Aladdin, Part 2

Last time, we talked about the origins of the Aladdin Hotel under the leadership of Milton Prell. After he sold it, the trouble started. The next owner, Albert Parvin, had ties to Meyer Lansky. He sold it to a group of investors from St. Louis and Detroit. They made some big moves: a nineteen-story tower and construction of the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Acts. Neil Diamond opened the 7,500-seat theater with a concert in July 1976. Over the next two decades, it would host a variety of shows, and be the site of such community events as high school graduations.