The Puritans arrived early. The Pilgrims landed at the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 and the Puritans soon followed. Their conservative religious beliefs have influenced the American nation to the present day. Belief do not always account for behavior. The Bible Belt reflects the Puritan message to the present day. But you have to wonder-- who won the way Puritanism or hedonism?
What is Puritanism? Puritanism suggests “against pleasure” and Puritans are not associated with having fun. That’s where the mobsters who built Las Vegas come in. The Italian Mafia understood the sensual side of human beings—sex, eating, drinking, gambling and “being naughty” are part of the human psyche.
Religious beliefs do not erase the pleasures of the flesh. The Puritans and Mafia may have agreed on man’s sinful nature. Each group took a different approach to the sins of the flesh. The Protestants said “don’t do it outside of marriage.” The Vegas Mob eventually said “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
The Vegas Mob realized even the holiest among us entertain erotic thoughts. Our human senses seek expression. They filled that need—starting 400 years after the Puritans arrived on Plymouth Rock. Hoover Dam, legalized gambling and the arrival of the Mafia dons started Las Vegas on its path and eventual reputation as Sin City.
Though no expert—give the Mafia credit. They knew the showgirls had appeal but came up with a few great marketing strategies.
1) Offering free drinks to gamblers is absolute genius. Nobody else gave out free alcohol. The Vegas crime bosses figured that alcohol lowers social inhibition. Vegas is all about lowering inhibition. Drunk and stoned people spent more time at the gambling tables.
2) Offering good food at bargain basement prices produces similar results. Vegas always had a reputation for inexpensive food. Now it’s know for excellent food. Taste is another human sensory pleasure and you eat well in Vegas.
3) Making you feel important. Spend money in Vegas and they treat you nicely with comped rooms. The American tendency has always been to be modest and unassuming. In Vegas they said “Hell no to modesty.” They recognized customers, acknowledged them and brought them back for more.
4) Turn the gaming rooms into comfortable air-conditions dens of iniquity. The flashing lights, clanging slot machines, scantily clad waitresses bringing free drinks and the lure of easy money all worked like a charm.
5) Remove all clocks and turn the gambling area into a labyrinth. No clocks visible and you reduce the uptightness about time of day. Difficult to escape hallways and corridors all lead customers back to the fun rather than back to the rooms.
6) Legalized prostitution. That’s pretty self-explanatory. Now that many states have legal gambling—Vegas has been forced into an entertainment center. Prostitution is an entertainment draw—along with comedians, magicians, lion tamers and Rat Pack revival groups.
The Bible Belt probably extends as far west as Texas, but not all the way to Nevada. However, religious devotion is a big part of American life from coast to coast.
Got to give the Vegas Mob credit—for understanding hedonism as well as the most devout churchgoer. The Mob turned just went a different route and turned sin into a profit center.
Got to give the Vegas Mob credit—for understanding hedonism as well as the most devout churchgoer. The Mob turned just went a different route and turned sin into a profit center.
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