Robert Edward Stupak (April 6, 1942 – September 25, 2009)
Streetwise and card sharp, Dogged and determined, Bob Stupak was the ultimate Las Vegas gambler and huckster, constantly pushing the envelope if it would bring him publicity.
Bob (also known as the Polish Maverick) was a Las Vegas casino owner, entrepreneur, and city booster. He was also a professional poker player, winning titles at the World Series of Poker and the Super Bowl of Poker.
He also competed on the World Poker Tour, various other tournaments, and cash games, including High Stakes Poker on GSN. He once played a computer for half a million dollars and won.
Stupak moved to Las Vegas for good in 1971. He bought the Vault casino in downtown and changed its name to Glitter Gulch. He created a cowgirl sign named Vegas Vicki to match the Vegas Vic sign at the Pioneer Club. Stupak bought a 1.5 acres parcel north of Sahara Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard South.
Bob Stupak’s World Famous Historic Gambling Museum opened on that little chunk of land. “The name was about 10 ft (3.0 m) longer than the casino”, Stupak recalled years later. On May 21, an air conditioner caught fire, and the building burned down.
In 1979. Stupak opened Bob Stupak’s Vegas World hotel and casino, known for its promotions, the world’s largest sign (which later blew down in a wind storm), and new twists on games, including the world’s first quarter million and million dollar jackpot. At its peak in the mid-1980s, Vegas World grossed in excess of $100 million per year.
Stupak’s unique promotions included the world’s first one-quarter million dollar jackpot, followed shortly thereafter by the world’s first million-dollar jackpot. He also was wildly successful with his direct-mail marketing called the “Vegas Vacation Club.”
The club enticed vacationers to Vegas World with what was almost a cost-free vacation package, including room, meals, and vouchers for casino play. Participants returned year after year and spread the word until hotel occupancy was 100% year-round.
In 1995, Stupak suffered a motorcycle accident, breaking every bone in his face and entering a coma. Although the initial prognosis was that he would not survive, Stupak’s next of kin, son Nevada Stupak, approved a non-FDA-approved experimental drug to reduce his head and brain swelling. Stupak recovered, although with lingering health problems.
At the time of his motorcycle crash, Stupak was developing what had become known as Stratosphere Las Vegas, the largest structure west of the Mississippi and one of the top 10 tallest structures in the world.
The tower opened in late April 1996, making it the third most expensive casino development in history at the time; within a year, Stupak was out as Chairman of the Board, and the project ultimately ended as a financial disaster.
Stupak lost nearly $200 million personally. That did not stop him from planning other projects, including the purchase of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and wanting to build a huge hotel shaped like the RMS Titanic, but these endeavors never bore fruit.
Stupak ran for mayor of Las Vegas twice. In 1983, Stupak ran against then-current mayor William H. Briare and six other candidates. Stupak came in second place.
Stupak ran for mayor again in 1987, and clashed often with the media. Stupak forced an incumbent city council member into a runoff general election contest. Stupak lost the election.
In 2006, Stupak unsuccessfully ran as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.
Bob Stupak died of leukemia on September 25, 2009, at 67.
On April 6, 2016, as part of the Stratosphere’s 20th-anniversary celebration, the street in front of the resort was renamed Bob Stupak Avenue.
A community center and a park named after Stupak are located near the Stratosphere. The community center was opened in 1992, and was demolished in 2010, to be replaced by the new Stupak Park. A new Stupak Community Center was opened on January 4, 2010.
The new facility is 34,183 square feet and cost $7.5 million to construct. The community center celebrated its 25th anniversary in January 2017.