Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Las Vegas, Apr 1, (THAINDIAN NEWS) The Cal Neva Lodge Casino, located on Lake Tahoe’s north shore at Crystal Bay has been shut down. The place was once one of the most famous hangouts for the coolest people in the city of Las Vegas. During the 60s, The ‘Rat Pack’ was considered one of the most happening hangouts in the city. Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. frequented the place. However, on last Wednesday, the gaming wheels at the casino stopped rolling.

Frank Sinatra , who was the owner of the place for three long years would surely have shed a few tears had he been present to witness his favourite place getting closed. This sprawling resort in the Nevada-California border was used to be one of the chief places of entertainment for the Vegas youth in the early 1960s.

While the owner of the resort plans to reopen the favorite casino under new contractors by the end of this year, analysts feel that the hangout has seen its last days this year. They are of the opinion that Tahoe casinos face stiff competition from other casinos in Vegas. William Eadington, an economics professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, Reno has observed that the total revenue collected in 2009 by Rat Pack is almost half of what was collected in 1992.

It is said that stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Juliet Prowse spent time at Rat Pack during its hayday. Marilyn Monroe spent the last weekend of her life in the hangout before she died of a drug overdose in Los Angeles. The rest of the property, like restaurants and showrooms now named after Frank Sinatra will remain open. One can only wait to see whether the Cal Neva casino opens in the future or not.