Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
R. MARSH STARKS / LAS VEGAS SUN
Bob Stupak, right, watches as a Horseshoe Casino cashier counts out $100 bills as Stupak cashed in his markers and removed items from a lockbox in the casino cage. Stupak attempted to cash a $5,000 casino chip from the hotel but that transaction was refused.
Published Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 | 2:53 p.m.
Updated Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 | 6:49 p.m.
Beyond the Sun
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."
Sen. Harry Reid said in a statement that he was saddened to learn of Stupak's death, adding that they had been friends for 35 years.
"Las Vegas has seen many visionary people come and go throughout the years, but few personified the town like Bob did. He was a genuine Las Vegas character," Reid said. "My thoughts and prayers go out to Bob's family and friends during this difficult time."
I missed his additude in Las Vegas over the years and his ideas to build casinos up Las Vegas Blvd to Downtown. Would of been funny if he did make what we call the Stratosphere into a huge iceburg and sinking Titanic Theme.
Does anyone remember the name of the newspaper he started? Was it the Las Vegas Bullet? Lasted about 2 years?
RIP Bob you were a gamblers gambler! Vegas lost a great innovator today!!
met him once at a off strip restaurant years ago, not a bad guy. he had guts to do the unusal, now john mccain, bob stupak was a maverick. members of family, my families best regards.
We lost one of our most innovative and daring Las Vegas characters today.
I remember vividly how wildly outrageous the interior of the Vegas World was decorated. Stupak was the king of the junkets and 500.00 free play money that he offered in the 80's. Love it or hate it the Stratosphere towers over the Valley and is the ultimate landmark for Las Vegas. It is ironic how the little guy who built the tacky casinos had more class than the billionaires who run the corporate ivory properties. Thanks for the memories and RIP.
Will go down as one of the all time greatest parlays in the history of Vegas. He kept all his chips in the pot as "MAX" was his only bet. Even when he finally lost one in the Stratosphere, it is still standing as the tallest one of them all. On Vegas World, he had his name in cursive and few thought it was cool, 15 years later Steve Wynn has the same look and its the greatest. We thank you Bob Stupak for being ahead of your time. You will be missed. This time you really are all in. Rest in peace Legend. Hate to see you go.
Does anyone think the current Stratosphere management will do anything to honor him?
Sad news as the population of "real" Vegas is one fewer today. No matter who owns the Stratosphere, it will always be Stupak's. Who will step up and pay for a bronze statue to rival Binion's?
I did one of those Playboy ad junkets back in late 90's. Check in was bad, room was bearable. Still had fun gambling house money and mine. When I read about the Strat tower and its' stock I bought into that, another looser. Still, it was completed and now a landmark. Never met the man, but I do wish him RIP, no hard feelings about the stock deal:) another gamble.. great job!
Rename the tower. "Stupak's Tower"
RIP Bob, as a native I always appreciated your spunk and "devil may care" attitude. You invented the phrase maverick.
They should put the Stupak Statue on Fremont Street, if they could find it.
Re: Stupak Statue
Or put it right on the Boulevard at St. Louis, where the Stratosphere sits. That would be perfect. The "Welcome to Downtown Las Vegas" sign is just up the street.
Stupak brilliance was in knowing exactly how to get bodies into a Casino. He was a master. It's called freebies. A free can of coke. A free pack of cigarettes. Match play coupons. Free nights stay. Cheap food. He understood the concept of giving something away & making it back tenfold in the slots or at the tables. People had a lot of fun at his Casino. This simple concept is totally foreign to today's Casino owners. Today's owners are too busy fleecing their customers at every single turn. 6/5 blackjack is a perfect example of how much today's Casino owners appreciate their customers.
RIP Bob -
He was the guy who understood that millions of low rollers are the heart and soul of Vegas.
Was sadden to hear the loss of visionary of vegas.Had the chance to meet him once.Walked up to the table i was playing,and said back it up all ways.It hit,and never changed the way i played from then on.Had a great night,and made a bit too!But you must keep in mind,that was when vegas was a players town.RIP BOB,YOU WERE INDEED A MAN ON THE EDGE!AND A PLAYERS PLAYER!!!
This brings back memories...
The Vegas World showroom once hosted what was supposedly "the dirtiest show in Las Vegas". The TV commercial showed an old woman storming out of the show and hitting a laughing Bob Stupak with her purse.
Stupak was once the Republican nominee for mayor. His commercials showed him coming out of church with his family, piling into a Cadillac convertible, and taking a drive down Fremont Street. (This was long before it was closed to traffic.)
Vegas World had to have been one of the gaudiest buildings I've ever seen. The doors were solid, not glass, and when you first walked in everything was black. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you could dimly make out brightly colored planets hovering above the gaming areas.
I suppose I do feel a bit of nostalgia for the days when a casino, and its owner, could be so iconoclastic.
Bob was the greatest mind I have ever known with all the heart to go with it. He has taught me more than any one person has in my life and made me a stronger person just knowing him. I will miss you forever Bobbie....Love you
A long time ago my ex-wife and I accepted an invitation from Bob Stupak to visit Vegas World for one of his legendary promotions. It turned out to be the best time I have ever had in Las Vegas. Thank you Bob for some wonderful memories.
RIP seems not to say the right thing to the memory of Bob Stupak. I remember the City Fathers said that the Vegas World Space Theme Mural was too gaudy and they wanted it toned down. Didn't happen while Bob was running the show. What a guy! He got me to Las Vegas with his free casino money and I've been coming back for 25 yrs. Thanks for all the past fun and thanks for all I hope to have in the future.
Bob died today - and I miss him.
I miss the day ditching Fremont - major goal was to cross the Blvd and not get caught by Truant, but we did, and he said, "Stay in school, you're gonna need it."
I miss the Zsa Zsa Gabor show when I almost got to speak to Roseanne and shake Bob's hand. But he could barely see me standing there in front of him. It was my birthday and I felt so unimportant at the same time, not. I miss it
I miss - but recall, when he came. I didn't recognize the scars that presented themselves in front of the man that followed him. I just wanted to know, why was this guy bothering my high, my vibe? I remember he said, "You know, you shouldn't gamble, it's not good for you." A week later I left town. I did, and I kept doing the same, except gambling because it wasn't in Denver. Not worth the hour drive up in to the mountains. But I remembered and appreciated the gesture - and still don't know why he did it. What brought him to OG's? Was it particularly for me? I have to wonder, because it was late daytime & no one was in there but me, a few chicks', the bartender & the machines.
And today he died, and I never got to say thank you. Thank you for encompassing the Naked City that aided in shaping my character, because he did you know - he shaped it & helped make it what it still is today. Naked and raw, beckoning for the shadow of the Stratosphere.
He died today and I just wanted to thank him for saving my life. Saving my essence so far as to write this now.
If that gray haired unrecognizable man never walked into that place, that day, I would not be here- not writing this, but drowning in crack or my sentence or the dirt and bugs eating me alive. I was dying, but am alive now -- barely, but I am alive, and he is too.
Thank you, Bob.
L. J. Perceval 9/25/09
R.I.P. Mr. Stupak. Thanks for the Strat'!
The great thing about Mr. Stupak was that he was cut from a different mold and did things his way. The gaudiness of Vegas World was what gave it character. The Las Vegas vacations he advertised nationwide in Parade brought a lot of people to L.V. I enjoyed the display of money and chips he had in the casino (That and the million at the Horseshoe). Does anyone remember the giant mechanical King Kong he wanted to have climbing up and down the Strat Tower? Drove the city council nuts! It was people like Stupak who made Las Vegas what it was before the corporate clone casinos were built. Thanks for the good times Mr. Stupak. Godspeed!
A hang-glider once wanted to jump off the Stratosphere Tower and checked with Stupak to see if it was OK. Stupak said it would be no problem. He wouldn't charge the man to jump off the tower.
But I'll have to charge you a landing fee, Stupak added.
RIP Bob Stupak
How very interesting that the Sun is allowing comments about this story and that their other obit on Stupak calls him a "huckster," which many would find disrespectful.
But yet when Old Man Fertitta died last month -- another former casino owner, as Stupak was -- no comments were permitted on those Sun stories. And Fertitta most certainly wasn't called a "huckster."
Could it be because the Sun is in bed with the Fertittas casino-wise, but not Stupak? If so, that's a pretty lousy reason, wouldn't you say?
RIP Bob Stupak
RIP Sun ethics
Mr. Stupak gave me my first comp in Las Vegas. Yes, Vegas World was over the top and I'll never forget being there the day a high wind blew the sign onto Las Vegas Blvd. Wonder what happened to the moonrocks? And the years when the Stratosphere was a bump due to loss of funding. Would it ever be built?
Las Vegas has lost an icon. Mr. Stupak was always interesting. My uncle knew him. They were both Polish and from Pennsylvania. My uncle always said Bob was a regular Bohunk who just had more vision than most.
RIP Mr. Stupak. Las Vegas will miss you.