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ITEM VIEW: CG018634
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Became: Sands
3355 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, Nevada 89109 MAP
Type: Land Based
Status: Closed
Open: 1950/1952, Close: 1951/1954
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(Spinetti's) The La Rue Restaurant and Casino, also known as Club La Rue, opened in the 1950 on the Las Vegas Strip.
The visionary for the project was Billy Wilkerson, the original developer of the Flamingo. He wanted to combine fine dining and casino gaming. Wilkerson was an avid gambler and wanted to have his addiction cured by owning his own casino where he would wager money. The La Rue had three table games: blackjack, craps and roulette. According to the book "Hollywood Godfather: The Life and Crimes of Billy Wilkerson", Club La Rue lost close to $500,000 from their casino action.
In 1951, Jeff Freedman purchased the property due to Wilkerson's reported crime syndicate connections. Freedman's dream was to construct the most glamorous hotel in all of Las Vegas. By 1954, the La Rue became the famous Sands Hotel and Casino. |
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CG018634 Obsolete Denom: $1
Issued: 1950
Last Update: 2014-01-17 Color: BLACK
Inserts: 3-Mustard
Mold: SmKey
Inlay: HS-GOLD
Catalog#: V6380
Contributed by: Greg Susong
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