LAS VEGAS (AP) — The tallest tower of the Riviera Hotel and Casino has crumbled in a controlled demolition that brought an end to one of the last relics of Las Vegas' mobster past.
The implosion early Tuesday of the 24-story Monaco Tower comes 61 years after it opened on the Las Vegas Strip.
"The Riv" joins other storied properties like the Dunes, Sands, Desert Inn and Stardust as only a memory.
It opened in 1955, and closed last year.
Liberace was the first headliner. Dean Martin was once part-owner.
It was a backdrop for the Rat Pack original "Ocean's 11" in 1960; the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever;" and the 1995 movie "Casino."
It was also featured in "The Hangover" in 2009.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is clearing the 26 acres to make room to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Monte Carlo Tower is scheduled to be imploded in August.
