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Part of our casino bouquet collection
The Flamingo was the first resort of its kind in Vegas. It offered gambling tables, slot machines, food, drink, entertainment and, importantly, a room to stay in. Once the Flamingo’s management got you through their doors, there was no reason to leave.
Other Vegas venues quickly followed suit. But it all started when the Flamingo won its prized spot in the heart of the Strip. Arguably though, this coveted location came at a very high price.
The Flamingo’s story stars Vegas visionaries, mobster money, romance, and an unsolved murder. And it’s the resort’s flamboyant history that inspired me to create a bouquet that’s as big and bold as the resort itself.
The Flamingo flower arrangement
Part of the Gaia Flowers Casino Bouquet Collection
About the bouquet
If it ain’t pink, it ain’t getting in. The bouquet includes:
- deep pink proteas
- bright pink roses
- pink blush orchids
- light pink blush to yellow/white snapdragon
Lush green tropical ferns offset the pink and bring their own exotic brightness, while the show-girl feathers add more texture and tone.
Poised to perform in its pink vintage glass vase, The Flamingo is primed for showtime the second it’s delivered.
The story of the Flamingo Casino and Resort
For a hotel to get and hold a prime position on the Strip it must be really old and well-established, or owned by someone with very deep pockets. The Flamingo’s story has a little something from column A and column B.
In the 1900s, Charles Pemberton Squires owned the land on which the Flamingo stands. Charles, (or “Pops” for short), was a Las Vegas pioneer who gambled on investing in an up-and-coming desert oasis. You can read more about Pops here but in short he dealt in real estate and land titles. He bought the property for himself, resettled his young family in Las Vegas, and went on to set up the town’s first news journal.
In 1944, Pops sold some of his land to Magaret Folsom. She opened a motel. Soon after she sold part of her land to Billy Wilkerson, a developer, nightclub owner, and founder of The Hollywood Reporter. Wilkerson was also a keen gambler and dreamed of opening his own Vegas casino with a twist. He envisaged attaching a hotel to his venue, making it the first resort of its kind in Vegas. But pulling this off wasn’t going to be easy. Or cheap.
Enter the mobsters
Financing the hotel was a stretch for Wilkerson. The extra backing he needed arrived a year after buying the land, when a $1 million cheque from Harry Rothberg landed in his lap.
Rothberg was a co-owner of the American Distilling Company and had “acquaintances” linked to organized crime. He supported Wilkerson on the understanding that some of these acquaintances would oversee the project’s construction and the running of the resort.
Enter Moe Sedway, Gus Greenbaum, and Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Three bona fide gangsters renowned for running rackets, murdering mobsters, and being beyond lousy in their treatment of women. “Bugsy” Siegel, a central character in our story, was a notorious hitman well known for resolving issues violently.
Bugsy Siegel with his attorneys – By Los Angeles Daily News
Within a year, Wilkerson was pushed off the project. Siegel proclaimed himself the boss. Despite blowing the budget (and possibly skimming some money for himself), he opened the casino in December 1946, and the hotel shortly after in March 1947. Vegas now had an unrivaled venue in terms of design, facilities, and entertainment. Many historians cite the opening of the Flamingo as the start of the Strip as we know it today.
Naming the joint
How the Flamingo got its name is hotly disputed. The mobsters swear it was Siegel, while Billy Wilkerson’s family and associates say it was him. And even if you can pick a side there are still three different theories behind why a flamingo. So let’s take a look at them.
Theory 1 – Wilkerson came up with the name
Wilkinson initially ran with the decidedly stodgy and definitely unsexy ‘Hotel Wilkerson.’ In his biography of his dad, Wilkerson’s son, argued that his father was inspired by other successful bars (such as the Stork Club in New York) and wanted to embrace Miami Beach vibes. This, along with his love of exotic birds eventually led him to settle on the Flamingo.
Theory 2 – It’s a tribute to Siegel’s girlfriend
Virginia Hill, Siegel’s girlfriend, was nicknamed ‘Flamingo’ on account of her red hair and long legs. As a romantic gesture, Siegel named the resort in her honour. Being a mobster queen and having Vegas’ newest, sexiest, classiest resort named after you is pretty badass, right? Caesars, the current owners of the Flamingo, certainly think so, and this is the naming theory they roll with.
Theory 3 – Siegel thought flamingos were lucky
In his memoir, Charles “Lucky” Luciano, considered one of the godfathers of organized crime in 1930s America, claims Siegel named the hotel the Flamingo because the bird was a good luck charm. If the flock of flamingos at Florida’s Hialeah Park Race Track helped punters get lucky at the horses, maybe they’d be lucky at a Vegas casino, too.
Gangsters give way to hospitality multi-millionaires
The glitz and edge of the gangster vibe at the Flamingo drew Joe Public who flocked to experience mobster hospitality. For Bugsy, the ever-present sense of menace proved fatal.
He was shot dead, three months after the grand re-opening of the casino with the newly finished hotel. No one has ever been convicted of Seigel’s murder, but his original collaborators Moe Sedway and Gus Greenbaum, quickly took over the running of the Flamingo.
In the 1970s the Hilton Hotel Corporation acquired and expanded the Flamingo. By this point, almost all of Siegel’s original hotel and casino had been dismantled to make way for more rooms, a new pool, and an animal habitat.
Currently, Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns the Flamingo.
Despite or perhaps because of its chequered history, the Flamingo remains an icon. Big names in entertainment are drawn to it. Stars such as Tom Jones, Donny and Marie Osmond, Toni Braxton, Olivia Newton-John, and Paula Abdul have performed there or held residencies. And in the 90s, a second entertainment venue, ‘Bugsy’s Cabaret’ opened to comedy shows, magicians, and burlesque groups.
Flamingo, present day – @flamingovegas on Instagram
Celebrating the Flamingo Casino’s story in flowers
This arrangement had to be pink. In honour of the venue’s namesake, of course, but also to capture the always glamorous (yet sometimes ostentatious) spirit and style of the venue and its past. Orchids reflect the flamingo bird’s elegance and delicacy. Deep pink roses signify romance—be it Bugsy and Virginia’s love affair or the city’s legendary power of attraction for lovers from all corners of the globe.
Sprays of tall-standing snapdragons give the arrangement height and stature, just like the resort had in the 70s. Showgirl feathers are a nod to the venue’s love of classic Vegas entertainment and cabaret.
Bursts of green tropical ferns add a little extra exotica, while the vintage vase replicates whiskey glasses and mobster speakeasies.
Order the Flamingo if…
- You’re getting married there. It’s the perfect floral centrepiece for your ceremony and reception. We can also transform it into a bridal bouquet.
- You’re staying at the resort for a special occasion—birthday, anniversary, honeymoon—and want fresh flowers in your room upon arrival.
- You simply love fabulous Las Vegas, and want some of that spirited Strip nostalgia in your home.
Why create arrangements inspired by Vegas casinos?
A skilful florist is always looking for fresh inspiration. We may find it in the books we read, the icons we follow, the art we admire, or the places we visit. Creating a bouquet, arrangement, or installation pays homage to those muses. I’ve lived in Vegas for 30 years, so paying tribute to Vegas’ iconic resorts and casinos comes naturally to me.
The Gaia Flower Casino Bouquet Collection includes 4 arrangements. Each is inspired by a different resort with the flowers, foliage, and style reflecting the venue’s spin on the Vegas Strip.
