Bugsy Siegel, born Benjamin Siegelbaum, emerged from the tough Williamsburgh section of Brooklyn, entangled in criminal activities from an early age. As a teenager, he formed a lasting friendship with Meyer Lansky, another local gangster, and together they established a gang of local toughs called the "Bugs and Meyer Mob". Siegel, unlike many of his contemporaries, defied the stereotype of a typical gangster, boasting tall stature, thick wavy hair, movie-star good looks, and piercing blue eyes. While Lansky was the brains and financial genius behind the mob, Siegel was the brawn, known for his explosive and senseless violence, earning him the nickname "Bugsy", which he hated and would physically assault anyone who used it in his presence.
Siegel is most famous for transforming Las Vegas into a gambling mecca, although this is not entirely accurate. When a Los Angeles businessman struggled to build a luxury hotel and casino, Siegel saw an opportunity and bought a controlling interest in the project. He renamed the hotel "The Flamingo", after his nickname for his girlfriend, actress Virginia Hill. Siegel convinced his organized-crime friends and associates to invest in the venture, and soon had over a million dollars to work with. Unfortunately, Siegel's lack of business experience and unfamiliarity with Las Vegas resulted in huge overruns due to theft, double-billing, and other fraudulent practices by contractors and suppliers. The casino finally opened in 1946, but opening night was a disaster, and the hotel was eventually closed to finish construction.
Siegel's mob "friends" were furious and wanted to put out a contract on his life, but were persuaded by Lansky to give him more time to finish the complex. In March, the hotel was finally completed, and the casino reopened, eventually showing a $250,000 profit by the middle of 1947. However, Siegel was mistaken if he thought he was off the hook, as on June 20, 1947, he was killed instantly by gunmen outside his Beverly Hills home. Conventional wisdom is that his mob associates, who were still angry about the financial losses incurred during the construction phase, ordered the hit.
