Mullen, originally appeared in the Reno Gazette-Journal on Jan. 30, 2000, the date of the Mapes Hotel-Casino's implosion. Since its publication, Nevada lost three of its great keepers of local ...

From his childhood and college days to his last visit before it was torn down, Rick Casazza remembers his time at Reno’s Mapes Hotel.

Located along Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada, this gargantuan resort is truly stacked, featuring a fully loaded casino, a childrens arcade and a full-service spa and salon, to name a few.

Thursday marks 25 years since the downtown skyline changed forever when the iconic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded, a significant event in the city's history.

Like a rich, colorful tapestry, the Mapes Hotel was tightly woven in Rick Casazza’s memories as a kid growing up in the Biggest Little City. With Reno roots dating back to the late 1870s when ...