Michael Ilitch, Sr. is an American entrepreneur, founder and owner of the
international fast food franchise Little Caesars Pizza. He owns the Detroit Red
Wings of the National Hockey League and Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball.
Ilitch has been at the center of Detroit's downtown redevelopment
efforts; he purchased and renovated the Fox Theatre and relocated his business
headquarters there. He also owns Olympia Entertainment.
A first generation American of Macedonian descent, he is married to
Marian Bayoff Ilitch. Early years
Ilitch was born in Detroit in 1929 to Macedonian immigrants Sotir and Sultana
Ilitch. His father Sotir was a tool-and-handie maker.
Business career A graduate of Cooley High School in
Detroit, Michigan, Mike Ilitch entered the U.S. Marine Corps for four years.
After his return home to Detroit, the Detroit Tigers offered him $3000 if he
would sign to play baseball, and Ilitch had a four-year minor league career from
1952 to 1955. Ilitch played mostly second base for the Tigers', New York
Yankees', and Washington Senators' organizations in the
Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League, Cotton States League, and Florida
International League. He was forced out of his playing career due to a knee
injury. After leaving baseball, Ilitch started a
pizza business in 1959. With the help of his wife, Marian, the Ilitches opened
Little Caesars Pizza Treat in Garden City, Michigan, the first of what would
become many thousands of restaurants through franchising. They have expanded
from that into other restaurants, sports teams, and other enterprises.
As of 2012, the family's entities remain privately held. In 1999, the Ilitches
established Ilitch Holdings, Inc. to provide their various enterprises with
professional and technical services. They hold the titles of Chairman and
Vice Chairwoman, respectively. The combined total revenues for these
enterprises in 2007 reportedly exceeded $1.8 billion. Mike Ilitch had fallen off
Forbes magazine's annual list of the "400 Richest Americans," but in 2006 he
returned to the list at #242. As of 2010 he rose to #238 with an estimated net
worth of $1.7 billion. Marian Ilitch in 1998 reportedly
divested herself of any personal interest in the Detroit Tigers
organization to pursue interests in Detroit's emerging casino gambling
industry. She acquired a significant interest in the Motor City Casino and,
in 2005, purchased sole controlling interest. She independently pursues
other gambling interests, doing business as Gateway Casino Resorts, LLC and
Barwest, LLC, among other names. The pair have seven children. In 2000
they appointed two of their children as co-presidents of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
in 2000: Christopher Ilitch and daughter Denise Ilitch, an attorney. Christopher
Ilitch was named to the new post of CEO and president. Denise Ilitch has left
the privately held company "to pursue other opportunities".
Sports ownership = Detroit Caesars=
The Detroit Caesars were a professional softball team that began play in the
American Professional Slow Pitch Softball League in 1977, the first of
three professional softball leagues. Prior to formalized professional play,
Detroit was a hotbed for softball, with some of the best players in the country
playing in the most competitive amateur leagues to be found in the US. A major
sponsor of softball in the Detroit area was Little Caesar's, and with the
formation of a professional league, Ilitch formed a team in his first step
into professional sports ownership. The Caesars played at Memorial Field in
East Detroit, a small suburb of Detroit that had recently played host to a
national softball tournament. With clever promotions tied in with the pizza
chain and the signing of former Detroit Tiger stars Jim Northrup and Norm Cash,
fans packed into the small stands by the thousands to witness not only Detroit's
best softball players, but those that Ilitch had brought to town to make his
team into the powerhouse of professional softball. Mike Nye, Ronnie Ford, Bert
Smith, Tex Collins and many other softball legends took to the field for
Detroit, led by manager Gary Vitto, earning the team two World Series titles
before disbanding after the 1979 season. = Detroit Red Wings=
Ilitch is an avid sports fan, and in 1982, he and Marian purchased the
struggling Detroit Red Wings professional hockey franchise and turned
the team into a Stanley Cup champion. At the time of the purchase, the team had
made the playoffs only twice in the previous 15 seasons and was known as the
"Dead Wings." Interest in the Red Wings was at an all-time low. Since then, the
team has won fifteen divisional championships, six President's Trophies,
six Campbell Bowls and the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008, along with
24 consecutive seasons of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
In 1982, Mike Ilitch bought the Red Wings from Bruce Norris for $8 million
USD, and has turned the team into a perennial contender for the Stanley Cup.
After years of drafting top picks and grooming their young players, and with
proper management and leadership, the Red Wings have become an elite NHL team.
They made the Stanley Cup finals three times between the 1994–95 and 1997–98
seasons, winning the Cup in 1997 and again in 1998. The Red Wings added two
more championships in 2002 and 2008. Prior to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Forbes
magazine ranked the Red Wings as the fifth-most valuable franchise in the
NHL, despite a $16 million operating loss.
For the 2007–08 hockey season, the team won the President's Trophy for the best
record in the NHL for the sixth time—the most of any NHL team. The Red Wings have
made the playoffs for 24 consecutive seasons through 2014–15. The 24
consecutive playoff berths is the longest active streak of post-season
appearances in all of North American professional sports. It ranks fifth
all-time in NHL history after 29 consecutive trips by the Boston Bruins
from 1967–68 to 1995–96, 28 consecutive trips by the Chicago Blackhawks from
1969–70 through 1996–97, 25 consecutive appearances by the St. Louis Blues from
1979–80 to 2003–04, and 24 consecutive berths by the Montreal Canadiens from
1970–71 to 1993–94. = Detroit Tigers=
Ilitch purchased the Detroit Tigers in 1992 from fellow pizza magnate Tom
Monaghan—the founder of Domino's Pizza—for baseball was a sport that he
had played as a youth. Under his ownership, the Tigers logged losing
records in twelve out of thirteen seasons before their turnaround in 2006.
After acquiring the team, Ilitch clearly expressed interest in moving the
struggling team to a new ballpark. In 2000, his expectations were realized
when the team moved from Tiger Stadium into the newly built Comerica Park. He
financed approximately 60% of the $350 million facility; the taxpayers of the
greater Detroit-Wayne County and federal grants covered the balance. Various
Ilitch Holdings, Inc., enterprises manage and operate Comerica Park and its
concessions. In 2005, the Detroit Tigers hosted MLB's
76th All-Star Game at Comerica Park. All-Star Week in Detroit produced the
highest-grossing revenue in the history of the All-Star Game. Forbes magazine
ranked the Tigers #22 in its 2005 list of the Top 30 most valuable sports
franchises. When the Tigers won the AL Wild Card
under manager Jim Leyland and general manager Dave Dombrowski in 2006, they
made the playoffs for the first time since 1987. Detroit eventually lost in
five games to the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Since Dombrowski was
brought in, Ilitch has steadily agreed to bring in marquee free agents and
finance a larger payroll, with the Tigers beginning the 2008 season as one
of the highest-salaried teams in baseball.
On September 16, 2011, the Tigers won the Central division title—their first
division crown since Ilitch's purchase. On January 24, 2012, Ilitch signed
Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million contract, the fourth-largest
contract in baseball history. The 2012 Tigers went all the way to the World
Series, but were swept by the San Francisco Giants. Prior to the 2013
season, Ilitch agreed to sign starting pitcher Justin Verlander to a
seven-year, $180 million contract extension, at the time the highest
single offer ever tendered to a major league pitcher.
= Detroit Drive= Ilitch was one of the early team owners
in the Arena Football League, starting up the Detroit Drive in 1988, somewhat
as a filler team for summer dates in the Joe Louis Arena, although Little Caesars
was also one of the major sponsors of the AFL during the time Ilitch owned the
Drive. The Drive were one of the most successful teams in the early days of
the AFL, both on and off the field. They generally had strong attendance, and the
Drive were in the ArenaBowl in every year of their six-year existence, going
4-2 in the title games. After Ilitch bought the Tigers in 1992 though, he
decided he didn't want to own another franchise that would take away fans from
the Tigers, so he sold the team off and they moved to Worcester, Massachusetts.
= Hockey Hall of Fame= Ilitch was inducted into the Hockey Hall
of Fame in 2003 as well as the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
In Stanley Cup history, only 12 women have had their names engraved on the
trophy; these include Ilitch's wife, Marian, and their three daughters.
Philanthropy One of Ilitch's first philanthropic
efforts was the Little Caesars Love Kitchen, established in 1985. The
traveling restaurant was formed to feed the hungry and assist with food
provisions during national disasters – most recently helping the flood victims
and volunteers in North Dakota. The program has been recognized by former
Presidents Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, and has served
more than 2 million individuals in the United States and Canada.
In 2006, inspired by a veteran returning to civilian life after losing both of
his legs in war, Ilitch founded the Little Caesars Veterans Program to
provide honorably discharged veterans with a business opportunity when they
transition from service or seek a career change. Ilitch received the Secretary's
Award from the U.S. Department of Veterans affairs for this program in
2007; it is the highest honor given to a civilian by the department. Today there
are 50 Little Caesars Veteran franchisees who have applied more than
$1.5 million in benefits. The Little Caesars Amateur Hockey
Program, established by Ilitch in 1968, has provided opportunities for tens of
thousands of youngsters over the years. Not only has it paved the way for a
number of extremely talented players to make it to the NHL, it has helped
develop character on and off the ice for those who have participated in the
program. Additionally, Ilitch Charities for
Children was founded in 2000 as a non-profit foundation dedicated to
improving the lives of children in the areas of health, education and
recreation. In 2008, the charity was renamed Ilitch Charities and its focus
was broadened. The new charity invests in the community's future by supporting
innovative, collaborative and measurable programs that promote economic
development and spur job growth, as a means to address social issues such as
poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and hunger.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, reports required by the
Federal Election Commission from 2002 to 2005 indicate Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
members and business partners have contributed more than $500,000 to
political campaigns and PACs. Ilitch family
Mike and Marian Ilitch have seven children: Christopher Ilitch is CEO and
President of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.; daughter Denise Ilitch is an attorney.
Other children are Ron; Michael, Jr.; Lisa Ilitch Murray; Atanas; and Carole
Trepeck. Each of the 7 children has his or her name engraved on the Stanley Cup
of 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008, since they each own shares in the Detroit Red
Wings. The family was presented the key to the
City of Detroit by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on February 14, 2008. They
are the fifth recipients of this award in the history of the city, the others
being actor James Earl Jones, neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson, former
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis.
See also List of members of the United States
Hockey Hall of Fame List of members of the Hockey Hall of
Fame References
External links Mike Ilitch's biography at Legends of
Hockey Detroit News article
Official Site: Ilitch Holdings, Inc. Official Site: Detroit Tigers
Official Site: Detroit Red Wings Official Site: Little Caesars Pizza
Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference