FORMER ‘RAT PACK’ PLAYGROUND, THE SAHARA, CHANGES OWNERS

Reported in several new outlets, including International Herald Tribune, Golden Gaming Corp , owner of the Sahara Hotel and Casino, former hangout of the famous 1960s “Rat Pack” and the setting of the original “Ocean’s Eleven” film, have agreed to sell the aging property to an investor group, including Los Angeles-based SBE Entertainment Group LLC and San Mateo, California-based Stockbridge Real Estate Funds.

The hotel was opened in 1952 by Milton Prell just outside of the City of Las Vegas, and was the sixth resort to open on the Strip.

In late 1954, the hotel hired jazz musician Louis Prima to be their late night lounge act, one of the earliest ones on the Las Vegas Strip. Along with his then wife Keely Smith and sax player Sam Butera, they created one of the hottest latenight attractions on the Strip.

In 1961, the hotel was purchased by Del Webb, who added a 24-story tower in 1963.

The resort was the site of the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for many years, mostly in the 1970s, and for a brief time in the 1990s.

Bill Bennett bought the property in 1995 and owned the hotel until his death on December 22, 2002. The property had since been owned by the Bill Bennett Family Trust.