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The New Frontier (formerly Hotel Last Frontier and The Frontier) was a
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
and
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
on the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
in
Paradise, Nevada Paradise is an unincorporated town and census-designated place (CDP) in Clark County, Nevada, United States, adjacent to the city of Las Vegas. It was formed on December 8, 1950. Its population was 191,238 at the 2020 census, making it the f ...
. The property began as a casino and dance club known as Pair O' Dice, opened in 1931. It was sold in 1941, and incorporated into the Hotel Last Frontier, which began construction at the end of the year. The Hotel Last Frontier opened on October 30, 1942, as the second resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The western-themed property included 105 rooms, as well as the Little Church of the West. The resort was devised by R.E. Griffith and designed by his nephew, William J. Moore. Following Griffith's death in 1943, Moore took over ownership and added a western village in 1948. The village consisted of authentic Old West buildings from a collector, and would also feature the newly built Silver Slipper casino, added in 1950. Resort ownership changed several times between different groups, beginning in 1951. A modernized expansion opened on April 4, 1955, as the New Frontier. It operated concurrently with the Last Frontier. Both were closed in 1965, and demolished a year later to make way for a new resort, which opened as the Frontier on July 29, 1967. Future casino mogul
Steve Wynn Stephen Alan Wynn (''né'' Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He is known for his involvement in the American luxury casino and hotel industry. Early in his career he oversaw the construction ...
was among investors in the ownership group, marking his entry into the Las Vegas gaming industry. The ownership group also included several individuals who had difficulty gaining approval from Nevada gaming regulators. Businessman
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in t ...
bought out the group at the end of 1967. Like his other casino properties, he owned the Frontier through
Hughes Tool Company Hughes Tool Company was an American manufacturer of drill bits. Founded in 1908, it was merged into Baker Hughes Incorporated in 1987. History The company was established in December 1908 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes Sr. ...
, and later through
Summa Corporation Summa Corporation was a holding company for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. Its holdings included casino hotels, aviation businesses, and television channels. After Hughes's d ...
. In 1988, Summa sold the Frontier to Margaret Elardi, and her two sons became co-owners a year later. A 16-story hotel tower was added in 1990. The Elardi family declined to renew a contract with the
Culinary Workers Union The Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226 is a local union affiliated with UNITE HERE which operates in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. Members include a variety of occupations organized along craft lines working in restaurants ...
, and 550 workers went on strike on September 21, 1991. It became one of the longest strikes in U.S. history, and the Elardis operated an elaborate spying operation in its fight with the union. Businessman
Phil Ruffin Phillip Gene Ruffin (born March 14, 1935) is an American businessman. He owns the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in addition to a number of other enterprises including hotels, casinos, greyhound ...
eventually purchased the Frontier for $167 million. The sale was finalized on February 1, 1998, when Ruffin renamed the property back to the New Frontier. The strike ended on the same day, as Ruffin agreed to a union contract. Ruffin launched a $20 million renovation to update the aging property. His changes included the addition of a new restaurant, Gilley's Saloon. Over the next decade, Ruffin considered several redevelopment projects for the site, but lack of financing hindered these plans. In May 2007, he agreed to sell the New Frontier to
El Ad Properties The El-Ad Group is an Israel-based American real estate development company. The group controls many subsidiaries including Elad Properties, which is based in New York City, Elad Florida and El-Ad Canada, which is based in Toronto, Ontario. Colle ...
for more than $1.2 billion. The resort closed on July 16, 2007, and demolition began later that year. The 16-story tower was imploded on November 13, 2007. It was the last of the Hughes-era casinos to be demolished. The 984-room property had been popular as a low-budget alternative to the larger resorts on the Strip. El Ad owned the
Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...
in New York City, and planned to replace the New Frontier with a Plaza-branded resort, but the project was canceled due to the
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.
Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...
also scrapped plans to build the Alon Las Vegas resort. The site was purchased by
Wynn Resorts Wynn or wyn (; also spelled wen, ƿynn, and ƿen) is a letter of the Old English alphabet, where it is used to represent the sound . History The letter "W" While the earliest Old English texts represent this phoneme with the digraph , ...
in 2018, although plans to build the Wynn West resort were also shelved, and the land remains vacant. The property hosted numerous entertainers throughout its operation, including
Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the nation from the mid-to-late 20th-century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas. He is known by the nicknam ...
and
Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canad ...
. It hosted the Las Vegas debuts of
Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
in 1944, and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
in 1956, and also hosted the final performance of
Diana Ross & The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
in 1970.


History

A portion of the property began as a casino and dance club known as Pair O' Dice. It opened on July 4, 1931, and was remodeled and enlarged during its first year. It was originally owned by casino dealer Frank Detra. Businessman Guy McAfee took over club operations in 1939. He remodeled the property and renamed it the 91 Club, after its location on Highway 91, which would later become the
Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
. He purchased the club later in 1939, for $10,000.


Hotel Last Frontier (1942–65)

McAfee sold the 91 Club in late 1941, to a group based in Arizona. R.E. Griffith, owner of a movie theater chain in the southwestern U.S., paid $1,000 per acre for the 35-acre site. In addition to theaters, Griffith also owned the Hotel El Rancho in
Gallup, New Mexico Zuni: ''Kalabwaki'' , settlement_type = City , nickname = "Indian Capital of the World" , motto = , image_skyline = Gallup, New Mexico.jpg , imagesize = 250px , image_caption ...
, and planned to expand it into a hotel chain. Griffith had originally planned to build his next hotel in
Deming, New Mexico Deming (, ''DEM-ing'') is a city in Luna County, New Mexico, United States, west of Las Cruces and north of the Mexican border. The population was 14,855 as of the 2010 census. Deming is the county seat and principal community of Luna County ...
, before traveling to Las Vegas and realizing that it presented better opportunities. He intended to construct a western-themed hotel-casino resort on the newly purchased land. However, his initial name for the project was already in use by the El Rancho Vegas, which opened in 1941 as the first resort on the Las Vegas Strip. Instead, Griffith named his property the Hotel Last Frontier, while maintaining the western theme. Griffith hired architect William J. Moore, his nephew, to design the project, with emphasis on an authentic recreation of the Old West. Construction began on December 8, 1941, taking place around the 91 Club, which was incorporated into the new project as the Leo Carrillo Bar. It was named after Griffith's friend, entertainer
Leo Carrillo Leopoldo Antonio Carrillo (; August 6, 1880 – September 10, 1961), known professionally as Leo Carrillo, was an American actor, vaudevillian, political cartoonist, and conservationist. He was best known for playing Pancho in the television ...
. Building materials were difficult to acquire, due to a supply shortage caused by
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Moore purchased one or two abandoned mines in
Pioche, Nevada Pioche is an unincorporated town in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States, approximately northeast of Las Vegas. U.S. Route 93 is the main route to Pioche and bypasses the town center just to the east, with Nevada State Route 321 and Nevada ...
, and sent crews to strip the sites of any usable materials. Moore also purchased two ranches in Moapa, Nevada, to supply meat and dairy for the resort. The Hotel Last Frontier opened on October 30, 1942. It was the second hotel-casino resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The motel was mostly two stories, with some rooms on a third floor. It included 105 rooms at its opening, and an additional 100 would be added later. To maintain cool temperatures, cold water was carried through pipes in the walls of each room, originating from tunnels beneath the property. Because Griffith and Moore were inexperienced in the gaming industry, they had the casino built at the rear of the property, not realizing that it should have been presented as the main attraction. The property included the Gay Nineties Bar, which had sat in the Arizona Club in Las Vegas, before being reassembled at the Last Frontier. The Frontier added the Little Church of the West in May 1943. The resort also included the El Corral Arena, used for rodeo events. Griffith died of a heart attack in November 1943, and Moore took over the property. Moore conceived an idea to add the western-themed Last Frontier Village. It opened in November 1948, initially with three buildings while others would be added later. The village ultimately included restaurants, bars, and shops. The Little Church of the West was also incorporated into the village. Located at the property's northern end, the village included authentic Old West buildings saved by Doby Doc, a collector in
Elko, Nevada Elko (Shoshoni: Natakkoa, "Rocks Piled on One Another") is the largest city in and county seat of Elko County, Nevada, United States. With a 2020 population of 20,564, Elko is currently growing at a rate of 0.31% annually and its population has i ...
. He served as curator of the attraction. The village also featured some newly built replicas created by the resort, including a
Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
gas station designed by Zick & Sharp. It offered free showers and restrooms to attract motorists to the resort. The Silver Slipper casino was added to the village in 1950. The Last Frontier was sold in 1951, to a group led by McAfee. The new ownership included
Jake Kozloff Jake Kozloff (1901–1976) was a Russian-born American businessman. He was the owner of the Lebanon Valley Brewing Company in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in the 1930s. He invested in hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada in the 1940s and 1950s, wh ...
and Beldon Katleman, the latter of whom also owned the El Rancho Vegas. By 1954, Kozloff was the primary stockholder, and the ownership group now included Murray Randolph.


New Frontier (1955–65)

In June 1954, construction began on a $2 million expansion known as the New Frontier. The project included more rooms, new restaurants, and additional casino space. The Little Church of the West was relocated elsewhere on the property to make room for the new facilities. Later that year, Katleman sued several resort executives, including Kozloff, his brother William Kozloff, and Randolph. Katleman alleged that the trio had undisclosed partners invested in the resort, going against state law. He also alleged that the men began expansion of the resort without first obtaining a loan to cover the costs. The Nevada Tax Commission launched an investigation into the resort's hidden ownership. An opening celebration for the New Frontier was held on April 4, 1955. It served as a modernized expansion of the Hotel Last Frontier, which continued to operate under its original name. Singer
Mario Lanza Mario Lanza (, ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer at ...
was scheduled to perform for the opening, but canceled at the last minute due to
laryngitis Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx (voice box). Symptoms often include a hoarse voice and may include fever, cough, pain in the front of the neck, and dysphagia, trouble swallowing. Typically, these last under two weeks. Laryngitis is c ...
, forcing the property to refund $20,000 in tickets. Jake Kozloff resigned as president and general manager a few weeks after the opening. He and Randolph sold their interest to a new investor group, which finalized their purchase in May 1955, after paying more than $1 million to
creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...
s. Katleman had sought to prevent the sale, as the resort was heavily mortgaged under the new group's financial setup. Katleman had also gotten into a fist fight with Maury Friedman, a member of the group who was denied ownership by the tax commission. Friedman was approved for an ownership stake later in 1955, along with seven other new partners in the group. Katleman's 1954 suit against Kozloff and Randolph was settled a few months later. An expansion project was announced later in 1955. The adjacent
Royal Nevada Royal Nevada was a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. It was owned by Frank Fishman, who leased it to various individuals during its brief history. The resort was designed by Paul Revere Williams, and construct ...
hotel-casino, located north of the Frontier, was taken over by the latter's ownership group in 1956. The Royal Nevada then briefly served as an annex to the New Frontier. Later that year, a new group took over operations and invested $301,000 into the New Frontier, which was struggling financially. The group included Vera Krupp, the estranged wife of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach. Krupp oversaw operations with Louis Manchon, a swimming pool contractor. The previous group, including Friedman, returned to take over operations in early March 1957, after Krupp declined to invest any further in the struggling resort. Krupp alleged that stockholders had misled her on the monetary potential of the New Frontier. The property owed approximately $100,000 to creditors, not including back taxes sought by the U.S. government. Federal agents seized more than $1 million in assets from the property, which closed its facilities on March 18, 1957, with the exception of the hotel. The New Frontier later went into bankruptcy. Restaurant and bar operations eventually resumed. In mid-1958, a new operating group – led by Los Angeles shirt manufacturer Jack Barenfield – proposed a $400,000 investment to reopen the casino and operate it on a limited basis. The
Nevada Gaming Control Board The Nevada Gaming Control Board, also known as the State Gaming Control Board, is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of gaming and law enforcement of Nevada gaming laws throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming ...
was skeptical that the group would have enough funds to keep the casino operational for long. Warren Bayley, one of the primary owners of the
Hacienda An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or '' finca''), similar to a Roman '' latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchard ...
resort, reached a deal to take over the New Frontier from Katleman and Friedman. The $6.5 million deal was finalized on October 1, 1958. The property was leased to Bayley, who agreed to pay off its debts. Actor
Preston Foster Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor of stage, film, radio, and television, whose career spanned nearly four decades. He also had a career as a vocalist. Early life Born in Ocean City, New Jersey ...
served as vice president for Frontier Properties, Inc. The casino area reopened in April 1959. Two years later, Idaho banker and construction company owner Frank Wester sought to take over the property. Wester was approved by state gaming regulators, but failed to follow through on the deal.


The Frontier (1967–98)

Bayley became the primary owner of the New Frontier Hotel in November 1964. He died a month later, and the casino was closed on New Year's Eve, in preparation for an expansion. The hotel and other facilities closed a few days later, and the property never reopened.
Bankers Life Bankers Life is the primary subsidiary of CNO Financial Group, Inc. (itself formerly Conseco, Inc until 2010). The company was established in 1879 in Chicago, Illinois. CNO is a Fortune 1000 company (rank of 548 in 2015) whose subsidiaries provid ...
purchased Frontier Properties Inc. in August 1965, and leased it to a new company, Vegas Frontier Inc., overseen by Friedman. Six months later, Friedman announced plans to demolish the existing facilities entirely for a larger Frontier resort to be built on the site. The demolition process reached its final stage in May 1966. The western village was included in the demolition, although the Little Church of the West and the Silver Slipper casino were kept. Groundbreaking for a new Frontier hotel-casino took place on September 26, 1966, with Friedman set to oversee casino operations. The new project had more than a dozen investors, including future casino mogul
Steve Wynn Stephen Alan Wynn (''né'' Weinberg; born January 27, 1942) is an American real estate developer and art collector. He is known for his involvement in the American luxury casino and hotel industry. Early in his career he oversaw the construction ...
, who purchased a three-percent stake. The Frontier marked Wynn's entry into the Las Vegas gaming industry. It was later discovered that the Frontier project was financed with Detroit mob money, from a group led by
Anthony Joseph Zerilli Anthony 'Tony' Joseph Zerilli (October 24, 1927 - March 31, 2015) was an Italian-American mobster from Sterling Heights, Michigan. From 1949 he was one of the majority owners of the highly profitable Hazel Park Raceway. In 1970 he succeeded his f ...
. The $25 million Frontier opened on July 29, 1967, with a four-day celebration. It included 650 hotel rooms, entertainment venues, several restaurants, and convention space. The Frontier's roadside sign had a height of 184 feet, making it the tallest in Las Vegas. The sign, along with the Frontier's new "F" logo, was designed by Bill Clark of Ad Art. The sign featured 16-foot-tall letters, with the giant "F" logo resting at the top. Several individuals in the new property, including Friedman, had difficulty gaining approval of state gaming regulators. Businessman
Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in t ...
bought out the group in December 1967, paying $23 million for the Frontier. Like his other casino properties, it was originally operated through
Hughes Tool Company Hughes Tool Company was an American manufacturer of drill bits. Founded in 1908, it was merged into Baker Hughes Incorporated in 1987. History The company was established in December 1908 as Sharp-Hughes Tool Company when Howard R. Hughes Sr. ...
, until Hughes'
Summa Corporation Summa Corporation was a holding company for the business interests of Howard Hughes after he sold the tool division of Hughes Tool Company in 1972. Its holdings included casino hotels, aviation businesses, and television channels. After Hughes's d ...
took over in 1973. Hughes died three years later. A $5 million renovation concluded in 1978. Later that year, the Little Church of the West was relocated to the Hacienda resort, making room for the Fashion Show Mall to be built just south of the Frontier. In December 1987, Summa agreed to sell the Frontier and Silver Slipper – the last of Hughes' Las Vegas gaming properties – to casino owner Margaret Elardi. She took over ownership of the Frontier on June 30, 1988, and acquired the Silver Slipper later that year, demolishing the latter to add a Frontier parking lot. In December 1989, Elardi's two sons, John and Tom, became part-owners with her in the Frontier. The 16-story Atrium Tower, consisting of 400 suites, was opened a month later. Under the Elardis' ownership, the Frontier focused primarily on a low-budget clientele of slot players. It offered few amenities, at a time when new megaresorts were becoming popular on the Las Vegas Strip.


Strike

The Frontier had a labor agreement with the
Culinary Workers Union The Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226 is a local union affiliated with UNITE HERE which operates in the Las Vegas metropolitan area of Nevada. Members include a variety of occupations organized along craft lines working in restaurants ...
that expired on July 1, 1989. Upon its expiration, general manager Tom Elardi said that the union presented the Frontier with two contract renewal choices, with no option to negotiate; he said the family would not have purchased the Frontier if they had known this would happen. Citing a reduction in salaries and worker benefits, 550 workers went on strike on September 21, 1991. Politicians such as
Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senato ...
expressed support for the strikers, who represented four unions, including Culinary. The strike ran continuously on the sidewalk in front of the resort, and striking workers were occasionally violent towards patrons who crossed the picket line. In April 1993, California tourist Sean White and his family were verbally and physically assaulted by the strikers. Seven union workers were charged in the incident, and the union itself settled with the Whites after they filed a lawsuit. Sean White also sued the Frontier, seeking
damages At common law, damages are a remedy in the form of a monetary award to be paid to a claimant as compensation for loss or injury. To warrant the award, the claimant must show that a breach of duty has caused foreseeable loss. To be recognised at ...
for his injuries and alleging inadequate security at the resort. He claimed that the property was aware of the strikers being particularly agitated on the night of the incident, yet did nothing to resolve the situation. The Frontier countered that the Whites provoked the strikers. Furthermore, Tom Elardi said that guests were always warned about possible verbal abuse from the strikers when making hotel reservations. He also said that, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), it would be illegal to label the strikers as "violent". In addition, Elardi said that Frontier security did not have the authority to help guests on public property, where the incident took place. A jury eventually ruled in the Frontier's favor, finding it not liable for events that take place on public property. In late 1991, the Frontier ran controversial ads in the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' implying that the entire Strip was being targeted by the strike. The property eventually stopped running the ads after protests from other resorts. Business at the Frontier saw a 40-percent decrease during the first year of the strike. In 1993, Nevada governor Bob Miller appointed a fact finder to help resolve the strike, although these efforts failed after 28 meetings. Miller later called the Frontier an embarrassment to the state for its refusal to end the strike. Margaret Elardi wanted to settle with the union and end the strike, but her sons opposed the idea. Numerous complaints against the Frontier were filed with the NLRB. In 1995, a federal court ruled that the resort had to pay back work-related benefits that it had cut off to striking workers. The NLRB later ruled in favor of the union, agreeing with the 1995 ruling and calling the dispute an
unfair labor practice An unfair labor practice (ULP) in United States labor law refers to certain actions taken by employers or unions that violate the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (49 Stat. 449) (also known as the NLRA and the Wagner Act after NY Senator Ro ...
strike. Negotiations between the Culinary union and the Elardis took place in July 1996, but ended without a resolution, in part because Tom Elardi refused a Culinary mandate to rehire all of the striking workers: "I believe the ones who've been violent or who participated in major picket line misconduct shouldn't come back. The union says that's the only way they will settle, but I absolutely refuse to take them back". Arthur Goldberg, chairman of Bally Entertainment, announced in July 1996 that there was interest in purchasing the Frontier and ending the strike. At the time, Hilton Hotels Corporation was in the process of acquiring Bally. Goldberg was willing to purchase the Frontier himself if Hilton should pass on it. His plan would potentially include demolishing all or part of the Frontier to make way for a 3,000-room resort. Wynn and casino rival
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
were also rumored to have an interest in buying the Frontier. Trump passed on the property, as he found Elardi's $208 million asking price too high. Hilton and Goldberg also did not proceed with a purchase, and the strike continued.


=Allegations

= In late 1996, a former Frontier worker alleged that the Elardis ran a technologically advanced spy operation to monitor the strike. It was also used to monitor Frontier security guards, as well as officers of the
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (also known as the LVMPD or Metro) is a combined city and county law enforcement agency for the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, United States. It is headed by the Sheriff of Clark County, ...
whenever they came to view video footage of the strike. The operation allegedly included security cameras and listening devices, operated from a second-floor headquarters known as the 900 Room that was overseen by 15 people. The worker also said that the resort routinely sabotaged the strike, for instance by turning on nearby sprinklers or placing manure bags near a catering truck. Tom Elardi called the worker disgruntled. He said the 900 Room functioned only to monitor and maintain the exterior during the strike, denying that any sabotage had taken place. Other former workers came forward to confirm the spying allegation, stating that there was a high level of paranoia relating to the strike. Some workers said that the Frontier had tapped its office phones to monitor conversations, allegations which led to an FBI investigation. Concerned that strikers might stay at the hotel to gain information, Frontier officials also had recording devices planted in certain guest rooms which were to be occupied only by confirmed members of the strike, allowing the hotel to spy on them. The spying operation allegedly went beyond the resort, as some workers said they were tasked with following strikers around. Others collected garbage from the Culinary headquarters in hopes of gaining incriminating information. After the allegations came to light, strikers filed 75 criminal complaints against the Frontier, and the
Nevada Gaming Control Board The Nevada Gaming Control Board, also known as the State Gaming Control Board, is a Nevada state governmental agency involved in the regulation of gaming and law enforcement of Nevada gaming laws throughout the state, along with the Nevada Gaming ...
opened an investigation. Meanwhile, the
AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO) is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million ac ...
launched a campaign to raise awareness about the strike, with president John Sweeney calling the Frontier "one of the biggest corporate criminals" in American history. The AFL-CIO also opened a committee investigation into the strike. John Elardi later admitted that the 900 Room was used for spying, stating that he created it in 1992, without first consulting Margaret or Tom Elardi. He also acknowledged using sprinklers on the strikers, after police stopped responding to the resort's calls about trespassing picketers.


=Resolution

= In October 1997, businessman
Phil Ruffin Phillip Gene Ruffin (born March 14, 1935) is an American businessman. He owns the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in addition to a number of other enterprises including hotels, casinos, greyhound ...
reached an agreement to buy the Frontier from the Elardis for $167 million. He also agreed to sign a contract with the union, putting an end to the strike. Ruffin's application for a gaming license was fast-tracked to expedite the sale and end the strike sooner. Prior to the announcement of Ruffin's purchase, the Nevada Gaming Control Board was prepared to file a complaint revoking the Frontier's gaming license, due to the property's conduct during the strike. Ruffin completed his purchase on February 1, 1998, ending the 2,325-day strike. It was among the longest strikes in U.S. history, and the Culinary union had spent $26 million on it. Approximately 300 of the 550 striking workers returned to their jobs. Striking employees received a total of nearly $5 million in back-pay and trust fund contributions. On the day of the purchase, a celebration event was held at the resort, and was attended by 3,000 people.


New Frontier (1998–2007)

Upon taking ownership, Ruffin renamed the property back to the New Frontier. It had 986 rooms and a casino, and catered to a middle-class clientele. The resort had become outdated during the strike, and lacked basic features such as fulltime room service and a 24-hour coffee shop. Profits improved following a $20 million renovation project, which included new restaurants and a remodeled sportsbook. Gilley's Saloon, a country western restaurant, was among the additions. It included a mechanical bull, a dance hall, and live music. The saloon opened in December 1998. Ruffin got the idea for the restaurant after seeing the 1980 film '' Urban Cowboy'', which had featured the
Gilley's Club Sherwood Cryer (September 2, 1927 – August 13, 2009) was a Pasadena, Texas-based entrepreneur. He was the originally owner and operator of a bar called Sherri's. He then formed a partnership with Mickey Gilley it became the western nightclub & ...
in Texas, along with its mechanical bull. Ruffin subsequently partnered with country singer
Mickey Gilley Mickey Leroy Gilley (March 9, 1936 – May 7, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 19 ...
to open the saloon, inspired by the original club. Gilley's later offered bikini bull-riding and mud wrestling. Ruffin intended to rebrand the hotel as a Radisson, and renovated the guest rooms to bring them up to standard. However, in 1999, he decided against this idea as he now had other plans for the property. In January 2000, Ruffin announced plans to demolish the New Frontier in five or six months to make way for a new casino resort, scheduled to open in 2002. The new project, known as
City by the Bay San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, would include a San Francisco theme and more than 2,500 rooms. Ruffin said the new resort was necessary to stay competitive on the Las Vegas Strip. The project would cost up to $700 million. He put his redevelopment plans on hold in May 2000, because of difficulty raising the necessary funds. Ruffin said the project would eventually proceed. The New Frontier continued operations in the meantime, and remained profitable. In 2002, Ruffin partnered with Trump to build
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is a 64-story hotel, condominium, and timeshare located on Fashion Show Drive in Paradise, Nevada, US, named for owner Donald Trump, who later became US president. It is located down the street from Wynn La ...
. It was constructed on the Frontier property's southwest corner, taking up part of a rear parking lot. Meanwhile, Ruffin still had difficulty acquiring funds to build City by the Bay, and his plans evolved several times over the years. At one point, Ruffin considered a Trump-branded resort to replace the New Frontier. In 2003, Ruffin was in discussions with several casino operators about a possible joint venture for a new resort on the Frontier site. At the end of 2004, he said he would redevelop the New Frontier site on his own, stating that he had turned down a dozen offers from potential partners. By 2006, Ruffin's unnamed resort project was planned to include a 485-foot Ferris wheel. Later that year, Ruffin announced that the new casino resort would be named
Montreux Montreux (, , ; frp, Montrolx) is a Swiss municipality and town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps. It belongs to the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and has a population of approxima ...
, after the Swiss town of the same name. The $2 billion resort would include 2,750 rooms. However, by March 2007, Ruffin was in negotiations to sell the New Frontier to
El Ad Properties The El-Ad Group is an Israel-based American real estate development company. The group controls many subsidiaries including Elad Properties, which is based in New York City, Elad Florida and El-Ad Canada, which is based in Toronto, Ontario. Colle ...
, which owned the
Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...
in New York City. A sale agreement was announced two months later, with El Ad paying approximately $35 million per acre for the 35-acre site. At more than $1.2 billion, it was the most expensive real estate transaction on the Strip. El Ad planned to demolish the New Frontier and build a $5 billion Plaza-branded resort in its place. The New Frontier closed on July 16, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. The closing was a low-key event. At the time, the New Frontier operated the last remaining bingo room on the Strip, and was one of the few remaining casinos to still use coin-operated slot machines. El Ad completed its purchase three weeks after the closure. The 984-room New Frontier had remained popular as a low-budget alternative to larger resorts nearby. However, it lacked the same popularity as previous resorts such as the Sands,
Stardust Stardust may refer to: * A type of cosmic dust, composed of particles in space Entertainment Songs * “Stardust” (1927 song), by Hoagy Carmichael * “Stardust” (David Essex song), 1974 * “Stardust” (Lena Meyer-Landrut song), 2012 * ...
, and
Desert Inn The Desert Inn, also known as the D.I., was a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, which operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by architect Hugh Taylor and interior design by Jac Lessman, it was th ...
. In 2006, readers of the ''
Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal'' ...
'' voted it "Hotel Most Deserving of Being Imploded". Wynn, who now owned the Wynn Las Vegas resort across the street, called the aging Frontier "the single biggest toilet in Las Vegas". The New Frontier was the last of the Hughes-era casinos to be demolished. After a five-minute fireworks show, the 16-story Atrium Tower was imploded on November 13, 2007, at 2:37 a.m. Thousands of spectators turned out to view the demolition. The tower was imploded by
Controlled Demolition, Inc. Controlled Demolition, Inc. (CDI) is a controlled demolition firm headquartered in Phoenix, Maryland. The firm was founded by Jack Loizeaux who used dynamite to remove tree stumps in the Baltimore, Maryland area, and moved on to using explosives t ...
, which had worked on other Las Vegas hotel implosions. The interior was stripped down allowing for the insertion of dynamite, totaling 1,040 pounds and spread across 6,200 different areas of the tower. The implosion left a four-story pile of concrete, glass and steel remains. Two low-rise hotel wings were demolished with the use of an
excavator Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, dipper (or stick), bucket and cab on a rotating platform known as the "house". The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. They are a natural progression fr ...
, although the discovery of
asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
slowed the process down. The roadside sign was left up until December 2008, when Wynn requested that it be taken down ahead of the opening for Encore Las Vegas, an addition to his Wynn property. The city's Neon Museum sought to save portions of the sign.


Proposed redevelopment

The Plaza project failed to materialize, due to financial problems brought on by the
Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of marked general decline, i.e. a recession, observed in national economies globally that occurred from late 2007 into 2009. The scale and timing of the recession varied from country to country (see map). At ...
. Wynn offered to beautify the vacant site with landscaping, and was also approached by El Ad several times to take over the land and develop it. However, he declined as he considered such a project too much of a financial risk. Wynn blamed what he saw as anti-business policies of U.S. president
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, and a challenging level of debt as a consequence of El Ad having paid what proved too high a price for the property. In 2014,
Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...
purchased the property for $280 million and partnered with Oaktree Capital Management. A year later, they announced plans to build a casino resort known as Alon Las Vegas. However, Crown Resorts pulled out of the project in 2016, and it was eventually canceled.
Wynn Resorts Wynn or wyn (; also spelled wen, ƿynn, and ƿen) is a letter of the Old English alphabet, where it is used to represent the sound . History The letter "W" While the earliest Old English texts represent this phoneme with the digraph , ...
bought the land and four adjacent acres in early 2018, for $336 million. The company announced plans to build Wynn West, a new casino resort to complement the existing Wynn and Encore properties. Steve Wynn, amid sexual assault allegations against him, resigned from his company shortly after the announcement. Matt Maddox took over as CEO, and plans for Wynn West were shelved.


Entertainment

The Hotel Last Frontier opened with an entertainment venue known as the Ramona Room.
Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
made his Las Vegas debut at the showroom in 1944. The Mary Kaye Trio performed at the Hotel Last Frontier for approximately three years, starting in 1950. The Ramona Room had already been booked by other acts over the next six months, so a stage was added to a bar area for the trio to perform. They became the first lounge act to perform in Las Vegas, popularizing the concept. The New Frontier addition in 1955 included a restaurant and showroom known as the Venus Room. A new Venus Room, with seating for 800, opened with the rebuilt Frontier in 1967. The new resort also included the 400-seat Post Time Theater.
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
made his Las Vegas debut at the New Frontier in 1956, but was poorly received. In the late 1950s, the New Frontier offered ''Holiday in Japan'', a variety show featuring 60 performers from Tokyo.
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
entertained at the resort in the 1950s, as did
Wayne Newton Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the nation from the mid-to-late 20th-century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas. He is known by the nicknam ...
in the 1960s and 1970s. Other entertainers included
Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canad ...
,
Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...
,
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
, Ray Anthony, and Phil Harris.
Diana Ross & The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
gave their final performance in 1970, at the Frontier. Their performance was recorded for the album '' Farewell''. In the early 1970s, the Frontier hosted the Miss Rodeo America pageant. Siegfried & Roy performed in ''Beyond Belief'', a magic show that opened in 1981. It ran for 3,538 performances over a period of nearly seven years. When the Elardi family took over ownership in the late 1980s, they closed the showroom. After years without live entertainment, Ruffin added a 284-seat venue in 2000. One new show, ''Legends of Comedy'', featured entertainers who impersonated comedians such as
Rodney Dangerfield Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-line joke, one-liner humor, his c ...
,
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's '' The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2009. Beginning in September 20 ...
, and Roseanne Barr. In 2001, the New Frontier launched ''Rock 'n' Roll Legends'', featuring impersonator singers. Numerous other shows ran at the resort in the 2000s, including a magic act, the
Thunder From Down Under ''Thunder from Down Under'' is the third studio album by guitarist Frank Gambale, released in 1990 through Victor Entertainment and reissued on 24 April 2001 through Samson Records.Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
tribute show. Female impersonator Kenny Kerr also had a musical dance show at the property.


References


External links


Official website
archived via the
Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

New Frontier Implosion Video
��the implosion starts at 1:50
New Frontier photo from November 3, 2007

Las Vegas Casino Demolition: Blowdown Documentary
{{Authority control 1942 establishments in Nevada 1967 establishments in Nevada 2007 disestablishments in Nevada Buildings and structures demolished by controlled implosion Buildings and structures demolished in 2007 Casino hotels Casinos completed in 1942 Casinos completed in 1967 Casinos in Paradise, Nevada Defunct casinos in the Las Vegas Valley Defunct hotels in the Las Vegas Valley Demolished hotels in Clark County, Nevada Hotel buildings completed in 1942 Hotel buildings completed in 1967 Hotels established in 1942 Hotels established in 1967 Landmarks in Nevada Las Vegas Strip