Mob Attraction Las Vegas

The Mob Attraction at the Tropicana is part museum, part interactive entertainment experience. The attraction tells the history of the mob through the help of live character actors, videos, artifacts, holograms and other technology.

Visitors become a part of the story as they enter the attraction and are handed immigration papers in a room resembling Ellis Island. After posing for some souvenir photographs, you are led into a room where you watch a short video about Prohibition and begin a walk through the simulated streets of New York City. A hologram of actor James Caan pops up and instructs you to walk down a dark alley and knock on the door.

After entering the door, you're handed an envelope and told to take it to "Big Tony" in the café, which you'll find after exiting through a secret door. "Big Tony" is one of several actors throughout the attraction who interact with guests and serve as guides through the exhibits.

One of the next stops is a room depicting the vacant lot where the Flamingo hotel is to be built by Bugsy Siegel. This room also houses Siegel's 1933 Packard 12 limousine.

As you move through the exhibit you'll see a video with some history about the Tropicana hotel, a counting room where you'll learn about skimming and a security room where you'll see what it's like to be "the eye in the sky." After spotting some cheaters, you'll get to decide their fate.

The highlight of the Mob Attraction is the Gangster Gallery, individual rooms filled with artifacts from specific mobsters gathered from private collections and the families of the men.

The gallery has some of the only video footage in existence of Siegel from his daughter Millicent's home movies, a re-creation of the living room of his California home, handwritten letters and the flamingo statues that were given to guests on the opening night of the Flamingo hotel.

The biggest collection of artifacts is from Meyer Lansky with personal photos, love letters to his wife, clothing, his desk and touch screen journals that you can browse through. One of the most interesting pieces is the Medal of Freedom, which he received from President Harry Truman for his role in Operation Underworld, in which the U.S. government recruited criminals to watch out for German infiltrators along the docks in New York Harbor.

Other rooms feature artifacts like a slot machine that Sam Giancana had in his office; items that Tony Spilotro stole during home invasions and gave to his son; and the keys from the car Frank Rosenthal was in that exploded in an attempt on his life.

There is also a display dedicated to the mob's portrayal in Hollywood, featuring an autographed script from the movie "Casino" and a 45-minute documentary on the making of "The Godfather."

All of the talk of Prohibition during your trip through the experience might have made you thirsty and the Mob Attraction has a bar you can stop in for a cocktail before you leave.

As you exit, you'll find yourself in the Final Fate room, where, based on the decisions you made with the actors earlier in the exhibit, you'll find out whether you get wacked or if you get made into a member of "the family."

-- Review by Kristine McKenzie