Gangster Attractions Walking Tour (Self Guided), Las Vegas

The development of Las Vegas as a gambling and entertainment hub in the mid-20th century drew the attention of powerful criminal syndicates, who saw the potential for profit in the city's casinos and other enterprises. Indeed, Las Vegas with its glitz and glamour wouldn't be what it is now without the involvement of mobster “wiseguys”. There are still a few places in town that evoke the mob-tinged Vegas heyday and inspired a bunch of Hollywood movies.

One of the most notorious figures in Las Vegas's gangster history was Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, a Jewish American mobster who played a key role in developing the Flamingo Hotel and Casino on the Strip in the late 1940s. Another location with a storied past, intertwined with gangsters, is the El Cortez Hotel and Casino, once owned by Siegel and also frequented by other “celebrity” criminals, such as Tony "The Ant" Spilotro, a prototype of the character portrayed by Joe Pesci in the "Casino" movie.

The nearby Mob Museum chronicles the city's history of organized crime and its ties to the national underworld. Tony Roma's, a once-famous Las Vegas rib house, also holds a unique place in the city’s gangster lore. In the early 1980s, the restaurant became the site of a rare public mob attack.

The "Sin City" nickname for Las Vegas originated during the gangster era and referred to the city's reputation as a place of vice, corruption, and illicit activities. If you're keen to see some of the most famous mob spots in Vegas that haven't yet been rubbed out by redevelopment over the years, take this self-guided walk.