The Secret History of the Stations Casinos family

#1
The History of the family behind the Stations Casinos
(and Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC)

BY SCOOP MCTROLL / SHERDOG

In the January of 2001, the ailing reality fighting contest known as The Ultimate Fighting Championship, was purchased from its founder, the SEG CORPORATION by ZUFFA LLC. Three men, Frank Fertitta III, his younger brother Lorenzo Fertitta and their brother in law, the low profile but nonetheless powerful, Blake Sartini, are the owners of ZUFFA LLC.


Tough guys Frank III and Lorenzo Fertitta

The Fertitta brothers Frank III and Lorenzo, take the limelight in this partnership and have recently become known to millions of people through the reality television show 'American Casino'. As the CEO and President respectively, of the Station Casinos Empire, they appear to be amiable and successful young businessmen. Las Vegas residents may know of Frank III through his involvement in many charities and community projects, including Catholic Charities, Opportunity Village and the Las Vegas Chapter of the I Have A Dream Foundation. They may know of Lorenzo Fertitta from his time on the board of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, or as the chairman of the Nevada Resort Association. The two millionare brothers donate hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to the Republican Party and they are an integral part of the Las Vegas A-list social scene. Many people have wondered just how they came to be so successful at such relatively young ages and where they came from. Our in depth report 'The Z-Files' will explore these issues and attempt to throw some light on the history of the family behind The Ultimate Fighting Championship. I hope you enjoy reading The Z-Files; it is the result of several months of research.

Part 1


It all began in the early 20th century when two Sicilian barbers arrived in Galveston from Sicily via Louisiana. Rose and Sam Maceo were soon to build an illegal gambling empire from simple bootlegging roots and become known as Papa Rose and Big Sam. Along with their relatives the Fertitta family, they would control the black economy, the organised crime and the politics of Galveston for many years. One of their more well known illegal casinos was 'The Balinese Room' but by the mid 1930's, and the time that prohibition ended, they had built up an entire city block of illegal casinos and gambling dens in Galveston. Many people feel that they created the Vegas format before Vegas ever existed. Sam Maceo organized for all the big name singers and bands of the time to appear at his casinos, including Frank Sinatra.

...more - http://www.zenzoneforum.com/threads/6639-The-secret-history-of-the-Stations-Casinos-family
 
#2
Another good read about the Fertittas

The book titled "Double or Nothing" by Tom Breitling et al, is primarily about the author's adventures culminating in the purchase and sale of the Las Vegas Golden Nugget. However, there is much inside information about the Fertitta family and the part they played in its acquisition and ultimate sale of the Golden Nugget Las Vegas to Tilman Fertitta and his company, Landry's.

If you like reading this type of non-fiction, I highly recommend this book which can be bought for pennies on amazon.

Cobbson
 
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