Ex-wife: Bob Stupak gravely ill

Bob Stupak, Las Vegas gaming entrepreneur and developer of the Stratosphere, is gravely ill at Desert Springs Hospital, his former wife said.

Stupak, 67, has been battling leukemia for some time and has been hospitalized since Saturday, said Sandy Blumen, who has two children with Stupak.

He isn't conscious and is unable to communicate or recognize family members, she said.

"He's near the end. It's very hard to see."

Stupak, who staged numerous unsuccessful runs for local political office and is known for his colorful and sometimes controversial behavior, has kept a low profile in recent years as his health deteriorated.

"He didn't want people to know he's sick," Blumen said.

Stupak first came to Las Vegas in the early 1970s and opened a restaurant, followed by "Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum & Casino." In 1979, he opened Vegas World.

But Stupak is perhaps best known for building the Stratosphere and the 1,149-foot-tall Stratosphere Tower on Las Vegas Boulevard near Main Street.

The Stratosphere opened in 1996. It went bankrupt and was sold soon after.

Stupak was last in the public eye in 2006, when he ran unsuccessfully for Nevada lieutenant governor.

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0285.