Letter: A plea to county commissioners not to OK Siegel-named resort

As I read on I couldn't believe what I was reading -- a new Las Vegas hotel-casino is going to be named in honor of Bugsy Siegel, the founder of the Flamingo hotel-casino and who some believe also founded Las Vegas.

It always tees me off when this bum is referred to as one of the founders of Las Vegas. This was a damn nice little town before Siegel had ever heard of it. This town was founded by people such as Ed Von Tobel, Bill Beckley, Jim Cashman, A.C. Grant, Harry Anderson, C.C. Underhill, Harry Austin, Pop Squires, Cal Zyles, Kell Housels, Otto Westlake, the Fong brothers, C.V.T Gilbert and Guy McAfee, just to name a few. Most of your readers probably never heard of these people, but I am proud to say that I knew them all.

Why are they trying to make a hero out of this two-bit hoodlum? All he ever did for Las Vegas was bring in a lot of undesirable people and enhance the "Sin City" image. Today this bum couldn't even get a liquor license. "In honor of?" C'mon.

I would hope that our honorable county commissioners will not approve the hotel under this name.

Allen Tooley

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