Riviera Las Vegas
The Riviera, or "The Riv," is located on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel has over 2,100 rooms, many located in a 23 story tower. The hotel is owned and operated by Riviera Holdings Corporation.
The Riviera opened on April 20, 1955 as the first high-rise and the ninth resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riv is one of the oldest and most famous casino resorts in Las Vegas. The Riviera also broke new ground in its design: previously, Strip resorts resembled roadside motor courts.
The Riviera was built by a group of investors from Miami. The resort has gone through many ownership changes over the years, including a period of control by owners linked to the Mafia, as was the case for many Vegas resorts in the 1960s and 1970s. Harpo Marx and Gummo Marx held minority interests at the opening, and Dean Martin once held a minority ownership stake while he was a headliner in the showroom.
Liberace was the featured headliner at the resort's opening and for many years afterward. One of his custom limos is featured in an exhibit in the casino.
The resort has three long-running shows: An Evening at La Cage, featuring female impersonators which include Frank Marino and his impersonation of Joan Rivers; Splash, a traditional Las Vegas revue; and Crazy Girls, a topless show.
The performers for Crazy Girls are immortalized with a
bronze sculpture at the front of the casino. The thong-clad buttocks
of the performers have been worn to a shine by passers-by rubbing them.
