After numerous delays, a fire, and budget overruns and concerns about air traffic interference that shrank the tower’s height down to 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere opened for business on April 30, 1996. Stupak closed and tore down Vegas World in 1995 to make way for his new project: the Stratosphere, a much larger hotel-casino that would include a 1,815-foot-high observation tower. It became known for its many quirky games and promotions. In 1979, Bob Stupak, a rather colorful coupon mogul and museum proprietor, opened the Vegas World Casino near the corner of Las Vegas Blvd.
