Stardust Resort and Casino

Stardust Resort & Casino
Address	3000 Las Vegas Blvd South Las Vegas, NV 89109
Opening date	1958
Theme	Outer space/science fiction
No. of rooms	1,552
Total gaming space	75,000ft²
Casino type	Land-Based
Owner	Boyd Gaming Corporation
Previous names	none
Renovated in	Pavilion/Exhibit Center
Website	Stardust Website

The Stardust is a resort and casino located on the famed Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada on 63 acres on the Las Vegas Strip. It is owned by Boyd Gaming Corporation. The original resort was conceived and built by Tony Cornero, though he died in 1955 before construction was completed. On June 22, 2006, the Stardust announced it would not be taking reservations beyond November 1, 2006[1] after Boyd Gaming officially announced the Stardust will close November 1, 2006. In 2007, construction will begin on Echelon Place, which will replace The Stardust.

History

The Stardust is one of the oldest hotels on the strip and opened on July 2,1958. The hotel's creator, Tony Cornero, died before it opened. When the hotel opened, it had the largest casino in Nevada and the largest swimming pool in Nevada.

Siegfried & Roy got their Las Vegas start at the Stardust with the help of mob associate Frank Rosenthal after he gave them Allen Glick's Rolls Royce.

Wayne Newton signed a ten-year deal with the Stardust in 1999, for a reported $25,000,000 per year, the largest entertainment contract in Las Vegas at the time. After five and half years, Newton ended his run in late April 2005, and George Carlin moved into his theater. Magician Rick Thomas premiered at the hotel on March 25, 2005. The hotel and casino's website reports that it will be closing on November 1, 2006, to make way for a new hotel and casino.

Stardust at night

Attractions

• 25,000 square feet Convention Center
• Car rental—onsite
• Dining—9 places to choose from
• Fitness Center
• Pavilion/Exhibit Center—40,500 square feet
• Race and sports book
• Shopping
• Spa
• Swimming pools
• Wedding chapel

Books and film

The book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas written by Nicholas Pileggi and Larry Shandling and the movie Casino based on Pileggi's and Shandling's book chronicles the days when the Stardust and two other Las Vegas casinos were run by Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal and Anthony 'The Ant' Spilotro on behalf of the Chicago and Kansas City Mafia during the 1960's and 1970's. Rosenthal was eventually denied a gaming license and placed in the Nevada Gaming Control Board's black book and Spiltoro and his brother were found dead, buried half naked in a corn field in Indiana. In the film Robert De Niro portrayed Sam 'Ace' Rothstein a composite of Rosenthal's personality and Joe Pesci portrayed Nicky Santoro a composite of Spilotro's personality.

References

• Neon Survey
• Las Vegas Sun newspaper
• Boyd Gaming Press Release Announcing Echelon Place

External links

• The Legendary Stardust Hotel and Casino — Official website
• Stardust — Hotel photos at Xah's Las Vegas Report