There was heavy rain in Southern California, and six inches of snow fell on Mount Charleston, but the weather bureau at McCarran Field reported no thunderstorm and only 0.12 inches of rain for Las Vegas. First, there were no powerful thunderstorms in Las Vegas.

Similarly, in Las Vegas: A Desert Paradise (1986), Las Vegas historian Ralph Roske said the opening drew “small crowds.”

One sees the failure in the 1974 HBO film Virginia Hill: Mistress of the Mob, which featured Harvey Keitel as Siegel, and in novels such as The Vegas Legacy (1983) by Ovid Demaris and Sin City (2002) by Harold Robbins. While certainly influential, Bugsy is not the only source to depict the Flamingo’s opening as a disaster. Warren Beatty, who plays Siegel, announces that the Flamingo will close the following day. In the film’s portrayal of the event, there are virtually no guests, and a powerful thunderstorm strikes, knocking out the power to the casino. That certainly applies to the general view of the opening of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas on December 26, 1946.

Much of what Americans know about Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel comes from watching the 1991 film Bugsy. The Flamingo held its grand opening over three nights in December 1946, and, contrary of popular perception, big crowds showed up all three nights.

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