The Rise and Ruin of Jay Sarno: The Father of Modern Las Vegas

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Jay Sarno invented modern Las Vegas—but died broke at the craps table of the casino he built. This is the untold story of the man who created Caesars Palace, changed Vegas forever, and gambled away everything he touched.

Born during the Great Depression, Sarno rose from tile contractor to casino emperor with help from Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters. He pitched a Roman fantasy to mobsters, built the first true themed resort in 1966, and convinced everyone they were royalty. Caesars Palace became the most famous hotel in the world. But Jay couldn't stop gambling. He lost millions at his own tables, built Circus Circus to feed his addiction, and watched the feds force him to sell both properties. He spent his final years chasing the dream of the Grandissimo—a 6,000-room mega-resort that would've launched the modern Vegas era a decade early. Instead, he died of a heart attack at Caesars Palace in 1984, age 62, after a brutal session at the craps table.

Steve Wynn credits Sarno with inspiring the Mirage, Bellagio, and every themed resort on the Strip. But the man who taught Vegas how to dream died without a dime to his name. This is the tragic story of the emperor who built a palace but couldn't escape the tables.

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