Notorious Las Vegas mob bombing site sold for $5M after decades of decay
A Las Vegas shopping centre tied to a notorious 1982 mob bombing has been sold for nearly $5 million. The Sixth & Sahara Center, where Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal survived an assassination attempt, closed its sale on December 31, 2021. The new owner now plans a full renovation of the ageing property. The site's history stretches from a mid-century retail hub to a key location in the city's organised crime past. Today, it stands as a faded mini mall, housing a sex-toys shop and a long-shuttered Marie Callender's restaurant. The Sixth & Sahara Center first gained fame as the spot where Rosenthal, a former illegal bookie and sports fixer, narrowly escaped death. On October 21, 1982, a car bomb exploded as he sat in his Cadillac outside the mall. His survival came down to a mix of luck and preparation: the driver's door was open, a steel plate under his seat deflected the blast, and bystanders rushed to pull him free. Investigators suspected the Chicago Outfit, but no one was ever charged. Rosenthal had deep ties to Las Vegas casinos. From 1974 to 1979, he managed operations at multiple Strip properties, enabling the mob to skim millions in untaxed cash. By 1982, though, he had left the casino world and worked as a sports-betting consultant. His influence lingered—he had launched the first modern race and sportsbook in a Strip casino back in 1975. He died of a heart attack in 2008 at 79. The centre itself has undergone dramatic changes over the decades. Originally a modest shopping plaza, the surrounding area transformed into the Sahara Hotel & Casino in 1952. That property closed in 2011, reopened as SLS Las Vegas in 2014, and now operates as The Sahara Las Vegas, complete with high-rise towers, upscale dining, and entertainment spaces. Meanwhile, the old Sixth & Sahara Center remained stuck in time—until now. The new owner, Roi Zalach, purchased the property for $4.95 million. Zalach, who previously sold his Gold & Beyond pawn shop to FirstCash Holdings in 2021, has not yet detailed specific plans. But the mall's current tenants—a single adult store and the empty Marie Callender's—suggest a major overhaul is coming. Nearby, the Sahara's latest additions, like the under-construction Maroon restaurant, signal the area's shift toward luxury hospitality and Afro-Caribbean cuisine. The sale marks the end of an era for a site once linked to Las Vegas's mob-heavy past. The Sixth & Sahara Center will now undergo renovations under Zalach's ownership. Its future remains unclear, but the property's location near a revitalised Sahara resort hints at further development in the years ahead.
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