Gaming manager feels lucky to leap from fire station to Station Casinos

Henderson resident Frank Meoni has been gambling most of his life.

Whether it was with his safety as a firefighter or a hand of cards as a poker dealer, the 63-year-old considers himself lucky.

“Being a firefighter was a real family type of thing. We bonded together really well,” Meoni said. “I miss that type of camaraderie, but I have to tell you, working with Station Casinos is real close. I’ve got to know a lot of really great people.”

Even after celebrating 20 years with Station Casinos in August, Meoni still enjoys working as the poker manager of Green Valley Ranch Resort, 2300 Paseo Verde Parkway.

“I’m at that point in my life where my wife and I are financially secure, and I could walk away if I wanted to,” Meoni said. “I genuinely enjoy what I do too much to do that.”

Born in New York, Meoni moved to the Miami area with his parents as a teenager. When he was about 20, he landed a position at the local fire department.

“I finished a firefighting course at the community college and went into the department,” Meoni said. “I loved being a firefighter. It was probably my No. 1 choice as a career.”

Just days after joining the department, Meoni was broken in as a rookie when he had to put out a gas tanker fire caused when a truck struck it. The tanker was parked next to four others.

“At the fire academy, we had just watched a movie on a similar fire that happened a year before that,” Meoni said. “The firefighters at that fire didn’t cool it down fast enough, and it took out like two city blocks and half the department.”

Meoni said his team was faced with two decisions: Cool the tanker down or evacuate the surrounding city blocks in 30 minutes.

“We managed to cool it down, and it turned out OK,” he said. “That was my introduction to the field, and after that, everything seemed a little easier to handle.”

During his downtime, Meoni said he learned to play poker with his fellow firefighters.

“On occasion, if we had the time, we would sit around and play cards,” he said. “Of all forms of gambling, I was most familiar with poker, and I liked it.”

After 20 years working as a firefighter, Meoni retired and moved to Las Vegas around 1990.

“I was actually on vacation when I was talking to some of the dealers at the old Maxim casino, and they told me about working in the industry,” Meoni said. “It was kind of a leap of faith to move here. I needed a change of scenery, and this was definitely it.”

Meoni was first hired at the Maxim as a proposition player, where he played with his own money to keep games alive. He later went to school to become a dealer.

“I dealt to a few World Series (of Poker) winners, like Johnny Moss and Stu Ungar,” Meoni said. “I also would deal games that typically would have $10,000 to $15,000 pots. I did that as a break-in dealer, so after I was able to deal those games, I knew I could deal anything.”

In 1994, Meoni was hired at Boulder Station, 4111 Boulder Highway, as a poker dealer. Within three months, he was promoted to floor supervisor.

After 11 years, Meoni transferred to Palace Station, 2411 W. Sahara Ave., as a poker manager before moving to Green Valley Ranch Resort about nine years ago.

Justin Moore, vice president and assistant general manager of the resort, began working with Meoni at Boulder Station around 2004.

“(Meoni) is a fun guy who always has a smile on his face,” Moore said. “He’s committed and appreciative of everything that comes his way. To be in the company for as long as he has and to excel as he has, you have to be driven, and he certainly is.”

Although Meoni misses his firefighting days, he said he’s enjoyed his time in the casino industry.

“I’m happy with what I’ve done,” Meoni said. “Not a lot of people can say that. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.