Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel is captured in this 1928 New York Police mug shot. Siegel built the Flamingo Hotel in 1946. While the lavish hotel's opening on Dec. 26, 1946 was a disaster, the Flamingo began making money in the spring of 1947 -- paving the way for other mob run hotels on the Strip. View photo »

The Hitching Post Wedding Chapel saturates itself with advertisements in this 1940s photo. In 1931 the Nevada Legislature relaxed the state marriage and divorce laws and the wedding industry became a major factor in the Las Vegas economy. View photo »

Charles P. Squires and wife, Delphine Squires, celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in this Aug. 21, 1949 photo. As pioneer residents of Las Vegas, Charles and Delphine Squires were instrumental in developing Las Vegas from a desert railroad stop into the largest American city founded in the 20th century. View photo »

Hollywood Reporter magazine founder and nightclub owner Billy Wilkerson poses for this undated photo. After attempts to build his ambitious Flamingo Club ran into financial trouble, Wilkerson turned to mobster Meyer Lansky who offered $1 million to complete the Flamingo in exchange for interest in the resort. Wilkerson was later muscled out of the project by Lansky representative Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. View photo »

Two rows of biplanes line Las Vegas' Alamo airport in the late 1940s. The airport was established in 1942 by aviator George Crockett. In 1948 the airstrip was purchased by Clark County and was named Clark County Public Airport. Just a few months later it was renamed again -- this time as McCarran Field View photo »