Vegas in the late eighties, while not a ghost town, was still a place where
the old-school rules applied. Caesars Palace and Circus Circus were the
closest things to themed resorts on the Strip, and gambling was spreading
rapidly across the United States. From Atlantic City to the Mississippi River
to Indian gaming in California, some form of wagering was just around the
corner from most of Vegas's potential visitors. If the town was going to
return to its free-swinging roots, a change would have to come, and in a
hurry.
Steve Wynn was an east-coaster who sensed Vegas's allure from early on. Maybe
informed by his dad's failed run at opening a bingo parlor in Vegas, Wynn
came to town with a lethal business sense and a mind to reshape the Strip. His
partnership with banker E. Parry Thomas gave him funds,
clout and inside information about Howard Hughes' landholdings along Las
Vegas Boulevard. Starting with the Golden Nugget in what was then decrepit
downtown Las Vegas, Wynn went on a winning streak that would make even the
most seasoned gambler raise an eyebrow.
The opening of the Mirage in 1989, in conjunction with Caesar's Forum Shops,
the Excalibur and Kirk Kerkorian's 5,000 room MGM Grand, remade Vegas as a
place that couldn't be missed. It was Wynn's personality and political savvy
that ensured he was the standard-bearer for the Strip's renaissance. Treasure
Island made Vegas safe for families and pirates again. But his Bellagio,
opened in 1998, is the crowning achievement of his Vegas vision, a deluxe
property filled with artistic, architectural and culinary masterpieces -- and
still the place to be seen for high-rollers.
Wynn, true to his eighties roots, was the author of a kinder, gentler Vegas,
albeit one which still provided plenty to dazzle an increasingly interested
America. Though he sold Mirage Resorts to MGM Grand Inc. for $6.4 billion --
the largest merger in gaming history -- his purchase of the old Desert Inn for
$270 million indicates that he's not done with sin city just yet.
