Las Vegas saw the passing of a legend this past weekend. Bob Stupak, also known as Mr. Las Vegas has died of leukemia at 67.
This maven was a born entrepreneur, moving to Vegas in 1971 and raising the money to buy and acre and a half of land north of Sahara Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard, then on March 31, 1974 opened "Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum" which burned down in May of the same year because of an air-conditioner catching on fire. His entire career was filled with ups and downs.
In 1979 Stupak opened Vegas World, a very creative casino known for it's promotions and customized games. This venture became a big success which reportedly grossed over $100 million per year in the mid-1980's.
Allot of publicity befell Mr. Las Vegas when he won the million dollar wager on Super Bowl XXIII and then later in the same year he won the Deuce of Seven Lowball Championship bracelet at the WSOP.
A horrific motorcycle accident broke every bone in his face and put Stupak in a comma and despite the prognosis that he wouldn't survive he made a full recovery. The thing that has probably made Stupak most famous was the development of the Stratosphere, the highest building in Las Vegas. The tower opened in late April 1996 at a cost of $550 million but was a financial disaster. Many came to see the tower, but few stopped long enough to gamble, dine or shop. The Stratosphere went bankrupt soon thereafter, was sold, and is now profitable.
Never losing his imagination for great visionary projects Stupak was planning some huge Vegas construction ideas, right up until the end. Most recently it was the purchase of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and the design of a grand hotel in the shape of the RMS Titanic but sadly both these ventures never came to be.
Bob Stupak was a respected poker player appeared in the first season of the GSN series High Stakes Poker. He also appeared at a final table during the first season of the World Poker Tour. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $865,000.
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