Mike Ilitch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Ilitch
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Ilitch (center) in 2011
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| Born | July 20, 1929 |
| Died | February 10, 2017 (aged 87) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
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| Occupation | Owner of Detroit Tigers & Detroit Red Wings, founder of Little Caesars Pizza |
| Spouse(s) | Marian Ilitch |
| Children | 7, including Christopher and Denise |
Michael Ilitch Sr. (born July 20, 1929 – died February 10, 2017) was an American businessman. He started the famous Little Caesars Pizza fast food chain. He also owned two major sports teams: the Detroit Red Wings hockey team and the Detroit Tigers baseball team.
Mike Ilitch played a big part in making downtown Detroit better. He bought and fixed up the Fox Theatre and moved his company, Ilitch Holdings, there. He also owned Olympia Entertainment, a company that manages sports and entertainment venues. Mike Ilitch was a first-generation American, meaning his parents came from another country, Macedonia. He was married to Marian Ilitch.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Mike Ilitch was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1929. His parents, Sotir and Sultana Ilitch, came from Macedonia. His dad worked as a tool-and-die maker.
After finishing Cooley High School in Detroit, Mike Ilitch served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. When he came home, the Detroit Tigers offered him money to play baseball. He played in minor leagues from 1952 to 1955. He mostly played second base for teams connected to the Tigers, New York Yankees, and Washington Senators. Sadly, a knee injury ended his baseball career.
Starting a Pizza Empire
After leaving baseball, Mike Ilitch started a pizza business in 1959. With help from his wife, Marian, they opened their first restaurant, Little Caesars Pizza Treat, in Garden City, Michigan. Their family still owns the company today.
In 1999, the Ilitches created Ilitch Holdings, Inc. This company helps manage all their different businesses. Together, their businesses made over $1.8 billion in 2007. By 2016, Mike Ilitch was one of the richest people in America, with an estimated net worth of $6.1 billion.
In 2000, Mike and Marian Ilitch made two of their children, Christopher Ilitch and Denise Ilitch, co-presidents of Ilitch Holdings. Christopher later became the CEO and president.
Owning Sports Teams
Detroit Wheels Football Team
In 1974, Mike Ilitch was part of a group that owned a football team called the Detroit Wheels. They played in a new league called the World Football League. This team didn't last long, only one season.
Detroit Caesars Softball Team
Mike Ilitch also owned a professional softball team called the Detroit Caesars. They started playing in 1977. Before this, Little Caesars had sponsored amateur softball teams in Detroit. Owning the Caesars was Mike Ilitch's first time owning a professional sports team by himself.
The Caesars played in East Detroit and had some former Detroit Tiger stars like Jim Northrup and Norm Cash. The team won two championships before it stopped playing after the 1979 season.
Detroit Red Wings Hockey Team
In 1982, Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Red Wings hockey team for $8 million. The team had been owned by the same family for 50 years. Ilitch worked to turn the team into a winner. After many years of picking good young players and managing the team well, the Red Wings became one of the best teams in the National Hockey League (NHL).
They reached the Stanley Cup finals three times between 1995 and 1998. They won the Stanley Cup in 1997, which was 15 years after Ilitch bought them. They won again in 1998, and then two more times in 2002 and 2008. The Red Wings also won the President's Trophy six times for having the best record in the NHL. They made the playoffs for 25 seasons in a row, which was the longest streak in North American professional sports at the time.
Detroit Tigers Baseball Team
Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Tigers baseball team in 1992 from Tom Monaghan, who started Domino's Pizza. For many years, the Tigers had losing seasons.
In 2000, the team moved from Tiger Stadium to a new ballpark called Comerica Park. Mike Ilitch paid for about 60% of the $350 million cost. His companies also manage and run Comerica Park. In 2005, Comerica Park hosted the MLB All-Star Game.
In 2006, the Tigers made the playoffs for the first time since 1987. They even reached the World Series, but lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Mike Ilitch spent a lot of money to bring in top players, making the Tigers one of the highest-paid teams in baseball.
The Tigers won their division title in 2011, which was their first since Ilitch bought them. In 2012, they reached the World Series again, but were swept by the San Francisco Giants. The Tigers won four division titles in a row from 2011 to 2014. Mike Ilitch really wanted to win a World Series, but he passed away in 2017 before that happened.
Detroit Drive Arena Football Team
Mike Ilitch was also one of the first owners in the Arena Football League. He started the Detroit Drive in 1988. The Drive was a very successful team, reaching the ArenaBowl championship game in all six years they existed. They won four of those championship games.
After Ilitch bought the Tigers in 1992, he decided he didn't want to own another team that might take fans away from the Tigers. So, he sold the Detroit Drive, and the team moved to Massachusetts.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Mike Ilitch was recognized for his contributions to hockey. He was put into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003. He was also inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.
Helping Others
Mike Ilitch was known for his kindness and charity work.
- Little Caesars Love Kitchen: In 1985, he started the Little Caesars Love Kitchen. This is a traveling restaurant that gives food to people in need and helps during natural disasters. It has served over 2 million people in the United States and Canada.
- Little Caesars Veterans Program: In 2006, Mike Ilitch started a program to help military veterans. It gives honorably discharged veterans a chance to start their own Little Caesars business. He received a high award from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for this program.
- Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program: Started in 1968, this program helped thousands of children play hockey.
- Ilitch Charities: In 2000, he founded Ilitch Charities for Children to help kids with health, education, and fun activities. In 2008, it became Ilitch Charities and expanded its focus to help the community by supporting programs that create jobs and fight poverty.
Because of his generous giving, the business school at Wayne State University in Detroit is named the "Mike Ilitch School of Business."
Mike Ilitch also quietly helped civil rights hero Rosa Parks. After she was attacked in 1994, he secretly paid her rent for years so she could live in a safer place in Detroit.
Family Life
Mike Ilitch was married to Marian Ilitch. She also became a very successful businesswoman and one of the richest women in the world. Like Mike, Marian was born in Michigan to parents who came from Macedonia.
They had seven children together:
- Denise Ilitch Lites, an attorney.
- Ron Ilitch.
- Michael Ilitch, Jr., a film producer.
- Christopher Ilitch, who now leads Ilitch Holdings.
- Lisa Ilitch Murray, who worked for the Detroit Red Wings.
- Atanas Ilitch, an actor and singer.
- Carole Ilitch Trepeck, also an attorney.
In 2008, the Ilitch family was given the key to the City of Detroit by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Death and Legacy
Mike Ilitch passed away on February 10, 2017, in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of 87. Both the Red Wings and the Tigers honored him by wearing a special patch on their jerseys with his nickname, "Mr. I." The Red Wings also painted "Mr. I" on the ice at their arena. After his death, his son Christopher took over the family businesses.
See also
