bring a bit of Cuba to this strip of land and this they did well.

Mobster Master Minds:

Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano

First we have the notorious Charles ‘Lucky’ Luciano, who was recognized as the father of the underworld in Vegas. He played a pivotal role in the making of the Modern Mafia, with his enterprise of restructuring it to be more Americanized. He moved away from the traditional policy, which excluded trade with Americans and contributed towards the mafia being operated solely on the principle of profiteering. Born in Italy, Lucky Luciano’s claim to fame was his involvement in the New York underworld. His luck, however, ran out and later he found himself in prison, after which he was extradited back to his hometown where he lived out his remaining years.

Meyer Lansky

Second-in-line of the new modernized American mafia was Meyer Lanksy, who was also known as the mob’s accountant and played an instrumental part in taking out Joe ‘the boss’ Masseria. This led to the dawn of the Modern Americanized Mafia which was largely run by Luciano, Lanksy and Siegel. Together they ruled the New York underworld and enjoyed celebrity status.

All childhood friends, they developed a lasting business relationship, however, things turned sour when expectations that could not be met were created by Bugsy Siegel, which caused tension in the underworld.

Bugsy Siegel

Bugsy Siegel, as mentioned before, played a pivotal role in the development of The Strip. Deeply invested in the El Cortez Casino Hotel, both he and Lanksy had their eye on developing the Flamingo Hotel as well. Bugsy was assigned the task of sourcing the cash-flow for this development, and was successful in getting a number of underworld investors on board. However, his role became much more complex when he was placed in charge of the actual construction and development involved with the project. Unfortunately,this made him accountable for the project funds running dry. With little, if any, profit seen from the fruits of his labour, Busgy found himself in a sticky situation with a number of the investors, who laid their complaints at Lucky’s door.

Lucky negotiated with his fellow ‘business partners’ and they gave Bugsy some more time to work on the project. Bugsy was lucky enough to have a small profit to show after the review of his work, however this reprieve was short-lived as the costs piled up once more and the project was running at a loss again.

The underworld investors who Bugsy had approached to fund this project were no longer interested in excuses or cover ups and wanted Bugsy taken out. Lucky was left no choice and was said to approve the final go-ahead.

Al Capone:

Al Capone, considered an urban Robin Hood of sorts, donated large amounts of the income he earned through his criminal activities to the poor and various other charities.  He made a career out of bootlegging (the smuggling of liquor) during the Prohibition Era (1920-1933) and was involved in prostitution and gambling. However, Capone failed to stick around for the golden era wherein Luciano and his men ruled. Capone finally received and served a prison sentence for, of all things, tax evasion.

Frank Sinatra

Not to be forgotten is the silky, smooth voice of Frank Sinatra, which came to define the Vintage Vegas era. A substantial amount of speculation surrounded his dealings with the mafia, as Sinatra was said to share relationships with a number of members of New York’s underworld. Those relationships reportedly enhanced his meteoric rise to success. Whether the allegations against him were true or false, his association with the mafia certainly had a lasting impact on his image. The influence which Sinatra had on Vegas in this era cannot be adequately expressed, suffice to say that it was omnipresent.

J. Edgar Hoover

This is where it all gets interesting. The head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) starting from the mid-1930s, J.Edgar Hoover denied the existence of the mob and any kind of organized crime. This is presumably why the mob enjoyed such free reign and attained the amount of influence over administrative power that they did. There has been speculation about Hoover possibly being blackmailed by the mafia, and this may have contributed towards his bizarre yet firm opinion on the matter. Despite his denial of the existence of organized crime, Hoover is still considered the best agency director in the history of the FBI.

This notorious era, wherein dangerous men were held in high-esteem, will never be forgotten. Though all these Vegas players were thieving, conniving and/or unashamedly sought to line their pockets in anyway conceivable – they managed their activities with such style and panache that you can’t help but admire the way in which they conducted their business.

Blood money or not, the Vegas Strip’s success is largely due to the investments in the development. And by hook or by crook, not only is Sin City still standing but it’s flourishing, as empires have been built and are thriving on the outer skirts of Nevada.

If this article has you feeling nostalgic and longing for a touch of Vegas right now then put on your trilby, light up a cigar and try a round at an online casino.