A gas station, a hiring ad, and coincidence culminated in Scott Discianno as regional manager of Bucks Cabaret, site of the 2019 EDI West.
Scott Discianno found salvation in an adult magazine at a 7-Eleven while on his snack run.
He was prepping for a job hunt after a single-day sample of a 17-hour work day.
“I saw a help wanted ad for a club and went down and begged for a job,” Discianno recalls. “I started that night as the worst barback you had ever seen. I was a natural night guy—stay up late and sleep late. I’m still this way today, and I still go to 7-Eleven for hot dogs.”
Discianno has spent the 25 years since that day in the gentlemen’s club industry and is presently a regional manager for the Bucks Cabaret clubs in the Dallas-Fort Worth “metroplex.” We had the chance to ask Discianno about working in DFW, his favorite music to play in and out of the club, and playing host to the EDI West on April 25-27. Don’t miss Scott’s personalized Spotify playlist, courtesy of StripJointsMusic.com!
ED: How long have you been with the Bucks clubs, and what do you think makes the Bucks clubs different than other clubs in Texas and across the US?
DISCIANNO: I’ve been with Bucks for five years now. Bucks is very unique. It’s a gentleman’s club, nightclub or your favorite neighborhood bar all rolled in to one. It appeals to all types and all types are welcome. When you go to Bucks you just know you’re going to have a great time. One of the most unique things about Bucks is we don’t just get male customers but many ladies come by for fun. Bucks has that “Cheers” feel to it. Everyone knows your name. Our food is incredibly good and I eat there at least twice a day.
To lead the pack you have to try things that have never been attempted before. If you sit back and wait it won’t come. You’ll be passed by. You have to go get it in DFW. Our guests have so many options these days to choose from, so it’s vital that we give them the best show we can. — Scott Discianno
ED: What are the unique challenges of being a club manager, especially in such a competitive club market as the Dallas-Fort Worth area?
DISCIANNO: There are several challenges as a manager and working in DFW is fierce. To stay with the pack you must be willing to change with the times. To lead the pack you have to try things that have never been attempted before. If you sit back and wait it won’t come. You’ll be passed by. You have to go get it in DFW. Our guests have so many options these days to choose from, so it’s vital that we give them the best show we can. At Bucks I truly believe we do this day in and day out. Consistency is key.
ED: What’s your favorite part of working with a feature when they’re booked at your club? Also, what are you looking forward to as the EDI comes to Bucks in April
DISCIANNO: Features are always fun. As excited as our guests are to see them our staff is even more excited. When your staff gets excited it brings added energy to the club. The EDI will be incredible! So many features in one club bringing out their best for us. It’s a win-win!
ED: What is Bucks’ approach to music in terms of how it plays into the personality of your clubs?
DISCIANNO: Bucks plays uptempo positive music. We want our guests to not just hear the music but feel it. We have absolutely incredible DJs that do such an amazing job for us. They are involved in our pre-shift meetings to prepare us for a great show and our post-shift meetings to see what we did well or need to improve on. We take our music very seriously and it shows.
ED: If you could see any concert or lineup of artists, living or deceased, who would it be and why?
DISCIANNO: I’m an 80’s kid and I really dig 80’s music. Naturally like most people, I feel my generation had the best music. If it was up to me, all of our parties would be 80’s parties. I was and still am a huge Stevie B fan. When I began in the club scene the DJs always played many of his songs nightly. Upbeat and high energy. I was lucky enough to meet him at Bucks Cabaret when he performed for one of our anniversary parties. I let my stalker side show as I barraged him with questions I had always wanted to know. He was great about it and answered every one. You throw in Shannon and Sade and you’ll see me bust a move!
Here’s more about Scott Discianno!
Where do you originally hail from: I hail from the great state of New York! Great clubs and nightlife back home.
Current Club: I’m currently a regional manager at the “World Famous” Bucks Cabaret!
Years employed at the club: I’ve been lucky to be with Bucks for five years now.
Years in the industry: I’ve been in this amazing industry a fun filled 25 years now.
Favorite recording artist: Just about anyone from the ’80s.
Industry hero: I’ve had many heroes and mentors in our industry. Todd Mitchell from Stars Cabaret in Oregon was very demanding. He wanted the perfect show. I learned that discipline was a good thing. You better bring your A game for Todd. Eric Langan from RCI taught me that it’s OK to have fun at work and still do your job well. Don’t sweat the small stuff and learn from your mistakes. Ed Anakar from RCI is an incredibly hard worker that is respected by everyone who works for him. Ed never sleeps and would always take your call 24/7. If Ed asks you a question you better tell him the truth because he already knows the answer. I gave Ed some headaches but he always supported me. Ed wants everyone to succeed and will give you a shot if you’re a hard worker. Last but not least is Curtis Wise. Curtis works his butt off every day. He’s so driven. When he buys a club he’s already trying to close on three more. He let me join Bucks and gave me the keys and trusted me. Curtis is relentless. I call Curtis for life advice all the time.
Favorite feature entertainer: Emily Austin. She’s a Texas girl and super sweet to everyone. She’s also my wife of 8 years. I’m a very lucky man!
Favorite industry pro: Industry pros are very rare nowadays. I think of guys like Dean Wilkins, Joe Mendez, Scotty Chasser and Mike Watkins. Mike just led Bucks Cabaret to the number-one liquor-selling club in the state for the month of January. Eric Rubinstein comes to mind as well. Eric and I worked for RCI and competed against each other. It made me a better manager.
Favorite part of your work night: The pre-shift Red Bull toast. All the managers get their flavor and we toast to a night of success. Being on a team is the best. You try so hard for the guy next to you.
Pet working peeve: Bad attitudes. Don’t be the guy bringing everyone down.
Advice for fellow club managers: Have fun. Be on time and do something nice for your club every day. Listen to your staff and coworkers and treat them the way you’d like to be treated. Always admit your mistakes and learn from them. We work in a great industry that feeds a lot of families.
Don’t miss Scott Discianno’s personalized Spotify playlist here, courtesy of Bob Chiappardi and StripJointsMusic!
