True Identity of Las Vegas’ ‘Miss Atomic Bomb’ Uncovered

Posted on: March 6, 2025, 12:09h. 

Last updated on: March 6, 2025, 12:53h.

Corey Levitan Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Entertainment, Expert Insight, Las Vegas, Restaurants, Las Vegas Myths.

• The subject of one of the most iconic Las Vegas photos of all time has been misidentified for 68 years
• The identity of “Miss Atomic Bomb” was revealed this week thanks to 25 years of detective work

Only three days ago, Casino.org busted the myth that “Miss Atomic Bomb” was a 1950s beauty pageant. It was merely a publicity stunt created by photographer Don English, who worked for the Las Vegas News Bureau, a promotional arm of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) tourism board.

On Thursday morning, news broke that the subject of one of the most famous photos in Las Vegas history has been misidentified for 68 years.

After 25 years of research, and with the help of a private investigator, historian Robert Friedrichs, a founding member of Las Vegas’ Atomic Museum, discovered that the photo did not in fact feature a Copa Girl named Lee Merlin.

Truth Bomb

That’s because Lee Merlin was a stage name used by Anna Lee Mahoney of the Bronx, New York. She used it while serving as lead dancer in the Copa Room at the Sands casino hotel from 1954 to 1957.

Born Aug. 14, 1927, Mahoney trained in ballet and modern dance under Madame Bronislava Nijinska in LA before performing in various shows and musicals as Lee Merlin.

Her showbiz career ended along with her tenure in the Copa Girls and, by extension, the paper trail of Lee Merlin.

In 1962, Mahoney married and later moved to Hawaii, where she worked as a mental health counselor. In the late 1990s, she relocated to Santa Cruz, Calif., and worked for the Cabrillo College Foundation, raising funds for student scholarships.

Unfortunately, it also revealed that Mahoney passed away in 2001 after battling cancer.

Explosive Photo

Released on May 24, 1957, Mahoney’s unforgettable image coincided with Operation Plumbbob at the Nevada Test Site. It features a beaming Mahoney standing in the desert while wearing a mushroom cloud swimsuit, her arms stretched triumphantly toward the sky.

The mushroom cloud had become the defining visual symbol of the atomic bomb, a striking and dramatic representation of nuclear power. From the earliest tests at Enewetak Atoll to the Nevada Test Site, the sight of the billowing cloud became synonymous with the era’s scientific and military advancements.

Recognizing the power of this imagery, English’s team crafted a cotton mushroom cloud and attached it to the front of the showgirl’s swimsuit, transforming her into “Miss Atomic Bomb.”

The photograph symbolizes a distinctive convergence of Cold War culture, science, and the burgeoning entertainment industry of Las Vegas. Recognized in hundreds of publications worldwide, the photo helped cement Las Vegas as a cultural epicenter of the Atomic Age.

“We have 7.5 million images in the LVCVA Archive, and the ‘Miss Atomic Bomb’ photo is one of the most requested images that we have,” said Kelli Luchs, LVCVA archivist.

New Exhibit

To honor the discovery of Miss Atomic Bomb’s true identity, the Atomic Museum will display a temporary exhibit dedicated to Friedrich’s more than two-decade search and ultimate discovery of the iconic figure’s real identity, as well as to the image’s evolution through the years.

“‘Miss Atomic Bomb’ captured the imagination of a generation and became a global symbol of the Atomic Age,” said Friedrichs. “To now put a name and story to her face is a tribute to the enduring cultural legacy of that extraordinary time in history.”