Английская Википедия:El Cortez (Las Vegas)

Материал из Онлайн справочника
Перейти к навигацииПерейти к поиску

Шаблон:Short description

Шаблон:Infobox Casino

El Cortez, a hotel and casino, is a relatively small downtown Las Vegas gaming venue a block from the Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas Boulevard. Slots, table games, and a race and sports book occupy one floor of the main pavilion, at this historic casino. It opened on Fremont Street on November 7, 1941, and is one of the oldest casino-hotel properties in Las Vegas, along with the nearby Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. Primarily Spanish Colonial Revival in style, it reflects a 1952 remodel when the façade was modernized.[1] On February 22, 2013, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.[2]

History

Marion Hicks and J.C. Grayson built El Cortez, downtown Las Vegas' first major resort, for $245,000.[3] El Cortez opened on November 7, 1941.[4][5] The location at 6th Street and Fremont was originally considered too far from downtown, but it quickly became so profitable that Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum and Moe Sedway bought the property in 1945 from J. Kell Houssels for $600,000.[6][7] In 1942, FBI documents described Isadore Blumenfeld, alias Kid Cann, as the, "recognized leader of graft and racketeering in Minneapolis". They added that Blumenfeld was, "known to have corrupted City and County officials... and has been known to harbor criminals of various types." The same files also report that Kid Cann often boasted that he had the Minneapolis City Council, "in the palm of his hand." These files further allege that Kid Cann was involved with Bugsy Siegel in the running of the El Cortez Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.[8]

John Kell (J. Kell) Houssels Sr. (1895–1979) had originally opened the 59-room hotel and casino before the sale to the major organized crime figures. Houssels purchased the hotel back from Siegel's group in 1946 for $766,000. In 1963, the Pavilion Rooms were added after the hotel was purchased by Jackie Gaughan. Another 15-story tower addition was completed in 1980. The 64-room Cabana Suites were completed in the former Ogden House in 2009, bringing the total room count to its current 364.[9] Gaughan, a casino owner and operator since the early 1950s, lived in El Cortez's tower penthouse and was known to be on the casino floor almost daily.[10] The property is one of the few casinos to have never changed its exterior façade in Las Vegas, retaining the same signage and ranch-themed architecture for over seventy years.[3][11][12]

Current operation

Jackie Gaughan's son Michael Gaughan ran the sports and race book in the current casino under the name South Point Race and Sports Book during the late 2000s, but the sports book is now run by Station Casinos. El Cortez has undergone several renovations,Шаблон:Citation needed with the latest major remodeling completed in 2006. New carpet, marble flooring, gaming machines, refurbished guest rooms and an upgraded kitchen for the restaurant were added.[13] Although only a block away from the Fremont Street Experience, the hotel is part of the newly-created Fremont East section of downtown. It has also created a main entrance off Las Vegas Boulevard (5th Street) by opening a block-long pedestrian walkway from the boulevard to the hotel's main entrance on 6th Street. El Cortez is also well known in the casino industry as the most prominent "break-in house" for new table-game dealers to get experience before moving onto bigger properties. The separate hotel in the back, the 100-room Ogden House, has been completely renovated into the 64-suite Cabana Suites.

In 2008, Jackie Gaughan sold El Cortez and its properties to Kenny Epstein.[14] Over the next decade, Epstein and his business partners put more than $50 million of renovations into the property.[15] Gaughan continued to live at the casino and still played poker in the poker room until his death on March 12, 2014.

As of 2013, it was the oldest continuously operating casino in Las Vegas.[16] In March 2019, El Cortez was closed by police for several hours following a shooting.[17][18]

In 2018, renovation work took place on 73 rooms located on the first five floors of the hotel tower.[15] Additional hotel remodeling was underway in 2019.[15][19] El Cortez includes a restaurant, Siegel's 1941, which features memorabilia from Siegel.[15] In 2021, as part of a $25M renovation project, the El Cortez opened up a high-limit room.[20] Effective April 1, 2022, El Cortez became a 21-and-over property, prohibiting minors from all areas including the hotel and restaurants.[21] The property's general manager said the change "comes after careful consideration and decades of trying to accommodate minors in a property that is focused primarily on gaming and popular casino bars".[22][23]

Photo gallery

See also

Шаблон:Portal


References

Шаблон:Reflist

External links

Шаблон:Commons category


Шаблон:Las Vegas casinos Шаблон:Las Vegas hotels Шаблон:Downtown Las Vegas Шаблон:Las Vegas skyscrapers Шаблон:Nevada State Historic Places/Clark

Шаблон:Authority control

  1. Ron Sylvester, El Cortez joins National Register of Historic Places, Las Vegas Sun, February 25, 2013, accessed February 26, 2013.
  2. Weekly List for February 22, 2013, National Park Service, February 22, 2013, accessed February 26, 2013.
  3. 3,0 3,1 Chung, Su Kim. Las Vegas Then and Now. Thunder Bay Press. San Diego, California: 2005. p.56
  4. Шаблон:Cite news
  5. Шаблон:Cite web
  6. Chung, Su Kim. Las Vegas Then and Now. Thunder Bay Press. San Diego, California: 2005. p. 56
  7. Шаблон:Cite web
  8. Marda Liggett Woodbury (1998), Stopping the Presses: The Murder of Walter W. Liggett, University of Minnesota Press. Page 219.
  9. Las Vegas Hotels / Casinos: Time Line Шаблон:Webarchive UNLV Libraries
  10. Шаблон:Cite web
  11. Шаблон:Cite web
  12. Шаблон:Cite news
  13. at City refurbishing rundown area to become hub of nightlife in valley. Archived from the original on May 7, 2006. Las Vegas Business Press. February 28, 2006
  14. Long Gaughan [1] El Cortez owner sells stake in downtown casino, Las Vegas Review-Journal dated May 8, 2008
  15. 15,0 15,1 15,2 15,3 Шаблон:Cite news
  16. Шаблон:Cite news
  17. Шаблон:Cite news
  18. Шаблон:Cite news
  19. Шаблон:Cite news
  20. Шаблон:Cite web
  21. Шаблон:Cite web
  22. Шаблон:Cite news
  23. Шаблон:Cite news