I appreciate all the input!
Before asking for help, I checked the htaccess and reviewed the site for new directories and udated files.
I also installed a new wp setup. The new one worked fine. But as soon as I uploaded the old wp-config.php file, the site theme would not load up and the ‘login’ went to a different site.
In fact, there are two other different sites hacked by this same ‘ahole’. The other hacked site is listed right at the top in the header section when you do a ” view-source:http://www.slotbonuses.info/ “
PS – In previously trying out different backup plugins I found and liked the one I mentioned. But I obviously did not have it in place there – otherwise I would not be having this problem. It also did not ‘dawn on me’ that outdated plugins were also a vulnerability in addition to (even slightly) an outdated wp version.