Las Vegas is built on dreams.

Whether it's the people who travel to the city every year dreaming of scoring a big jackpot or the investors, developers, designers and architects who dream of having their next big project come to life on the world-famous Vegas Strip.

Unfortunately, not every dream comes true.

From a resort based on a disastrous maiden voyage, to a hotel & casino built around professional wrestling, to what would have been the first ever "mega-resort", the history of Las Vegas is filled with these so-called shattered dreams.

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It's a little-known fact that just over 60 miles away from the glitz & glamour of the Las Vegas Strip, the United States Government used to test atomic weapons.

Just as the Cold War with Russia was beginning to heat up, the US Department of Energy began testing nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert. The blasts lit up the sky and the mushroom clouds could be seen for miles around - including from the rooftops of the hotels in downtown Vegas.

But how did the nuclear age find its way to Las Vegas? And what effect did it have on the city & its culture?

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The Las Vegas Strip attracts a lot of different types of people. Vacationers, gamblers, foodies, partiers...and daredevils.

And there's one specific spot on the Strip that's been particularly appealing to those who make their living defying death:

The Fountains at Caesars Palace

Since Caesars Palace opened in 1966, this usually-serene spot on an otherwise-busy Las Vegas Boulevard has played host to multiple brave - and crazy - people who've attempted to jump their motorcycles over the famed fountains.

Some have succeeded while others have failed SPECTACULARLY.

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The Las Vegas Strip has its fair share of iconic hotels & resorts, perhaps none of which are more steeped in history and folklore than The Flamingo.

Part of the Vegas landscape since the mid-1940's, it was the brainchild of a Los Angeles-based nightclub owner, restaurant owner and entertainment news editor who wanted to build one of the most luxurious hotels & casinos Las Vegas had ever seen.

But that's not what legend and pop culture would have you believe.

And, as you'll find out in this episode of Sin City Stories, sometimes the truth is WAY more interesting than fiction.

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On November 21, 1980, the Las Vegas Strip was the site of what would become the third-worst hotel fire in modern U.S. history and what to this day remains the biggest disaster in the history of the state of Nevada.

Early that morning, a small fire broke out in a restaurant on the ground floor of what was - at the time - the MGM Grand Hotel. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the casino level and sending thick black smoke & toxic fumes to the upper floors of the hotel. In the end, 85 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

But what exactly caused the fire and led to such widespread fatalities & injuries? And what changes were made to ensure that something like this could ever happen again?

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Las Vegas is a city all about gambling & taking risks...but it's not just the tourists who go there to gamble.

Tens of BILLIONS of dollars have been shelled out over the last 30 years on the construction of mega-resorts, massive hotels and giant attractions all intended to keep the Vegas economy moving forward - and of course to make a tidy profit for the investors behind the scenes.

But in Las Vegas - as in life - not every gamble pays off.

That's what the debut episode of Sin City Stories is all about. I'm taking a deep dive into some Las Vegas history and exploring the stories behind the failures of The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian/Palazzo, the SkyVue Las Vegas Super Wheel, the Harmon Hotel at City Center and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

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