Farewell To Las Vegas Strip's Iconic Riviera Casino Set For Final Implosion
LAS VEGAS (CBS/AP) -- The last tower of the iconic Riviera Hotel and Casino is about to be reduced to rubble during an overnight implosion on the Las Vegas Strip.
The planned 2 a.m. Tuesday demolition of the Monte Carlo wing comes two months after the taller Monaco tower was leveled the same way.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority now owns the property, on which it plans a Las Vegas Convention Center expansion.
Opened in 1955, The Riviera was the first high-rise on the Strip.
The 2,075-room property closed in May 2015 after 60 years hosting headliners from Liberace to Dean Martin.
It was a backdrop for movies including the Rat Pack original "Ocean's Eleven" in 1960; the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever;" Martin Scorsese's "Casino" in 1995; and the Hangover in 2009.
It's also a setting for scenes in the latest "Jason Bourne" film.
WATCH: Original Ocean's Eleven Trailer
TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
