The characteristically American mix of grit, graft and speculation turned a dusty desert road into the entertainment capital of the world, a 4.2-mile stretch that would eventually become known as the Las Vegas Strip.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Strip attracted shady characters right from the start. In 1939, a cop named Guy McAfee arrived in Vegas after fleeing Los Angeles under accusations of corruption. He quickly put down roots, buying and developing the Pair O' Dice Club and several others. Inspired by his Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, he also bestowed the name upon Vegas' main drag.
Soon after, in 1941, California businessman Thomas Hull founded the area's first luxury resort, El Rancho Vegas, with blossoming gardens and a capacious swimming pool.
The new adult playground caught the attention of the New York mob, who saw opportunities in both legal gambling and in less-legal money skimming. In 1945, the infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel bullied his way into the development of the luxury Flamingo resort, creating a template for the super-casinos to come. Until then, Vegas casinos typically sported Wild West themes, but Siegel ushered in an era of unbridled opulence.
--Cooter
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