Station Casinos founder Frank Fertitta Jr. died today following heart surgery at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai hospital. Fertitta, father of UFC co-owners Frank Fetitta III and Lorenzo Fertitta, was 71 years old. Fertitta had been ill for some time according to a report from the Las Vegas Sun. Fertitta, who opened the first Station Casino property in 1976 a casino that catered to locals that was originally named Bingo Palace and would eventually become known as Palace Station remained in charge of the company until turning the organization over to his sons in 1993 following an initial public offering. Station Casinos currently operates 18 casinos in the Las Vegas area, with Frank III serving as Chairman and CEO. Despite recent financial woes by the company, the Fertitta family has long been known for their philanthropy in the Las Vegas community. The company has also been frequently recognized as one of the "best companies to work for" by Forbes magazine. Lorenzo resigned as president of Station Casinos in June 2008 in order to focus on his role as CEO of the UFC, citing the growth of the sport of mixed martial arts on a global level as his primary goal. The move was called "the biggest day in UFC history" by UFC president Dana White. Both Station Casinos and the UFC have yet to release an official statement.
