When the Tropicana opened on Las Vegas Boulevard in 1957, it was the most expensive resort that had ever been built in the city.
Glamorous and ritzy, the Tropicana was then Las Vegas' crème de la crème, advertised as the "Tiffany of the Strip." For decades, the resort hosted the city's longest-running show, the Folies Bergère cabaret, with its iconic feathered showgirls. There were rumors of mob connections. Among its most famous guests was James Bond; the film Diamonds Are Forever was set in part at the resort.
