Published on: October 24, 2025, 02:12h.
Updated on: October 24, 2025, 02:15h.
- Upon its inauguration, eight fountain sculptures welcomed visitors to the original MGM
- The sculptures were present on November 21, 1980 — the date of the most tragic hotel fire in Las Vegas
- During renovations in the late ’80s or early ’90s, the old MGM’s Grand Fountain was removed
- Currently, the establishment is known as the Horseshoe Casino
Designed to welcome visitors entering the iconic MGM Grand, which was the largest hotel globally at the time, these sculptures also bore witness to one of Las Vegas’s most tragic events.
Over four decades after the catastrophic MGM Grand fire on November 21, 1980, three of the original eight fountain sculptures greeted Las Vegas antique dealer Jeff Young while he visited a backyard. These pieces belonged to William Hunter, a former engineering director for Bally’s — the name under which the original MGM Grand operated from 1986 to 2022.
Hunter passed away in September 2024, and a real estate associate of Young’s was managing the sale of his house and belongings, on behalf of Hunter’s only daughter.
“It felt like stepping into a time capsule,” Young shared with Casino.org. “Walking through it was incredible. There were rolls of MGM carpet from the ’70s in his workshop, along with planters featuring palm trees and slot machines.”
“His entire home resembled a casino.”
The statues were placed on pedestals around Hunter’s pool area. His daughter understood their value, so they were not inexpensive. An inscription at the base of the cherub reads “Fuse Marinelli Firenzi,” which translates from Italian to “cast by Marinelli in Florence.”
These pieces are bronzes from the Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry in Italy, renowned for its classic bronze casting methods that date back to the Renaissance.
“I spent a significant amount on them,” Young mentioned.
Exceptional Photography
Dee Ennis, a freelance photographer, captured the primary image featuring the statues. At 35 years old, Ennis had just finished a refrigeration technician shift at Las Vegas City Hall when he heard about the fire on his car’s AM radio.
Since the camera he had used for a wedding the day before was still in his vehicle, Ennis opted to head directly to the MGM Grand instead of returning home. He parked several blocks away and, despite many onlookers being turned away, gained access because he was acquainted with several first responders from city hall.
“I was friends with the sheriff,” Ennis recalled. “Additionally, wearing my city employee uniform helped me gain entry as part of the emergency response.”
As he circled the area, Ennis took numerous photographs. A Vietnam veteran, he instinctively reacted to human tragedy, a response trained during his time in the Air Force. Yet, emotions sometimes overwhelmed him.
“The sight of flames beneath the portico and the charred vehicle in the valet area was surreal,” he expressed. “Also, the courage shown by the helicopter pilots landing on the MGM roof amid smoke and chaos was nothing short of heroic.”
This devastating event resulted in the loss of 87 lives, making it the deadliest hotel fire since the Winecoff Hotel fire in downtown Atlanta, which resulted in 119 fatalities on December 7, 1946. Those helicopter pilots from Nellis Air Force Base rescued over 1,000 hotel guests from the roof. The death toll could have far exceeded that of the Winecoff incident had they not acted swiftly.
Out of the 87 victims, 64 lost their lives on floors 19-24 of the hotel, many in their rooms due to inhalation of thick black smoke and carbon monoxide that infiltrated through air-conditioning ducts, creating a hazardous environment. Many victims were likely unaware of the unfolding crisis as they remained asleep.
Repercussions
The former MGM Grand reopened quietly on July 29, 1981. Four years later, it transitioned to Bally Manufacturing and was rebranded as Bally’s Las Vegas in 1986. After several ownership shifts, Caesars Entertainment acquired the property in 1998, transforming Bally’s into Horseshoe Las Vegas in December 2022, aligning it with one of its historic gaming names.
In the late ’80s or early ’90s, the Grand Fountain of the original MGM was taken down during renovations. Hunter retained three of its statues from his workplace.
To facilitate their transfer to their new location, Jeff Young enlisted four of his employees to help lift them into his truck. (The mermaids weighed approximately 400 pounds each, while the cherub weighed around 300 pounds.)
Alongside the statues, Young acquired two Bally’s-branded slot machines, two brass MGM lion’s head door pulls, numerous room number signs, and additional memorabilia.
Young has yet to determine the future of the statues, although he recently received interest from the Neon Museum.
“That would be fantastic,” he commented. “Ultimately, I seek a suitable home for them, preferably in Las Vegas, where they will be valued.”