Walk down the north end of the Las Vegas Strip today and you’ll see a massive, shimmering expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s clean. It’s modern. It’s also, frankly, a little boring compared to what used to sit on that dirt. For sixty years, the Riviera Las Vegas casino was the high-water mark of old-school cool, a sprawling neon playground that literally defined the "Rat Pack" era before the mega-resorts turned the Strip into a corporate theme park.
It’s gone now. Blown up in two massive implosions back in 2016. But honestly, you can't talk about the history of gambling in Nevada without starting at the "Riv." It was the first high-rise on the Strip. It was a place where Liberace earned a staggering $50,000 a week—a mind-boggling sum in 1955—and where the mob didn’t just hang out; they basically ran the books.
The Riviera Las Vegas Casino: A History of Mobsters and Masterpieces
When the Riviera opened its doors on April 20, 1955, it changed the skyline. Literally. Before the Riv, Vegas was mostly low-slung motor inns and bungalows. The Riviera was nine stories of "look at me" ambition.
It wasn't just about height, though. It was about luxury. They spent $8.5 million building it, which was a fortune back then. But the money didn't just come from clean banks. Harpo Marx held a small stake, but the real power behind the throne involved names like Tony Accardo and the Chicago Outfit. This wasn't some secret; it was just how Vegas worked. The Riviera Las Vegas casino was the bridge between the dusty gambling dens of the 40s and the sophisticated international destination it became.
Joan Crawford was there for the opening. So was a young James Dean. It felt like the center of the universe.
Yet, the Riviera struggled almost immediately. It went bankrupt within months. Why? Because the guys running it were great at "skimming" off the top but maybe not so great at the actual business of hospitality. Eventually, more stable ownership moved in, including Harvey Silbert and later Bill Bennett, who tried to pivot the property toward the "everyman" gambler as the luxury crown shifted south to places like Caesars Palace.
Why the Architecture Actually Mattered
If you ever walked through the Riviera in its final decade, you probably noticed it felt like a labyrinth. That wasn't an accident. Over the years, the hotel added towers like they were playing a giant game of Tetris. You had the Mediterranean Tower, the Monte Carlo Tower, and the San Remo.
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The casino floor was a massive, sprawling 100,000 square feet. It had that classic "Vegas smell"—a mix of stale tobacco, expensive perfume, and industrial carpet cleaner. Unlike the Wynn or the Encore, which feel airy and light, the Riviera Las Vegas casino was built to keep you inside. No windows. Low ceilings in the older sections. It was a cave designed for winning and losing.
People forget that the Riv was also home to the "Splash" show and "Crazy Girls." That bronze statue of the "Crazy Girls" cast with their backs turned? It became one of the most photographed spots in the city. It was kitschy. It was slightly scandalous. It was perfectly Las Vegas.
The Decline of the North Strip
By the early 2000s, the Riviera was in trouble. The action had moved. Steve Wynn’s Mirage and Bellagio pulled the gravity of the Strip toward the center. Then the Great Recession hit in 2008 and basically broke the North Strip's back.
The Riviera Las Vegas casino became a "value" property. It was where you stayed when you wanted to be on the Strip but didn't want to pay $300 a night. It was worn down. The carpets were frayed. But for many of us, that was the charm. It felt real. It didn't feel like a spreadsheet-driven corporate entity. It felt like a place where you could still find a $5 blackjack table and a cheap steak.
The End of an Era: 2015 and the Implosion
In February 2015, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) bought the property for $182.5 million. They didn't want the hotel. They wanted the land. They needed space to expand the Convention Center to compete with cities like Orlando and Chicago.
The Riviera Las Vegas casino officially closed its doors on May 4, 2015.
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I remember the final night. People were literally trying to pry chips out of the tables and peeling wallpaper off the walls as souvenirs. There was a weird mix of sadness and celebration.
Then came the implosions.
- June 14, 2016: The Monaco Tower came down in a flurry of fireworks.
- August 16, 2016: The Monte Carlo Tower followed.
Just like that, 60 years of history was a pile of dust and twisted rebar.
What People Get Wrong About the Riv
A lot of people think the Riviera failed because it was "old." That's not entirely true. It failed because the infrastructure around it died. The Stardust was gone. The New Frontier was gone. The Echelon project (which became Resorts World) was a hole in the ground for a decade. The Riviera was an island.
Also, the "mob" history is often romanticized. While it makes for great movies like Casino (parts of which were filmed there!), the reality was much grittier. The skimming and backroom deals actually stunted the property's growth for years. It’s a miracle it lasted as long as it did.
Real Examples of the Riviera's Legacy
You can still find pieces of the Riviera if you know where to look.
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- The Neon Museum: Several of the iconic Riviera signs were saved and are currently in the Boneyard. Seeing them lit up at night is the closest you’ll get to that 1955 feeling.
- The "Crazy Girls" Statue: After the Riviera closed, the famous bronze statue moved to Planet Hollywood. It's still a major tourist draw.
- Film History: If you want to see the Riviera in its prime, watch the original Ocean's 11 (1960) or Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The casino's interiors were iconic enough to serve as the quintessential "Vegas" backdrop for Hollywood for half a century.
Actionable Insights for Vegas Historians and Visitors
If you're looking to capture that Riviera Las Vegas casino vibe on your next trip, you have to look beyond the shiny new glass towers.
First, visit the Neon Museum. Don't just do the general tour; do the "Brilliant!" show. It uses projection mapping to re-light the old Riviera signs, and it’s genuinely emotional if you remember the place.
Second, head to the El Cortez downtown. While it's not the Riviera, it’s the last place that truly captures that mob-era, vintage atmosphere without feeling like a parody.
Third, take a walk through the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Stand near the entrance and realize that where you are standing is roughly where the Riviera's front desk once sat. It’s a surreal experience to see how a city can completely rewrite its own geography.
Finally, keep an eye on the "New" North Strip. With Resorts World and Fontainebleau finally open, the area where the Riviera once stood is becoming the center of gravity again. The Riv died so the rest of the North Strip could finally live.
Vegas doesn't do nostalgia well. It’s a city that eats its young. The Riviera was a giant that eventually got swallowed, but for those who played at its tables or saw a show in its theater, it remains the soul of what the Strip used to be. It was loud, it was flashy, it was slightly crooked, and it was beautiful.