Why THIS Eyesore Replaced the Mob-Run Stardust Resort in Las Vegas?

I have lived in Vegas for 35 years. I know the history of just about everything and anything to do with Vegas. This is a brilliantly put together history of the Stardust. Most of the pictures were relevant to what was being said. The information was detailed and correct. When I started watching I said to myself, "I wonder if they will mention the race track?" This is better than 99% of the documentaries produced by major players, on many levels. Nice Work!

When the Mob ran things every blueberry muffin had exactly the same number of blueberries.

Loved this video. My Mother worked at the Stardust as a poker dealer. 1975-1986. I grew up in Vegas. My first job was at the Dunes, Junket Office. I was 13 and worked along side my Stepfather. I had Passover with Morris Shenker and his family. I had no idea at the time that I was growing up in such an interesting and classy Vegas Era. Long Gone but not forgotten. Thanks

Honestly, if I could choose a time and place to travel too in the past, old Las Vegas would definitely be on that list.

Casinos come and go but there was something different about Stardust. I think people knew as soon as it was gone that it was a mistake to get rid of it. Personally, I believe they should rebuild it more modern but with aspects that remanence the past. I think it'd be a huge hit and welcomed back with open arms. But hey, what do I know?

I didn’t start going to Vegas until the 90s cause that’s when I became of age. Even that era was better. Now I go to Vegas just to see shows. I never gamble anymore. I loved walking around the casinos with a bucket of quarters. Now everything is so computerized that it’s not even fun. I have friends who live in Vegas and they never go to the strip unless out of town company comes over. You can’t even go to a store like Walgreens with the simplest things being twice the price. A bag of M&Ms was $16.95 with the M&M store about 30 feet away. Back in the day Vegas was the place to be. Now there has to be a special occasion to even go. I miss the fun and excitement of the old Vegas and I’m only 47

The Stardust was my "go to" hotel for more than 20 years. Loved that place.

I miss the Stardust, that was my favorite place to stay in the 90’s.

"Resort fees" at the hotels are just another way to fleece visitors to Las Vegas. It doubles the price of the room. It started in Vegas and is now spreading throughout the country. Ugh. What a rip off.

It's actually a SHAME that none of the iconic Vegas hotel/casino complexes were protected as historic landmarks. Bigger and newer ain't necessarily better.

Vegas has gone quite a bit downhill. You are now robbed from the moment you arrive, starting with your taxi driver. Thousands of people are hauling luggage upstairs at the airport to get an Uber, a service which is banned from the arrivals level. The reaction to the last recession was apparently to raise all pricing to confiscatory levels. Used to be that gambling profits allowed food and beverage pricing to be absurdly cheap and hotel rooms to be almost free. This time, my room was as expensive as a hotel room in New York or San Francisco. Also, no one seems to be winning in the casinos. You used to hear people winning at the slots every few minutes. More than 90% of the take used to be paid out, albeit in mostly small amounts; this keeps gamblers happy and enjoying themselves, so more people gamble, and the casino was always full. Now it's continually half-empty. Corporate management is simply not smarter than the old-school Vegas managers. The new management quite clearly believes that every part of the operation has to be independently profitable. That is not working, and will never work.

I can't imagine what they were thinking changing the font of the iconic Stardust logo.

The Stardust was the first place I stayed in Vegas. Was in 1967, on my 21st birthday. I loved it.

I use to go to the old Vegas back in the early 70's with my parents. Everything was dirt cheap and good. Now, you better take wheelbarrow of money with you for a weekend stay.

"The town will never be the same. After the Tangiers, the big corporations took it all over. Today it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior's college money on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played...after the Teamsters got knocked out of the box, the corporations tore down practically every one of the old casinos..." ~ Ace Rothstein, 'Casino'.

Well... this didn’t age well. You’re gonna need to do an episode 2 to discuss how Coronavirus moved construction back ten more years.

I remember The Stardust had a AM radio station inside or next to the sports book. As a kid I lived in the desert in the middle of nowhere and before cable it was one of the few things that was on at night, I prank called these guys (before caller ID) nightly and they would flip out. In hind sight I wish I wouldve recorded it because they got so angry on air.

At least the Stardust had a great looking sign. I was really sad to see it go.. For me, The biggest loss was the very unique Landmark, its small footprint now parking lot.

The Stardust was the first casino I ever gambled at. I miss that place.

High rollers and showgirls housed in the same building, isn’t that convenient? 😉