The Stardust was conceived by Tony Cornero, also known as Tony Stralla. He and two partners applied for a gaming license in April 1954. However, the Nevada Tax Commission said that it would never grant a license to Cornero, who had previously engaged in illegal gaming operations. Despite the commission's unwillingness, Cornero would make repeated attempts to gain approval. Work on the hotel was underway in August 1954, using tilt up construction. Approximately 60 percent of bricklayers in the Las Vegas Valley were hired to construct the Stardust, leaving few workers available to build new school facilities in the area.