Frank Fertitta Jr.
| Frank Fertitta Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Frank Joseph Fertitta Jr. October 30, 1938 Beaumont, Texas, U.S. |
| Died |
August 21, 2009 (aged 70)[1] Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Complications from cardiac surgery and cardiovascular disease |
| Resting place | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Sicilian |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Spouse(s) | Victoria Broussard (1958–2009, his death) |
| Children | Delise Fertitta |
Frank Joseph Fertitta Jr. (October 30, 1938 – August 21, 2009) was an American entrepreneur. He was the founder of Station Casinos, a gaming company based in Summerlin, Nevada.
The company started out as a locals casino operator on July 1, 1976, opening the Bingo Palace which was later renamed Palace Station. The company went public with an IPO in 1993 on Fertitta's retirement.[2]
Background
Fertitta was born on October 30, 1938 in Beaumont, Texas, to Frank J. and Deady Fertitta. Graduating from Galveston's Kirwin High School in 1956, he then went on to marry Victoria Broussard in 1958.[3]
Fertitta arrived in Las Vegas from Texas with his wife, Victoria, in 1960. Frank began his career in gaming as a Bellman at Tropicana Hotel and Casino whilst learning to become a dealer. Over the next 16 years to 1976 he worked as dealer, pit boss, baccarat manager and general manager at properties including the Stardust, Tropicana, Circus Circus, Sahara and the Fremont in downtown Las Vegas.
Fertitta felt there was a gap in the market for Casinos that locals could visit, and where casino workers could come after work and as a result opened his first local casino, named "The Casino" in 1976.
This 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) square gambling hall was attached to the Mini-Price Motor Inn was a short drive from Las Vegas Boulevard.[4]
"It was pretty much desert," son Lorenzo Fertitta told the Las Vegas Sun in 2005. "People thought he was crazy.", However, today Station Casinos is one of the biggest local casino operators in Las Vegas.[5]
Fertitta Jr. died from heart complications at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 70.
References
- ↑ "Station Casinos Founder, Frank Fertitta Jr. Dies". Casino Enterprise Management. December 2011.
- ↑ "Frank Fertitta Jr., founder of Station Casinos; at 70". The Boston Globe.
- ↑ http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/lvrj/obituary.aspx?n=frank-fertitta&pid=131898942
- ↑ http://www.lvrj.com/news/54107132.html
- ↑ http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2005/dec/23/neighborhood-draw/