The Man Who Brought Kids to Vegas
Despite his numerous infidelities, Jay Sarno considered himself a family man. And he was, with four children who today still speak highly of him. He was a big man with a big lifestyle, big dreams, and the juice to make it all happen. Funded by a Teamsters loan from his old pal Jimmy Hoffa, Sarno founded Caesars Palace in 1965, which arguably was the first themed resort in Las Vegas. Its three-day opening in 1966 cost him a cool $1M, spread across 2 tons of filet mignon, a mountain of caviar, and 50,000 glasses of champagne. Sarno was the toast of the town, until he was not. By 1969 a federal investigation into organized crime was turning up the heat, and he was forced to sell Caesars to the Perlman brothers, who at the time were secretly backed by Meyer Lanksy. Ownership of Caesars simply passed from one Mob entity to another.
But Sarno saw it coming and had already been working on his next move. A new resort, a new theme, something that no-one in their right mind would have ever dreamt of. A vacant lot across the street from the Riviera was where it would be built, just two miles up the Strip from his old joint. With his solid roster of connections, Sarno got the Nevada Gaming Commission to quickly sign off on his plans, and construction started at a breakneck pace. There was no time to build a hotel at first, only a casino. The blueprints featured the same fountains as before, lined with the same Italian cypress trees, but the elegant Greco-Roman theme from Caesars had now been replaced by…. a circus tent.
At the opening night in October of 1968, locals balked at the $2 admission fee. But once inside, that was quickly forgotten. Circus Circus blew everyone’s minds. There was a trained elephant that tossed dice at the craps table. A live bear at the blackjack table. And literally on top of it all, trapeze artists flying back and forth.
Half circus, half freak show, half casino - nothing added up. The elephant was constantly dropping dung and the bear was scaring people - eventually replaced by an ape man who did no better. Sarno had originally proposed that all of the female employees be topless, but the Gaming Commission unanimously nixed that idea, mindful of the other distractions that the guests had to endure. Two of those guests were Hunter S. Thompson and his attorney friend, Oscar “Dr. Gonzo” Acosta. High on mescaline, Circus Circus proved to be a bridge too far, even for them.
A very heavy gig in a place like the Circus-Circus. “I hate to say this,” said my attorney as we sat down at the Merry-Go-Round Bar on the second balcony, “but this place is getting to me. I think I’m getting the Fear.”
The second floor was where children were allowed to roam. Adults who wished to gamble at the table games below could descend to the main floor by way of either a staircase, a winding slide, or a fireman’s pole. Sarno’s panicked insurance rep tried to put a stop to that last one.
The Midway on this mezzanine featured carny games such as a baseball toss, where if you hit a target 30ft away, a topless woman that was reclining on a fur-covered bed would get up and perform a dance. It took less than a week before the Gaming Commission insisted on a curtain to protect young eyes. Left alone was the nearby 25¢ peep show.
The lack of a hotel was hurting Circus Circus, so Sarno went back with hat in hand to the Teamsters fund in 1971. With Hoffa now in prison, Kansas City’s mob boss Nick Civella wrote the check this time, but on the condition that a suitcase of skim money be delivered to him each week. Oh, and a favor, too: that Tony “The Ant” Spilotro be allowed to open a gift shop next to the Midway.
Tony was notorious for his involvement at the nearby Stardust (as portrayed by Joe Pesci in Casino), and was running a burglary racket with his Hole in the Wall Gang. His new gift shop would be the perfect outlet for stolen jewelry. But Spilotro was most definitely on the Gaming Commission’s radar, and they threatened to revoke Sarno’s license unless he gave Tony the boot, which he did, after shelling out $700,000 to him for the ignominy of revoking his lease.
Things were peaceful for awhile, with Sarno enjoying his two-story “home away from home” in the new hotel’s penthouse, and a slew of raunchy shows for him to enjoy downstairs in the Hippodrome theater. The hand-picked cast performed Nudes in the Night, and then, in 1972, Hot Pants Sexplosion. Sarno’s long-suffering wife divorced him the following year.
Trouble came calling again in 1973 when Sarno was accused of bribing an IRS official. With the Gaming Commission on his heels, he leased the property to William Bennett, an experienced executive credited with turning around The Mint. After seeing the Hippodrome theatre, Bennett famously said “That’s a buffet by Monday”. The showroom did close soon after, but was sealed off instead of being repurposed. According to a viral thread on Reddit, it still exists intact today, dusty and dark after 50 years, laden with asbestos.
Bennett and his partner Pennington turned Circus Circus into a very successful operation, adding a second tower in 1975 and an RV park in 1979, all while keeping the family-friendly theme, albeit now a much more sedate one. Profit was their main objective. By the early 80’s, the fountains were paved over and the aging statuary by artist Montyne that had previously graced them were taken to a landfill.
Jay Sarno was allowed to keep his penthouse aerie until 1983, when Bennett and Pennington finally bought him out for $72M. It’s rumored that the sight of him cruising the casino floor in a bathrobe and slippers hastened the deal. Sarno died of a heart attack at Caesars in 1984 after a rough session at the craps table.
And today? Circus Circus is still a family destination that skews towards bargain seekers, with room rates below $50, sometimes well below. Nonagenarian Phil Ruffin bought the property in 2019 for $825M and claims that he has a buyer lined up for $5B sometime this year, pointing to the value of its 102 acre parcel on the revitalized North Strip. It’s quite a departure from Sarno’s initial $15M startup investment, and while Ruffin may enjoy his reputation as a shrewd dealmaker, it’s safe to say that Sarno had more fun.
I don’t know that I’ve ever stepped foot in the Vegas Circus Circus. I do sometimes stay at the Fontainebleau, but the Four Queens/Plaza/Ellis Island are my preferred lane of Vegas déclassé.
That clown facade/neon sign is terrifying, even as an adult.
Another interesting article! Someone loves Vegas trivia ✌🏼I particularly appreciated the fear instilled in Hunter S. Thompson and his attorney friend, Oscar “Dr. Gonzo” Acosta. High on mescaline, Circus Circus proved to be a bridge too far, even for them.“ This left me with a great image, good stuff!