VENETIAN LAUNCHED IN GRAND STYLE.Byline: Robert Macy Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Construction workers gawked and yelled their approval Monday as actress Sophia Loren Noun 1. Sophia Loren - Italian film actress (born in 1934) Loren, Sofia Scicolone christened the city's latest megaresort, a $1.5 billion replica of Venice icons. ``We love you, Sophia,'' a bearded construction worker yelled as the famous Italian star toured The Venetian with resort Chairman Sheldon Adelson Sheldon Gary Adelson (born August 1, 1933)[1] is an American billionaire businessman. He is a property developer and public company CEO based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. , trailed by some 400 members of the media. The 3,036-room resort replicates landmarks of the famous Italian city. Loren kicked off a day of opening activities by breaking a bottle of champagne across the bow of one of several gondolas in a 586,000-gallon lagoon in front of the property. The resort sits on the site of the old Sands Hotel The Sands Hotel was a legendary Las Vegas, Nevada hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. It was the seventh resort that opened on the Las Vegas Strip. It was designed by architect Wayne McAllister. , a Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. icon made famous by The Rat Pack rat pack n. Slang A closely knit group of people sharing interests. rat pack n (Brit) (inf) → journalistes mpl de la presse à sensation - Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. About 2,000 Culinary Union members picketed at the hotel Monday to protest Adelson's refusal to allow union representation. Loren was the star attraction at a media preview, as construction workers scrambled to put finishing touches on the property. Monday's opening is expected to help boost the city's tourism numbers, which have been up since the October opening of the $1.6 billion Bellagio, several blocks away. Tourism officials had expressed concern that the opening of five new resorts over a year's period could result in a glut of hotel rooms. But monthly increases in the visitor count have stemmed that concern. CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO (Color) Sheldon Adelson, developer of The Venetian hotel-casino, left, watches as Italian actress Sophia Loren christens a gondola Monday. Aaron Mayes/Associated Press |
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