Slick's Las Vegas Then & Now: 27th in Series

It's been quite a while since MOB SPEAK posted an excerpt from Slick's colorful take on "Old Las Vegas" versus "New Las Vegas." Here it is from its 1940s heyday to mega-corporate 2009:
 

Present day Las Vegas Strip

Las Vegas Then and Now

Then: Crime and murder rates low
Now: Crime and murder rates high

Then: Mobsters ruled
Now: Wall Street, mega corporations and real estate
developers rule

Then: Lido de Paris
Now: Magic Shows; Cirque du Soleil


Onetime mayor, Oscar Goodman
and friends

Then: Mob took care of cheaters
Now: Law takes care of cheaters

Then: Evening gowns and men's suits
Now: Tank tops and flip flops

Then: Seven-card stud
Now: Texas Hold’em

Then: Thick smoke everywhere
Now: Smoking banned almost everywhere

Then: Hookers in every bar
Now: Overpriced strip clubs, fake escort ads and


Old Stardust

bordellos allowed only outside county limits

Then: $.49 breakfast
Now: Better eat at home

Then: Movie Casino
Now: Movie 21

Then: Drive anywhere in Las Vegas in 10 minutes or less
Now: Try to get anywhere in one day

Then: Las Vegas jumping with movie stars
Now: See movie stars in movies

Then: Comped Room, food, booze
Now: Players card

Then: Free entrance to beautiful, clean Lake Meade
Now: Pay to see what’s left of Lake Meade