THE LAS VEGAS RIVIERA OPENED TO MUCH FANFARE IN APRIL 1957 ... THE TALLEST BUILING IN NEVADA (9 STORIES) ... BUILT BY A GROUP OF MIAMI INVESTORS INCLUDING MEYER LANSKY ... AND THE BUILDINGS DESIGN RELFECTED THE MODERN DAY RESORTS ON MIAMI BEACH. THE RIVIERA OPENED AND WAS LOSING MONEY BADLY ... THE HIRED GUS GREENBAUM OF THE FLAMINO HOTEL TO MANAGE THE CASINO AND CHANGE THINGS AROUND. HE DID WITH THE HELP OF STEALING ALL OF THE HI ROLLERS AND CREDIT INFORMATION FROM HIS OLD BOSSES AT THE FLAMINGO ... SOON THE RIVIERA BECAME THE #1 SPOT IN LAS VEGAS AND GUS AND HIS LOVELY WIFE WERE LATER KILLED BY GUESS WHO? CUBA WAS BOOMING AND MEYER LANSKEY WANTED ANOTHER RIVIERA HOTEL IN CUBA ... IN JUST 6 SHORT MONTHS FROM GROUND BREAKING HE OPENED THE HAVANA RIVIERA HOTEL WITH 362 BEAUTIFUL ROOMS AND A VIEW OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. AT FIRST HE USED THE EXACT SAME RIVIERA LOGS ON EVERYTHING ... I HAVE MATCHES IDENTICAL EXCEPT FOR THE CITY NAMES ON THEM. THEN CAME CASTRO AND HIS REVOLUTION HE NATIONALIZED ALL CASINOS IN 1960 AND THAT WAS THE END OF CUBAN GAMBLING AND THE MOB. THEY ALL RAN BACK TO LAS VEGAS, PUERTO RICO, AND THE BAHAMAS FOR OTHER INVESTMENTS. THANK GOODNESS CUBA FELL OR LAS VEGAS WOULD LOOK LIKE RENO TODAY! HERE ARE SOME OLD PICTURES OF THE HAVANA RIVIERA .... ENJOY ...RICH