1942-2009:
Bob Stupak, builder of Stratosphere and Vegas World, dies at 67
By Ed Koch, Mary Manning
LAS VEGAS SUN
Published Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
Bob Stupak, a Las Vegas legend who developed the Stratosphere and called himself the Polish Maverick, died today at Desert Springs Hospital after a long battle with leukemia.
He was 67.
The Stratosphere released a statement Friday afternoon saying Stupak will be remembered for his contributions to Las Vegas.
“Bob Stupak was a true visionary and he will be sorely missed. He was instrumental in developing the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower – an icon in Las Vegas, as Mr. Stupak was himself. He will be remembered for his many community initiatives and his many innovative projects within the gaming industry," the statement said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
After an unconventional boyhood in Pittsburgh he came to Las Vegas, where he survived a motorcycle crash and sparred with gaming regulators. He eventually built the tallest hotel-casino in Las Vegas.
In his early days, Stupak delved into pop music and motorcycle drag racing before he began selling coupon books. His father, Chester Stupak, was a major player in Pittsburgh gambling rackets from before World War II until his death in 1991.
After Bob Stupak dropped out of school following the eighth grade, he bought a Harley-Davidson and began an odyssey that would lead to Las Vegas.
Stupak's interest in gambling drew him to Las Vegas in 1964. He then took a detour to Australia for seven years, where he continued selling coupon books and got married twice. Stupak stayed in Las Vegas for good in 1971.
In 1973, Stupak opened the Million Dollar Historic Gambling Museum & Casino, which burned down under mysterious circumstances. Rising from those ashes, Stupak built Vegas World in 1974, an outer space-themed casino with a display of cash Stupak had won in some of his most notorious gambling bouts, including poker games and big Super Bowl bets.
Media from around the world came to the April 29, 1996, opening of the 1,149-foot-tall Stratosphere. A bronze statue of Stupak was displayed at the resort north of Sahara Avenue on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Stupak had envisioned an 1,800-foot tower, but the Federal Aviation Administration intervened and prevented him from going that high. Less than three months after the Stratosphere opened, Stupak, a 14 percent owner, resigned as chairman and the bronze statue disappeared. Stupak said later he had never authorized it.
On March 31, 1995, Stupak was nearly killed when the Harley-Davidson motorcycle he was driving collided with a vehicle on Rancho Road, leaving him in a coma for five weeks.
Stupak had attempted to enter the political arena by running for mayor of Las Vegas. He also helped his daughter, Nicole, with a failed bid for a City Council seat in 1991.
"It seems like he was always playing it right to the edge -- good, bad or indifferent," said former United Press International Bureau Chief Myram Borders, who covered Stupak during the years of his greatest contributions to Las Vegas history. "He had a good sense of humor. He was a funny man. Bob seemed to enjoy life very much."
In 1989, Stupak won the World Series of Poker $5,000 buy-in no-limit deuce-to-7 world championship at Binion's Horseshoe, earning a purse of $139,500. He had placed third in that same event in 1984 and would go on to place fourth in that game at the 1991 and 1993 World Series of Poker.
Famed Las Vegas oddsmaker Lem Banker called his longtime friend "a visionary."
"Bob was a decathlon gambler -- sports bets, propositions, poker -- everything at once," Banker said. "He had a lot of heart and a lot of brains."
Friday, September 25, 2009
Bob Stupak dies at 67
kvbc.com
Casino entrepreneur Bob Stupak died today at 67. Stupak, suffered from leukemia.
Stupak came to Las Vegas in 1971 and opened a small casino. In 1979 Stupak opened Vegas World, a casino which grossed hundreds of millions in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Stupak opened the Stratosphere which was later sold.
Stupak was also involved with the GSN High Stakes Poker series and in 2006 filed to run as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.
News 3 received the following press release regarding Stupak's death:
BOB STUPAK, LONG-TIME LAS VEGAN, DEVELOPER OF THE STRATOSPHERE, PASSES AWAY AT 67
LAS VEGAS - Bob Stupak, who is best known for revolutionizing the Las Vegas Strip with the development of The Stratosphere, passed away today at the age of 67.
Stupak was with close family at the Desert Springs Hospital this afternoon when medical maladies, including leukemia, took his life at 1:15 p.m. Per Stupak's request, he will be cremated and there will not be a funeral.
Stupak was born in Pittsburgh, Penn. in 1942. Stupak made his final move to Las Vegas in 1971, and in 1974 he opened "Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum" at the north corner of Sahara Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard South.
In 1979, Stupak opened Vegas World, where he innovated the industry with new twists on promotions and games that would be modeled for years to come. In 1989, Stupak won a widely publicized million dollar wager on Super Bowl XXIII, and later that year he won the Deuce to Seven Lowball Championship Bracelet at the World Series of Poker.
In 1995, Stupak suffered a motorcycle accident that broke every bone in his face and caused him to go into a coma. Although the initial prognosis was that he would not survive, Stupak made a full recovery. He went on to open The Stratosphere in 1996, and sold it to Carl Icahn in 1998. Stupak continued to work in hotel-casino development and as a professional poker player.
Stupak was an integral part of the Las Vegas community, and made substantial contributions to The City of Las Vegas Chester Stupak Family Park, named for his father, the Stupak Community Center, and more.
Stupak is survived by two sisters, Linda Phillips and Nancy O'Conner, both reside in Pittsburgh, Penn., as well as two daughters, Nicole in Sydney, Australia, and Summer in Las Vegas, and his son, Nevada, who also resides in Las Vegas. He is also survived by two ex-wives, Sandra Blumen of Las Vegas, and Annette Hatton of Sydney, Australia.
kvbc.com
Casino entrepreneur Bob Stupak died today at 67. Stupak, suffered from leukemia.
Stupak came to Las Vegas in 1971 and opened a small casino. In 1979 Stupak opened Vegas World, a casino which grossed hundreds of millions in the 1980s. In the 1990s, Stupak opened the Stratosphere which was later sold.
Stupak was also involved with the GSN High Stakes Poker series and in 2006 filed to run as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.
News 3 received the following press release regarding Stupak's death:
BOB STUPAK, LONG-TIME LAS VEGAN, DEVELOPER OF THE STRATOSPHERE, PASSES AWAY AT 67
LAS VEGAS - Bob Stupak, who is best known for revolutionizing the Las Vegas Strip with the development of The Stratosphere, passed away today at the age of 67.
Stupak was with close family at the Desert Springs Hospital this afternoon when medical maladies, including leukemia, took his life at 1:15 p.m. Per Stupak's request, he will be cremated and there will not be a funeral.
Stupak was born in Pittsburgh, Penn. in 1942. Stupak made his final move to Las Vegas in 1971, and in 1974 he opened "Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum" at the north corner of Sahara Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard South.
In 1979, Stupak opened Vegas World, where he innovated the industry with new twists on promotions and games that would be modeled for years to come. In 1989, Stupak won a widely publicized million dollar wager on Super Bowl XXIII, and later that year he won the Deuce to Seven Lowball Championship Bracelet at the World Series of Poker.
In 1995, Stupak suffered a motorcycle accident that broke every bone in his face and caused him to go into a coma. Although the initial prognosis was that he would not survive, Stupak made a full recovery. He went on to open The Stratosphere in 1996, and sold it to Carl Icahn in 1998. Stupak continued to work in hotel-casino development and as a professional poker player.
Stupak was an integral part of the Las Vegas community, and made substantial contributions to The City of Las Vegas Chester Stupak Family Park, named for his father, the Stupak Community Center, and more.
Stupak is survived by two sisters, Linda Phillips and Nancy O'Conner, both reside in Pittsburgh, Penn., as well as two daughters, Nicole in Sydney, Australia, and Summer in Las Vegas, and his son, Nevada, who also resides in Las Vegas. He is also survived by two ex-wives, Sandra Blumen of Las Vegas, and Annette Hatton of Sydney, Australia.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
MLB MONDAY PLAYS 10/21
952 Pittsburgh Pirates +107
D. McCutchen
961 Baltimore Orioles +128
C. Tillman
964 Chicago White Sox +119
D.Hudson
967 New York Yankees +100
A. Pettitte
966 Kansas City Royals +148
L. Dinardo
D. McCutchen
961 Baltimore Orioles +128
C. Tillman
964 Chicago White Sox +119
D.Hudson
967 New York Yankees +100
A. Pettitte
966 Kansas City Royals +148
L. Dinardo
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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