The Rise of a Vegas Landmark
In the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, where neon lights flicker and fortunes are made or lost in an instant, the Frontier Casino stood as a symbol of old-school Sin City. Originally opening in 1942 as the Pair-O-Dice Club, it was rebranded as the Last Frontier and later became the New Frontier, adapting to the changing tides of Las Vegas. For decades, it was a fixture of Vegas history, embodying the grit, glamour, and sometimes, the underbelly of the casino world.
Ties to Organized Crime & Controversial Deals
During its golden years, the Frontier was no stranger to whispers of corruption and mob connections. In the 1950s and 1960s, as Las Vegas became a haven for organized crime, the casino found itself linked to figures in the underworld. Reports suggest that hidden investors with ties to mob families had stakes in the operation, using it as a front for money laundering and illicit dealings. Although authorities attempted to crack down on these activities, the casino remained shrouded in mystery, with rumors of backroom deals and unrecorded financial transactions persisting for decades.
The ownership of the casino was a revolving door of characters, from billionaire Howard Hughes, who acquired it in 1967 as part of his bizarre takeover of Las Vegas, to later owners like Margaret Elardi, who would become infamous for her ruthless business tactics.
The Longest Worker Strike in Las Vegas History
One of the most significant chapters in the Frontier’s history came in 1991 when a labor dispute erupted into one of the longest strikes in Las Vegas history. The Elardi family, who owned the casino at the time, sought to eliminate benefits and cut wages for employees. In response, workers from the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 walked out, demanding fair wages and better working conditions.
The strike lasted for over six years, from September 1991 to February 1998. It became a battle of attrition, with protesters marching outside the casino 24/7. Striking employees held signs, chanted slogans, and endured extreme desert heat and freezing nights. The dispute turned the casino into a ghost town, as patrons and high rollers avoided it in favor of establishments that supported labor rights. The Elardis, unable to break the union, eventually sold the casino in 1998 to Phil Ruffin, who immediately settled the labor dispute and revitalized the business.
The Fall & Demolition of the Frontier
Despite a brief resurgence under Ruffin’s ownership, the Frontier never regained the prestige it once had. The Las Vegas landscape was rapidly changing, with newer, flashier resorts like Bellagio and The Venetian drawing the high-end clientele that the Frontier had lost.
In 2007, Ruffin sold the property for $1.2 billion to the Israeli-based El-Ad Group, which had grand ambitions to replace the aging casino with a luxurious new resort called the Plaza Las Vegas, modeled after the Plaza Hotel in New York. The Frontier closed its doors on July 16, 2007, and in a spectacle fitting for Las Vegas, was demolished later that year in a controlled implosion watched by thousands.
However, the Plaza Las Vegas project never came to fruition due to the financial crisis of 2008, leaving the land vacant for years. Eventually, the site was acquired by Wynn Resorts, and today, it is home to the lavish Resorts World Las Vegas, which opened in 2021.
Voices from the Past
Former employees and historians remember the Frontier as a relic of a bygone era. “It was never the flashiest casino, but it had character,” recalled James Martin, a former dealer. “You could walk in and feel the history in its walls—both the good and the bad.”
Historian David Schwartz notes that the Frontier embodied the evolution of Las Vegas. “It started in the Wild West days of Vegas, saw the mob influence, survived corporate takeovers, and ultimately couldn’t compete with the modern Strip. Its story is the story of Vegas itself.”
FAQs
The Frontier Casino began as the Pair-O-Dice Club in 1942, later rebranded as the Last Frontier and New Frontier. It changed ownership multiple times, was associated with organized crime, and witnessed one of the longest labor strikes in Vegas history before being demolished in 2007.
The casino struggled to compete with modern resorts and was sold in 2007 to developers who planned a new luxury project. It was demolished to make way for the Plaza Las Vegas, which was never built due to the 2008 financial crisis.
Initially, nothing replaced the casino after its demolition. The land remained vacant for years until it was acquired by Wynn Resorts. In 2021, Resorts World Las Vegas, a $4.3 billion mega-resort, opened on the site.
Yes, the casino had rumored ties to organized crime, questionable financial dealings, and a brutal six-year-long labor dispute that made national headlines.
Unlike the opulent resorts of today, the Frontier had an old-school Vegas charm, known for its Western theme, affordable entertainment, and deep connection to the city’s tumultuous history.
Conclusion
The story of the Frontier Casino is one of ambition, controversy, and transformation. From its mob-linked past to its labor struggles and eventual demise, it serves as a reminder of how much Las Vegas has evolved—and how much of its past still lingers beneath the bright lights of the Strip.
