City Cast Las Vegas logo
November 22, 2023

How Corporate Vegas Was Hatched on Thanksgiving 1966

City Cast Las Vegas

How Corporate Vegas Was Hatched on Thanksgiving 1966

00:00:00
View all City Cast Las Vegas episodes

On Thanksgiving in 1966, Howard Hughes arrived in Las Vegas in the dead of night on a secret train from Boston. The billionaire businessman, aviator, and movie producer was highly eccentric and at this point in his life had little to no communication with the outside world. As he secluded himself on the 9th floor of the Desert Inn hotel, he began to reshape the future of Las Vegas by buying up casinos and land. But what attracted him to Las Vegas in the first place? 


Last Thanksgiving, former co-host Vogue Robinson sat down with Geoff Schumacher, author of Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia, and Palace Intrigue, to discuss the impact Hughes had on our city, and what his reclusive life in Las Vegas looked like.


We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.


Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Las Vegas

Stay connected to City Cast Las Vegas and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
May 11

2025 Was an Awful Year for the Strip. Will 2026 Be Any Better?

Last year, the Las Vegas Strip had its worst tourism year since the pandemic, with a visitation falloff supercharged by steep declines in...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 10

'Your City Could Be Better': Philly's Bold Nightlife Experiment — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas

Las Vegans, would your city be better if the bars stayed open later? This summer, Philadelphia is anticipating a record-breaking number o...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 8

Sinking Homes in Lake Las Vegas, a Plan to Boost Summer Tourism, and the Huntridge Theater's Hail Mary

Nearly 90 homes in Lake Las Vegas are sinking — raising big questions about whether the development was a mistake and if builders are pri...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 7

What Life Is Really Like In the Tunnels Under Las Vegas

Homelessness can feel like an insurmountable problem — one so big it drowns out the people actually solving it. Brent Nowak, engagement l...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 6

Nevada's Primary is Messy: What Las Vegas Voters Need to Know

With the June 9th primary election fast approaching, host Jesse Merrick and creative producer Jacob Solis break down everything you need...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 5

How Wild West Was Las Vegas, Really?

Helldorado Days is back and with it comes the annual parade through Downtown Las Vegas celebrating the city’s Western roots. But how deep...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 4

Is Clark County's Death Penalty Just a Bluff?

Last month, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson sought death warrants for three convicted murderers – once again thrusting a spo...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
May 1

Vegas Hands Over the Monorail to Elon Musk. Plus, the Reality of Rent Prices and Red Rock Gets More Accessible

A big shakeup is coming to the Strip as plans emerge to transform the struggling Las Vegas Monorail into part of Elon Musk’s Loop system....

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
April 30

Your Guide to May 2026 in Las Vegas

Consider May in Las Vegas a kind of pre-game for summer – the pools are open, the sun is out and the heat hasn’t forced us to seek the ne...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art
April 29

How a 1970s Bingo Hall Led to a Big, Bold Tribal Casino on the Strip

That gigantic guitar rising on the Strip is the latest milestone in the growing story of tribal casinos in Las Vegas. The Hard Rock Hotel...

City Cast Las Vegas podcast episode art