After all, the Flamingo was the brainchild of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, one of America’s most infamous gangsters. The legendary Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, in the heart of the Strip, is notorious for its checkered history. A friend of his, Bugsy Siegel, was selected to supervise the construction of the Valley’s first casino, The Flamingo. Which was the first mobster to build a casino in Las Vegas?įamous Mobs & the Flamingo As early as 1946, Meyer Lansky showed an interest in investing in casinos in Las Vegas. Urbanization took off in 1931 when work started on the Boulder Dam (now the Hoover Dam), bringing a huge influx of young male workers, for whom theaters and casinos were built, largely by the Mafia. In 1911, the town was incorporated as part of the newly founded Clark County. In 1946, Meyer Lansky began showing interest in investing in Las Vegas casinos. Two of the most notorious mobsters responsible for making Las Vegas what it is today were Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and Meyer Lansky.