Ah yes, this is a question we've received repeatedly since the Casino Legends Hall of Fame closed at the Tropicana some three years ago. Here's the scoop.
The collection, which is way more extensive than what was ever on display (more on that in a bit), is the propety of a Las Vegas old-timer named Steve Cutler. Steve moved here as a kid in 1953 and began working in the casino industry in 1972, when he also got serious about collecting casino/entertainment memorabilia. He's got more than 100,000 items, including everything from original signed contracts for Vegas headliners to Frank Sinatra's last Rolls Royce, vintage slot machines, a Louis Armstrong trumpet, oil paintings, personal letters, several Liberace costumes and gold and silver dollars from the 1800s (formerly used as casino tokens), as well as the world's largest collection of casino chips.
The collection was housed at the Tropicana for seven years, but the most valuable items were never shown, because the property didn't provide security; instances of theft from the displays meant it just wasn't worth the risk.
The relationship with the Trop came to an end when the impending sale of the property meant all contracts were canceled. The collection has been looking for a new home ever since. Steve Cutler's vision is to find a partner who will manage the exhibit and to bring it all into the 21st century with audio and visual interaction and a showroom for Hall of Famers (who include the likes of Tom Jones, Wayne Newton, Clint Holmes, and Sheena Easton) to perform in.
But corporate bureaucracy and the trend toward Las Vegas becoming a haven for the L.A. club set have so far scuppered attempts to find a venue for this priceless historical collection. We hope he manages to find a new home -- it would be a great shame if the exhibit spent the remainder of its days in storage, especially when so many people are in love with vintage Vegas.
