Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/Las Venturas



Las Venturas is a fictional city and county featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, located in the state of San Andreas. It is based on Las Vegas, Nevada, and like its real-life counterpart, Las Venturas is a casino-laden city located in a desert region. The gambling activity that occurs within the city is referenced in the city's name, as Las Venturas is Spanish for "the fortunes". A replica of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign stands at one edge of Las Venturas.

The city is also notable for its freeway system. The Julius Thru-Way is a freeway that circles the whole city, which is based on the real-life I-215 beltway. Freeways from both Los Santos and San Fierro intersect with it. Another freeway is the Harry Gold Parkway, which runs through the middle of the city and intersects twice with the Julius Thru-Way and then leads to Los Santos (though it is not officially the Harry Gold Parkway once it leaves the city limits). The Harry Gold Parkway is based on the real-life I-15.

Storyline


After completing dangerous missions in the deserts of San Andreas for Mike Toreno in exchange for his brother Sweet's freedom, Carl "CJ" Johnson discovers that Toreno has vanished, not fulfilling his end of the bargain. However, after helping out aging hippie The Truth steal secret items from the government, Carl gets a phone call from the blind Triad leader Wu Zi Mu, whom Carl worked with in San Fierro. "Woozie" has opened a casino called "The Four Dragons Casino" in Las Venturas, and he offers Carl part ownership in exchange for defending it, since Las Venturas is a Mafia-controlled town.

After stopping the sabotage efforts of the Forelli and Sindacco families, who have part ownership of Caligula's Palace Casino with the Leone family, Carl and Woozie plan to strike back by pulling off an Ocean's Eleven-esque heist on Caligula's. Carl eventually meets Kent Paul (from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City), and Maccer, a member of the Gurning Chimps (the band that Paul manages). Luckily for Carl, Paul knows Ken Rosenberg (also of Vice City fame), who is currently the manager of Caligula's.

After helping Rosenberg out with his problems, Salvatore Leone himself arrives from Liberty City to take total control of Caligula's. Carl capitalizes on his relationship with Rosenberg to earn Salvatore's trust, and after performing numerous hits for him, is ready to begin the heist. When the heist team successfully robs Caligula's, Salvatore swears revenge against Carl.

Soon after this, CJ saves the life of disgraced rapper Madd Dogg and becomes his new manager. However, Madd Dogg wants to return to Los Santos to reclaim his mansion from a powerful drug dealer. The story then leaves Las Venturas.

Casinos


The main casinos include (Real-life counterparts in Las Vegas):
 * Four Dragons (Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino)
 * The Pink Swan (Flamingo Las Vegas)
 * The High Roller (Bally's Las Vegas)
 * Pirates In Men's Pants (Treasure Island Hotel and Casino)
 * The Visage (The Mirage)
 * The Emerald Isle (Fitzgeralds Las Vegas)
 * The Starfish Casino (Bill's Gamblin' Hall and Saloon)
 * The Clown's Pocket (Circus Circus Las Vegas)
 * Caligula's Palace (Caesars Palace)
 * Royale Casino (Casino Royale Las Vegas)
 * The Camel's Toe (Luxor Hotel)
 * Come-A-Lot (Excalibur Hotel and Casino)
 * The V-Rock Hotel (Hard Rock Hotel and Casino)

Old Las Venturas is north of the Strip. The casinos in Old Las Venturas have no names, but are modeled after the largest casinos in downtown Las Vegas:


 * (Binion's Horseshoe)
 * (Fremont Hotel and Casino)
 * (The Four Queens Hotel and Casino)

Curiously, some noteworthy Las Vegas casinos which existed in 1992 (when the game takes place) do not appear in Las Venturas. The Dunes Hotel stood till 1993 and the Sands Hotel was demolished in 1996. Conversely, the Luxor Hotel and Treasure Island Hotel and Casino did not open until 1993.

Behind the Clown's Pocket Casino, a large pink dome is under construction. The pink Adventuredome behind the Circus Circus Casino in Las Vegas was also under construction in 1992.

Landmarks
Besides casinos, there is a representation of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, along with the Las Venturas Banditos baseball stadium.

Locations

 * The Brown Streak Railroad, which serves the whole state of San Andreas, has three stations in Las Venturas, all on the edge of the city. The three stations are as follows:
 * Linden Station: Located off the northernmost exit of the Julius Thruway East in the Linden-Side District.
 * Sobell Rail Yard: Mostly used for Brown Streak workers, but passengers can use the stop via their own judgement.
 * Yellow Bell Station: Serves the residents of Prickle Pine.
 * Airport — The only airport in Las Venturas is Las Venturas Airport, with regular flights to both Los Santos and San Fierro. The airport is located to the west of the city, in between the Julius Thruway and the Harry Gold Parkway, with exits from both freeways.
 * Binco — Located off the Strip and Redsands West.
 * Zip — Located off the Strip and Pilgrim.
 * Sub Urban — Located in the Creek Mall.
 * Victim — Located in Creek.
 * 24/7 — There are seven located throughout Las Venturas.
 * Burger-Shot — There are five Burger-Shots (at Spiny Bed, Whitewood Estates, Redsands East, and two on the Old Venturas Strip) in the city.
 * Cluckin' Bell — There are four in the city (at the Strip, Creek Mall, and two on the Old Venturas Strip)
 * Well-Stacked Pizza — There are four: at Roca Escalante, Creek Mall, Pilgrim, and Redsands East. Interestingly enough, there are also two Well-Stacked Pizza Co. buildings prominently displayed in the Old Strip, even though access to them is denied.
 * Ammu-Nation firearms store — There are two in the city, one next to the south end of the Strip and one near the Old Venturas Strip, just off the Julius Thru-Way.
 * Below-the-Belt — The city's main gym is located in Redsands East, near the Emerald Isle and off the Strip.
 * Gay Gordo's Barber Shop — the city's only personal grooming shops are both located in Redsands East, right next to one another. There was also a Gay Gordo's located on Washington Beach in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
 * Bomb Shop — Located toward the north of the city in a building marked Welding & Weddings: Because they sound similar, this shop allows players to simply drive in to have their car armed with explosives.
 * Hospital — The only hospital in the city, the Las Venturas Medical Center is located in Redsands West, just north of the airport and off the Harry Gold Parkway.
 * There is only one police station in the city, the LVPD station, which is located in Roca Escalante (which translates to "Escalante Rock".) This is the most expansive police station in the game, containing two cell blocks and a three-level underground parking garage.

Trivia

 * Harry Gold Parkway, the Julius Thruway, and Greenglass College are all references to participants in the 1950s trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: Julius Rosenberg, Harry Gold, and David Greenglass.