The Lives of the Showgirls: True Stories from Mob-Era Las Vegas

Video Overview & Insights

For more than 50 years, the showgirl was an iconic symbol of Las Vegas. Extravagant stage productions featuring showgirls arrived on the Strip in the late 1950s, overshadowing the underworld figures who built and secretly operated the city’s casinos.

With their revealing, rhinestone-studded costumes, showgirls represented the glamour and energy of Las Vegas. As the culture—and Las Vegas—changed, the showgirl era came to an end.

Three former showgirls returned to the stage on May 21, 2026—this time at The Mob Museum—to look back on their careers and their lives in a bygone Las Vegas.

This program is presented by The Mob Museum and includes views and opinions of independent panelists and/or interviewees that do not necessarily reflect or represent the stance of The Mob Museum. Factual statements made by panelists/interviewees have also not been vetted by the Museum, and the Museum does not assert that such statements are truthful. All statements should be understood as the individual’s perspective rather than a view expressed by The Mob Museum.

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