LAS VEGAS - After sitting at the corner of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard for 58 years, the famed Sahara hotel and casino shut down with little fanfare Monday.
"They didn't do anything. No announcement, no nothing," said worker Brenda Bishop. "They just put locks on the doors and had everybody escorted out to their car, which was kind of sad."
Before employees left the parking lot for the last time, crews were already erecting a fence and "No Trespassing" signs. The people who loved working at the Sahara, however, are taking their memories with them.
"One day, I'm going to write down every movie star that walked through this place," said a worker named Belinda. "We had celebrities and famous people come here to eat."
"The heart stopped beating when the Sahara closed," she added.
Lena Williams started working at the Sahara in 1968. Forty two years later, she considers the Sahara's closing her retirement.
"Thank god it did it right on time," she said. "It could have been worse. It could have been closed earlier. But, it kept food on my table and helped me with the kids, so I'm thankful. I'm sorry. I'm sad it's closed though. I'm sorry."
The Sahara switched ownership several times during its run. Its current owners closed the casino because of a weak economy. Even through its financial struggles, the Sahara's customers stayed loyal and so did its workers.
"It was a great property to work for," Belinda said. "They were very good to us. I interviewed at Bellagio. I could have been hired there and got a supervisor job, but it was more important to me to enjoy being happy where I was than to make more money. So, that's why I stayed here for so long."
"When I first came here, they first welcomed me with open arms unlike most casinos. You're just a number," Bishop said. "Here, it's like, ‘You know what? Hey, welcome, we're glad that you're aboard.' Most casinos, they don't have that no more."
"It's just sad. I'm going to miss all of my co-workers you know. We were like a family," Williams said.
The workers who spoke with 8 News NOW say they've already found other jobs. They also say they don't want to see the building demolished.
