Editorial Team
The Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, situated in the beating heart of the Strip, is known for more than just its lavish rooms and spinning roulette wheels. The very walls of this establishment are reputedly haunted by the spirit of its infamous founder, the gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.
Born in 1906, Bugsy Siegel rose from a life of crime in Brooklyn, New York to become a key figure in the Las Vegas casino industry. The Flamingo was his brainchild, a testament to his entrepreneurial prowess and audacious personality. However, despite numerous attempts by the hotel’s subsequent owners to distance themselves from Siegel’s legacy, the mobster’s specter reportedly continues to linger within its halls.
In the dead of night, guests and staff have reported eerie occurrences in the hotel. Cold spots mysteriously appear and move around the Presidential Suite, where Siegel resided for several years before his death. Personal items in the suite inexplicably vanish or change position, and Siegel’s apparition has allegedly been spotted near the pool table and in the bathroom.
Siegel met a violent end in 1947 when an unknown assailant gunned him down in his girlfriend’s Beverly Hills home. Some speculate that Siegel’s murder was due to alleged cost overruns and fraudulent activity associated with the construction of the Flamingo Hotel. Yet despite the tragic circumstances of his death, his ghost is said to exude a sense of contentment, perhaps reveling in the realization of his vision for Las Vegas.
This haunting history is not unique to the Flamingo, as other Las Vegas hotels also reportedly shelter spectral residents. From tales of suicide, revenge and murder, these hotels have stories that run deep beneath the sparkling veneer of luxury and indulgence. Ghost hunting enthusiasts and thrill-seekers are often drawn to these locations, eager to uncover the secrets that linger in the shadows.
The Flamingo Hotel gardens are another reputed haunt of Bugsy Siegel’s ghost. It seems that even in death, the mobster cannot sever his ties to the establishment he founded. As a testament to the enduring allure of these ghostly tales, the Vegas Haunted Tour includes the Flamingo on its itinerary, enticing those intrigued by the intersection of criminal history and paranormal phenomena.
In Las Vegas, a city synonymous with decadence and high-stakes gambling, the stories of ghostly presences add an extra layer of mystique. The Flamingo Hotel, in particular, remains a compelling symbol of the city’s ties to a tumultuous past. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, one thing is clear: Bugsy Siegel’s legacy lives on, casting an indelible shadow over the glittering heart of Sin City.
