Riviera Casino closes after 60 years on Monday noon. The iconic Riviera Hotel & Casino with its 2,000 rooms closed its doors after becoming the first high-rise on the Las Vegas Strip.
It opened on April 20, 1955, and the legendary singer, Liberace, even cut the ribbon at its grand opening. Soon, he became the Strip's highest-paid entertainer, earning $50,000 a week.
Other entertainers who performed at the Riviera include Frank Sinatra, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tony Orland, Bob Hope, Elvis, Wayne Newton and Dolly Parton.
Before the Riviera Casino closes, Rat Pack member Dean Martin became a part-owner for a short time. Another of its former owners was able to marry frequent Riviera performer and Golden Globe winner Pia Zadora, according to the Associated Press.
The Riviera Casino, before closing, also served as Hollywood's hangout for decades. The Rat Pack in the original 1960 "Ocean's 11" and the groomsmen of "The Hangover" in 2009 were featured in the casino.
At 60, the casino-hotel's luster has faded. Despite its grand opening and history, through the years it has become a place of cheap drinks, cheap blackjack and a free photo-op in front with the ladies of topless revue Crazy Girls.
In late summer, after the Riviera Casino closes, the hotel will be imploded to make way for a convention center's expansion, reported King 5 News.
Announcement of the Riviera Casino closing came in February when the hotel released a statement on its website.
"It is with no shortage of sadness that we are announcing the closure of the Riviera Hotel and Casino. We greatly appreciate the expressions of fondness and loyalty for 'The Riv' from our guests throughout the years," said the statement on the Riviera Casino closing.
The statement continued, "More importantly we want to acknowledge and applaud our associates who have worked to create enduring memories for all of our guests. For the Riviera is more than a building, it has always been about Classic Fun, Classic Value and Classic Vegas!"
The AP reports that The Riviera's only remaining elder is the often-renovated Flamingo that Bugsy Siegel debuted in 1947. The Tropicana, which opened in 1957, is also close behind.
On hearing the news of the Riviera Casino closing, social media exploded with people expressing their sadness. On eBay, items from the Riviera have already popped up, which included bar soaps, glass ashtrays, playing cards, as well as vintage postcards.
The Riviera Casino closes and workers walked toward the exit. "It was fun. Goodbye Riviera," said Kelly Hernandez, an 11-year employee at the casino.
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