John L. Smith - No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas Stratoshpere Tower

NO

LIMIT

The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak

and Las Vegas Stratosphere Tower

John L. Smith

HUNTINGTON PRESS

Las Vegas, Nevada

No LimitThe Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak

and Las Vegas Stratosphere Tower

Published by

Huntington Press

3665 Procyon Street

Las Vegas, NV 89103

(702) 252-0655 Phone

(702) 252-0675 Fax

e-mail:

Copyright 1997, John L. Smith

eBook ISBN: 978-0-929712-74-1

Print ISBN: 978-0-929712-18-5

Cover Photos: Ed Foster ( Stratosphere Tower ), Mark Lawson Shepard (Bob Stupak), Jason Cox (Author Photo)

Cover Design: Scott Sullivan

Production: Jason Cox

Interior Design: Bethany Coffey & Jason Cox

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without expressed written permission of the copyright owner.

In memory of Prince L. Smith Jr., 1927-1996.

Acknowledgments

For a man who has sought publicity most of his life, Bob Stupak was extremely reluctant to have his life story told. In fact, he initially declined to be interviewed for this book. Thankfully, he changed his mind, and the story is much better for the half-dozen question-and-answer sessions to which he submitted. It is my hope that Ive rendered his life accurately, for I admire his tenacity, not only in the casino but in life as well. It should be noted, however, that this is not an authorized biography. Any mistakes that may have found their way into this book are my responsibility.

Getting the straight story on anyone in Las Vegas is always difficult, but fortunately not every casino operator in the city took the Fifth when it came to Bob Stupak. Although many were extremely helpful, Klondike casino owner John Woodrum was a veritable guide to Stupaks amazing story. Thanks also to Lyle Thompson of Vacation Village, Michael Gaughan of the Gaughan family casinos, and other casino operators who prefer to remain anonymous. And thanks to Richard Schuetz of Stratosphere for taking time to help. Unfortunately, Grand Casinos maven, Lyle Berman, declined to be interviewed; perhaps he was too busy writing his own amazing success story.

The anecdotes of numerous police officers, paramedics, tow-truck drivers, business leaders, stock analysts, elected officials, and working stiffs greatly contributed to this story. I thank them for their patience and consideration. You will find their names and insights throughout this book. Particular thanks to former Stupak spin doctor Dan Hart, ex-Las Vegas City Councilman Scott Higginson, City Councilman Arnie Adamsen, Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, Phyllis McGuire, Lou Adams, and Eddie Baranski.

A book on Bob Stupak would not have been possible without the work of dozens of journalists, editors, and photographers who have chronicled his immensely colorful life and times. Among the many: Ed Becker, Dave Berns, Myram Borders, Rex Buntain, Jeff Burbank, Monica Caruso, Sandra Chereb, Carol Cling, Jeffrey Cohan, Aaron Cohen, Roger Dionne, Chuck DiRocco, Mike Donahue, John G. Edwards, Steve Falcone, Tanya Flanagan, Jeff German, Rene Germanier, Joshua Good, Marian Green, Susan Greene, Adrian Havas, Mary Hynes, George Knapp, Wayne C. Kodey, Sergio Lalli, Jim Laurie, George McCabe, Sean McKinnon, Pete Mikla, Tom Mitchell, Jane Ann Morrison, Bruce Orwall, Dave Palermo, Mike Paskevich, Merlyn Potters, Gary Rotstein, Diane Russell, Jim Rutherford, Jeff Scheid, Cathy Scott, Adam Steinhauer, John Stearns, Howard Stutz, Gary Thompson, Mike McCuen, Richard Velotta, Michael Ventura, Ed Vogel, Susan Voyles, Lynn Waddell, Mike Weatherford, Ken White, and Andy Zipser.

Librarians in Las Vegas and Pittsburgh also lent their time and expertise during the research of the manuscript. I especially would like to thank Padmini Pai and Pamela Busse of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, as well as the archivists at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Carnegie Public Library of Pittsburgh.

The editorial expertise of Deke Castleman and Anthony Curtis of Huntington Press cannot be overstated. They took my ragged first draft, whipped it into shape, and had faith in my ability to deliver a manuscript in a few short months. Among the hard-working crew at Huntington that I gladly count as allies: Len Cipkins, Bethany Coffey, Jason Cox, Virginia Castleman, June Flowers, Jacqueline Joniec, Jim Karl, and Beverly Ware. I hope to work with them again soon. Thanks, too, are due my sister Cath Cassidy for her 11th-hour editing expertise.

Finally, thanks to my wife, Patricia, and daughter, Amelia, for their love and understanding. I am as rich as Rockefeller to have you.

The old dice scuffler approached the crap game and leaned on the rail.

What are you doing back here? I asked. You know you cant beat the game, and youre down to your last few bucks.

Son, the broken-down shooter said, I have to make a bet every day. How else will I know when the good luck comes back?

old Las Vegas story

You have to create your own celebrity in this business.

Bob Stupak

Table of Contents

AUTHORS NOTE

A View from the Top

It is one of those big blue spring days that sun-baked Las Vegans live for. A whispering breeze takes the edge off the warm afternoon and wisps of clouds feather across the limitless desert horizon.

All in all, a good day to die.

Im strapped into a NASA-goes-to-the-carnival contraption called the Big Shot, which is bolted to the top of the Stratosphere Tower, which stretches 1,149 feet into the glorious April air. As such, it is the tallest freestanding structure west of the Mississippi. That makes me just about the tallest freestanding columnist for as many miles around.

Stratosphere, the casino-resort-tower at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, is set to open in three days, and Ive been invited to test my stomach and fear of heights against a ride that is accurately described as the worlds tallest Heimlich maneuver. Riding next to me? Stratospheres big-idea man himself, Bob Stupak.

Any machine whose operators make you remove your slip-on shoes, eyeglasses, loose jewelry, and wobbly denture plates before experiencing it qualifies as a thrill ride. Anyone who travels anywhere with Bob Stupak qualifies as a thrill seeker. The ride is more like taking a double dose of syrup of ipecac with a mad scientist than taking a spin on the giant teacups with Walt Disney.

The Big Shot launches 16 citizens out of their shoes with the force of four Gs up 160 feet to near the top of the tower in less time than it takes to beg God for forgiveness.

Then you drop like a dead man at negative one G, only to be caught a few feet from a certain messy demise on the platform belowand propelled upward again. The ride takes 31 seconds from start to finish. Theres no telling how much time it takes off your life.

Bob Stupak, still looking frail after nearly killing himself in a motorcycle accident a year earlier, knows something about the precious value of life. He once set speed records on a motorcycle, and was traveling with his son, Nevada, at 60 miles per hour when he rammed his Harley-Davidson into the side of a perfectly good Subaru. Not even Stupak liked his odds of recovering from that accident, which shattered his face and spirit and left him in a month-long coma.

But only in Las Vegas could a guy like Stupak find a Florence Nightingale in the form of McGuire Sisters legend Phyllis McGuire. Perhaps somewhere inside Stupaks cracked skull was what naysayers and hunch players had learned over the previous 25 yearsthat it never pays to bet against the quintessential Las Vegas huckster.