Question of the Day - 18 November 2024

To answer your questions we went straight to Phil Grucci, CEO of Virginia-based Pyrotechnics by Grucci and mastermind of the Tropicana Las Vegas display. We hope you enjoy his answers.

Who paid for the Tropicana-implosion fireworks?

Bally’s paid for the fireworks display, as well as all the other multimedia elements of the program, all of which we produced — the fireworks, the drones. We didn't facilitate the implosion. That came through 3G Demolition and went to Controlled Demolition, which is out of Maryland.

How many and what kind of pyrotechnics did you deploy?

We fired everything from aerial shells that were displaced from three different locations, triangulating on the property. We had some close-proximity items that were on the roofs of the two towers and some specialized equipment that we knew were going to go down with the implosion. That’s one element about an implosion: The equipment that you put up on the building to deploy the fireworks, you know you’re going to lose it, because it’s going down with the building. So it’s not equipment that we can reuse. Then we had products that were on the ground that did a figure-eight around the two towers. So there was a little bit of all the range of pyrotechnics: aerial shells, mines, strobes, what we call "comets," fountains, and ground reports.

How large of a budget were you given?

I’m not at liberty to divulge the budget. Bally’s was giving a gift, basically, to the community, celebrating something that was really historic with the felling of the two Tropicana buildings, as well as celebrating the future, with the A’s coming and what the [new] resort there is going to bring to the community. You wouldn’t want to disclose what the cost of the gift is.

How many casino implosions have you done?

I think the number is seven now, starting with the Dunes. All of them were produced alongside Controlled Demolition. We’ve got a close relationship, as we're two multi-generational families. We’re in our sixth generation and the Loazos from CDI are in their third generation. We did the Hacienda, Frontier, Stardust, Sands, and the Sands in Atlantic City as well. We’ve had some great history. That was what made the Tropicana so special; it’s the last building in that era of buildings. We’re sad to see it go, but we’re also energized and hope that we’ll be standing in that same location with a stadium and a resort wrapped around it, doing the grand opening.

Have you ever had a situation where a third party paid for the pyrotechnics?

Most of it is the developer that the implosion is being driven by, to clear the space for another development coming in. There was one where it was the demolition company that actually hired us. Ultimately, the funding came through the developer. They just chose the demolition company to manage the process.

What does the property owner get out of arranging a spectacle like that?

It was clear with the Tropicana implosion: It got the message out to the general public beyond Las Vegas. I had peers of mine, as well as customers from Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Europe, call me and say, “I saw the Tropicana.” They didn’t say, “I saw your implosion.” They said, “I saw the Tropicana implosion.” They reacted very positively.

What the owners get out of it is a good-will story, as far as the history of the Tropicana, as well as a farewell to the building for those that are in the community. By the same token, it gets the message out as to what Bally’s future is and what their vision is for that space. They accomplished it. Knowing the budget and all that, they accomplished it quite handsomely. The coverage was very positive and it was wholesome. In this day and age, stories like that, people are welcoming. It was a positive story to tell.