The three-story hotel, the last remaining structure from the original Flamingo, was demolished in 1993, helping make way for the final high-rise addition.

The resort has hosted numerous entertainers, including an 11-year residency for musical duo Donny and Marie Osmond that concluded in 2019.

They included Moe Sedway, Gus Greenbaum, and another individual Wilkerson would meet in March 1946: Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel.

[19][20] The company's construction managers had a difficult time getting their pay, which prompted owner Del Webb to nervously ask Siegel for the money himself at one point.

[9][22] Wilkerson's involvement is further chronicled in The Man Who Invented Las Vegas, a biographical book written by his son and published in 2000.

[8][23][24] Historian Frank Wright of the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society said in 1996, "It was Bugsy who took over the building when Wilkerson ran short of funds.

"[22] Hal Rothman, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, also considered Wilkerson's involvement "more of a footnote," stating in 2000, "He had an idea but he wasn't able to pull it off.

According to the memoir, Siegel had once owned an interest in Florida's Hialeah Park Race Track, which was known for its on-site flock of flamingos.

[35] According to a 2013 biography of Bautzer, Wilkerson was inspired by prominent bars in New York such as the Stork Club and began thinking of birds, leading to the Flamingo name.

[41][42] The Flamingo was, however, the first Strip resort to feature an upscale and modern design, in contrast to the western-themed El Rancho and Frontier.

In 1948, real estate developer Morris Rosen stated that he was contractually entitled to shares in the company, accusing Adler of withholding stock ownership.

[58][59] In 1960, the Flamingo was sold for $10.5 million to a group including Morris Lansburgh and Daniel Lifter, Miami residents with reputed ties to organized crime.

[62] Lansky, Lansburgh, and others involved in the Flamingo would later be charged with federal tax evasion relating to the resort's income, years after selling the property.

[85] The original low-rise hotel structure, including Siegel's on-site residence, was also demolished as part of the 1995 expansion,[86] helping make way for a new pool area and animal habitat.

Park Place opted not to renew that agreement when it expired in late 2000, and the property was renamed Flamingo Las Vegas the following year.

[4][15][17] The Sands resort opened on the Strip in 1952, and was considered more luxurious than the Flamingo, which began a remodeling and expansion project in response.

The designer, Forrest Perkins, used gold and pink in the upgraded rooms and described them as contemporary retro-chic with a focus on the 70-year history of the Flamingo.

[116] A new tropical pool area, covering 15 acres (6.1 ha), was added in the 1995 expansion; it includes a free animal habitat attraction.

[158] The Wildlife Habitat has featured numerous exotic birds throughout its history, such as Chilean flamingos, black-necked swans,[159] and pelicans.

[163][164] The Wildlife Habitat has also featured water turtles and various fish,[161][165][166] including catfish, grass carp, koi, and white sturgeon.

[115][172][173] It rose more than 50 feet,[173][174] and would remain as the tallest free-standing structure on the Strip into the next decade, eventually being eclipsed by a new sign installed at the Dunes resort in 1964.

[181][182][183] Rodriguez initially struggled for creative inspiration, as the Flamingo lacked a theme other than its namesake bird, on which he would ultimately base his design.

[139][211] Other notable early performers included Tony Martin,[212] Lena Horne, Mitzi Gaynor, Louis Armstrong,[119] and Della Reese.

[227] It was replaced by The Great Radio City Spectacular, a dance show starring the Rockettes and Susan Anton, which ran for five years.

[227][228][229] Bottoms Up, a long-running local show featuring topless dancers, debuted at the Flamingo Showroom in 2000, and ran for four years.

[230] A show by songwriter Rita Abrams, based on the book Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, had a 10-month run in the showroom, ending in 2001.

[233][234][235] Brother-sister musical duo Donny and Marie Osmond opened in the showroom in September 2008,[236][237] helping the Flamingo stay profitable amid the Great Recession.

[268][267] The Flamingo made numerous film appearances in its early years, including The Invisible Wall (1947),[116][269] The Lady Gambles (1949),[116] My Friend Irma Goes West (1950),[270] The Las Vegas Story (1952),[116][271] and The Girl Rush (1955).

[275] The 1991 film Bugsy, starring Warren Beatty, depicted Siegel's involvement in the construction of the Flamingo, though many of the details were altered for dramatic effect.

[277] Hunter S. Thompson and Oscar Zeta Acosta stayed at the Flamingo while attending a seminar by the National Conference of District Attorneys on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs held at the Dunes Hotel across the street.