The once-legendary Sunset Strip nightclubs of the 1930s and 40s started to lose their power once Las Vegas got going in the late 1940s. In order to draw patrons all the way across the desert, the casino owners (read: the mob) paid stars huge sums to appear at their resorts. Still, when you see this aerial photo of the Las Vegas strip from the 1950s, it’s hard to imagine how they pulled it off. Compared to how it looks now, the strip looks pretty sparse and meager if you ask me. Ah, the power of the opportunity to gamble legally…