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It was announced today that Bob Stupak, The developer of The Stratosphere is not long for this Vegas World. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Stupak at The Foundation Room a few years ago and he was very polite. I remember driving by Bob Stupaks Vegas World Casino in the late 80's with my father, he said it was in a "bad section" so we never did go there. There was a giant astronaut painted on the side of the building-which was kinda crazy back then to see in Vegas.
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Bob Stupak made up some of the zaniest and most outlandish promotions throughout his career as a casino owner includingt putting up a $100,000 bill, which was not real, but which he advertised as an attraction on billboards: "See What A $100,000 Bill Looks Like." In another pitch for attention, Stupak promoted a slot machine with a $250,000 jackpot, much higher than anywhere in Las Vegas. He installed a nickel-bet machine with a $50,000 jackpot. He papered a wall of the casino with a so-called "wall of cash," an estimated $60,000 in dollar bills.
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He offered gamblers a chance to bet against a caged chicken. Slot machines awarded automobiles as prizes. He appeared on TV in the late 1980s on the show Crime Story. He once hired a man to jump off the top of his tower. He promised the guy $1 million for doing it. Then, he charged the guy a $990,000 landing fee. He appeared on 60 Minutes as the world's greatest gambler.
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Stupak is also the man who installed the very photographed "Vegas Vicki" on top of Glitter Gulch downtown.
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Bob Stupak is the one guy that could pull off a comeback...