Viva Las Vegas, baby

But the entertainment landscape began to change significantly in 1966 when Howard Hughes came to town, signaling the transition from mob influence to corporate ownership. He bought some of the nefarious old timers, who were feeling pressure from the federal government to get out anyway. Hughes bought the Desert Inn (where he lived in a ninth-floor penthouse as a recluse), the Sands, the Castaways, the Silver Slipper and the Frontier.

Also in 1966 came the first themed hotel-resort on the strip, Caesars Palace. Stars like Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones and Don Rickles still ruled, but the influx of corporate ownership gradually opened the door to new thinking in entertainment.

The themed hotel-casinos took off in earnest in 1989, when Steve Wynn opened the Mirage. That was soon followed by places like Treasure Island, New York, New York, Mandalay Bay, the Luxor and the Venetian. They brought with them a corporate philosophy that bigger is better.

Thus shows like Siegfried & Roy, illusionists who work with large animals in a lavish spectacle inside the Mirage, began to epitomize the modern-day Vegas show. Other extravaganzas like the various incarnations of Cirque du Soleil and oversized, splashy productions by singers Elton John and Celine Dion at Caesars — her stage show was designed by Franco Dragone, formerly of Cirque du Soleil — are symbolic of the changing times.

Of course, there are still touches of the old days. Throwbacks like comedians Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld and singers Wayne Newton and Tony Bennett still hold court in less elaborate surroundings. But for many hotels, the bar has been set, expectations have been raised, and patrons are eager to be satisfied with ever more inventive and eye-popping displays.

The entertainment scene is so different that if Michael Corleone visited Vegas today, he wouldn’t know whom to strong-arm.

Michael Ventre lives in Los Angeles and is a regular contributor to MSNBC.com.

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