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On This Day 16 Years Ago: Stardust Demolition Makes History

Slone Terranella March 13th

The Stardust Hotel-Casino’s demolition was another reminder of the “come and go” nature of Las Vegas.

Sixteen years ago, the 3000 block of South Las Vegas Boulevard glittered with dust, rubble and fireworks — which were set off before the building’s implosion occurred.

According to news reports from that time, the casino’s glory became nothing but a pile of concrete, dust and debris. The building came down at 2:30 a.m. on March 13, 2007, marking an end to the Stardust’s dance with the Las Vegas Strip.

The New York Times described the demolition as “spectacular” and “ended a yearlong farewell to a classic 48-year-old resort that was, in its heyday, considered the ultimate in luxury and style.”

At the time of the casino’s construction, it was the shiniest, most luxurious and biggest player of hotels on The Strip. According to KTNV Channel 13, the “Lido De Paris,” show was the first topless French-inspired revue in Las Vegas, which caused a good amount of attention to the casino. A few other shows — like Siegfried and Roy — took over the stage after Stardust nixed Lido De Paris in 1985.

However, the history of the Stardust isn’t squeaky clean, and it’s a true Las Vegas story with mob ties interlaced within the casino’s history. From skimming operations to other lucrative methods of siphoning money,  four major crime families were accused of stealing over $2 million from the Stardust during its prime, according to an article from the Mob Museum.
After a few tossing and turnings in terms of the casino’s management, Boyd Gaming eventually bought the property and made a few contested changes. Eventually, the casino just became less profitable, which caused the casino to close in 2006 with demolition taking place in 2007. The Echelon hotel-casino resurrected from the Stardust’s former site. However, the Great Recession of 2007 squashed this casino from reaching its full potential due to an unforgiving economy.
Now, Resorts World Las Vegas stands where the Stardust use to be. From star-studded residencies like Luke Bryan and Katy Perry (whose grandmother actually was a show girl at the Stardust) Resorts World marks another chapter and transformation to Las Vegas’ hospitality scene.
With Resorts World’s glittering and electronic signage that covers the wraps around the hotel, the shiny and glamourous legacy of the Stardust lives on!

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