Joe Lupo, who has helped two of Atlantic City's most successful casinos thrive through years of market turbulence, will run the Mirage Hotel & Casino once Hard Rock buys the Las Vegas property from MGM Resorts International, his company said Wednesday.
Hard Rock told The Associated Press that Lupo will become president of the casino once the sale is completed and approved by Nevada gambling regulators.
The job is among the highest-profile casino leadership positions in the country.
He is currently president of Hard Rock's Atlantic City casino, which has become one of the city's top-performing casinos since opening in 2018. He formerly worked as senior vice president of the city's market-leading Borgata casino.
“The last four years in Atlantic City have been such a rewarding experience for me,” Lupo said. “I feel humbled and excited to be appointed as the new president of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas project, and to return home to my family.”
Hard Rock chairman Jim Allen said Lupo “has achieved amazing results” in his four years leading the company's Atlantic City property.
“Thanks to his dedication and expertise, financial results continue to outperform expectations, while our team members share an unmatched commitment to guest service and satisfaction,” Allen said. “I am confident Joe Lupo will achieve even greater success at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.”
An Ohio native, Lupo has history in Las Vegas, having worked at various Boyd Gaming properties there and in Laughlin, Nevada, including the former Stardust Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, where he was the director of the race and sportsbook.
He also served as president of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida.
Lupo will be succeeded as president at Hard Rock Atlantic City by the casino's general manager, Anthony Faranca, on Sept. 1.
“I’m thrilled to lead this incredible team and confident that we will continue to accomplish great things in Atlantic City,” he said.
Lupo currently serves as president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, the trade association for Atlantic City's nine casinos. The group is expected to announce a successor soon.
