Better late than never to this thread ...

Billy Wilkerson's son (W. R. Wilkerson III) wrote "The Man Who Invented Las Vegas", published in 2000.

Two relevant passages --
Pg. 39+ Wilkerson purchased the 33-acre property from a Margaret Folsom for $84,000 (through a straw buyer named Bautzer).
The lot was described as having "two dilapidated shacks and a crumbling motel sign."
(Doesn't sound like any gambling going on there!)

Pg. 49 - Describes how Wilkerson named his restaurants in Los Angeles after famous places or other establishments. In this case, he was thinking about one of his favorite night spots in New York, the Stork Club. It continues "He settled on the name of a magnificent pink bird he had seen during a trip to Florida. Upon completion, the Flamingo Club would take the name of this wondrous creature ... "

The book is a good read, if you come across it.