In 1946 Benjamin 'Bugsy' Siegel opened the original Flamingo hotel and casino, which stood on the spot occupied by the courtyard garden and swimming pool of the current Flamingo.
And while today's Vegas offers slick museums and guided tours about the underworld, this memorial is still an important landmark. For a long time, before the opening of the Las Vegas Mob Museum, the only place in Sin City formally acknowledging organized crime was this, a bronze plaque at the end of an open-air fuchsia canopy, set in front of the Flamingo Las Vegas wedding chapel - a unique spot for a bridal party portrait.
