Which Las Vegas casino was originally constructed and operated by mobster Bugsy Siegel?

The story behind the answer

The Flamingo is correct because mobster Bugsy Siegel, backed by the national crime syndicate, built and briefly ran it. Opened in December 1946 on what became the Las Vegas Strip, the Flamingo was designed as a glamorous, Hollywood-style resort—more luxury than the dusty gambling halls of downtown. Though plagued by massive cost overruns and a shaky opening, it set the template for modern Vegas resorts.

Siegel was assassinated in 1947, but under new management the Flamingo soon turned profitable, cementing its place in Vegas lore. Remember it this way: “Flamingo” = flashy pink feathers and Hollywood glam—the signature of Siegel’s vision. By contrast, the Sands and Sahara opened later in the 1950s, and the MGM Grand wasn’t built until the 1970s.