Mansion 54 in Las Vegas gets 6 months reprieve after violations

The new operator of Mansion 54, the site of the historic Hartland Mansion, was given a six-month test run by Las Vegas policymakers on Wednesday to manage the event venue in accord with city rules following a string of problems at the property.

John Cartoscelli, who previously held a minority stake in Mansion54, LLC and is now full owner of Mansion Fifty-Four Las Vegas, LLC, vowed to stay clear of the business violations that had for the past year plagued the event venue on Sixth Street, just east of Las Vegas Boulevard.

On Nov. 14, Mansion54 LLC surrendered temporary business licenses it had been granted less than a year earlier, in anticipation that the city would suspend those licenses “due to chronic operational issues,” according to Deputy Planning Director Mary McElhone.

City staff had been prepared to recommend permanent denial of those licenses to the City Council, she said.

Mansion 54, renamed after Hartland Mansion was sold in September 2018, has had a slew of issues since opening last December. It allowed street parking, held unauthorized public events, served alcohol without permits and and sold tickets to an illegal marijuana-themed event in September where consumption occurred on the premises, according to McElhone.

Cartoscelli stepped forward Wednesday seeking a temporary general banquet license to continue operations, saying he had no management responsibility under previous operators as he pledged to be a good city partner.

“We’re serious about complying to the rules,” he said, adding they were “reasonable” and should have been followed.

The City Council approved the temporary license but attached a long list of conditions including that noise not be audible beyond the property line, no public events or nightclub activities without a special event permit and that two security personnel be hired to ensure street parking no longer occurs.

An 1,800-square-foot cinder-block house on the property, which city officials say has become an eyesore, must also be demolished before the council reviews Cartoscelli’s license again in six months.

“This is a difficult item for me because ever since I came on board as a new council person I’ve been hearing about Mansion 54 and not in a good way,” Councilwoman Olivia Diaz said of the property in her district. “There have been some bright spots but most of the information that I have been receiving has not been flattering.”

Still, she said she also weighed what might happen if the mansion were to be vacant when deciding whether to give Cartoscelli an opportunity.

Mansion 54 advertises its space for weddings, anniversaries, business events, private parties and receptions. It changed hands on Sept. 10, 2018, from Garry Hart to Epic Venues LLC, which was listed Wednesday as the owner in state business records.

The site’s history in Las Vegas runs deep: Scenes for the movie “Casino” were filmed there and it has attracted stars such as Ginger Rogers, Willie Nelson, Engelbert Humperdinck and Michael Jackson.

Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.