Indianz.com: Little River Band hopeful for off-reservation casino

As posted on 1.23.09 at indianz.com:

Little River Band hopeful for off-reservation casino

The leader of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of Michigan is hopeful for approval of its off-reservation casino.

Ogema Larry Romanelli said the rejection of a land-into-trust case by the U.S. Supreme Court, is good news. The case, if accepted, could have affected tribes nationwide.

The Little River Band is seeking a casino in Muskegon, about 80 miles from the reservation. The tribe has purchased 223 acres for the project.

Get the Story:Leader eyeing Muskegon casino applauds ruling (The Muskegon Chronicle 1/23)

Tribe's former chairman now skippers casino syndicator's luxury fishing boat

The former chairman of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is running a charter fishing service out of Manistee, MI set up by his one-time casino partner and skippers that casino syndicator's 35' luxury fishing boat.

TVT has previously reported that Robert "Bob" Guenthardt (former chairman of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians) was running a charter boat fishing service, Renegade Charters, LLC, out of the Riverside Marina in Manistee, MI. (Renegade Charters' Web Site)

Guenthardt's one-time casino partner in Manistee's Little River Casino Resort, Michael J. Malik, Sr. (MJM Manistee), formed Renegade Charters, LLC on 6.14.01. At the time, Guenthardt was still chairman of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. Guenthardt resigned as chairman in 2002 amidst a scandal involving the tribe's CFO.

TVT has learned that Guenthardt skippers the "Renegade," a 35' Cabo Express luxury edition vessel delivered in 2001, owned by Michael Malik. That vessel was originally registered on 6.15.01 to Malik / MJM Manistee at 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201.

In the late 1990s, Malik and a former partner, Thomas Celani, reportedly bankrolled and won approvals to build and then manage the Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, MI.

UPDATED: The web of companies behind Ilitch & Malik casino syndication partners

In addition to the Ilitch Family's established brands (entities that fall under the umbrella of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.), the majority of entities listed below are controlled by or have/had an affiliation with Marian Ilitch, Mike Ilitch, Michael J. Malik or their various partners in casino syndication opportunities.

Records on file with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development indicate most of these listed entities are registered at one of two locations:

• 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201 (The Fox Office Centre headquarters of Ilitch Holdings, Inc.); or

• 280 W Maple, Birmingham, MI 48009 (the law offices of Ehrlich, Foley & Serwer).

In most cases, the entities listed here have identified one of the following individuals as its “registered agent” on file with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Development:

• Cheryl Scott-Dube,
• John M. Kotlar,
• Michael J. Malik, Sr.,
• William D. Serwer
• Joseph H. Ehrlich

The following are the many restaurant, entertainment, tourism, gaming and development entities believed to be (or have been) controlled by or affiliated with Marian Ilitch, Mike Ilitch or Michael J. Malik, Sr. The majority of these entities are related to various casino/development projects:

Atwater Casino Group
Atwater Companies, LLC
Atwater Detroit Corp
Atwater Development Company
Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC
Atwater Entertainment Productions, LLC
The Atwater Fund, LLC
Atwater Limousine Service
Atwater Management Corp. (DELLC)
Ballpark Operations Management, Inc.
Barstow Citizens for Real Economic Development
Barwest Gaming
Barwest Holdings, LLC
BarWest LLC
Barwest Manager, Inc.
Barwest, Inc.
Blue Line Distributing, Inc.
Blue Line Foods, Inc.
Blue Line Foodservice Distribution
Blue Water Equities, L.L.C.
Blue Water Holdings I, LLC
Blue Water Resorts Manager, Inc.
Blue Water Resorts, LLC
Border Crossing South, LLC
Caesar Fund Inc.
Cass Avenue LLC
Casino Funding Enterprises LLC
CB Property Holdings, Inc.
CB Property Investments LLC (Charlotte Beach)
CCM Merger, Inc (merged with Circus Circus Michigan)
CCM Merger Sub, Inc.
Champion Foods
Christopher P. Ilitch Revocable Trust
Chromatics (a DELLC dba)
Citizens For Fair & Responsible Gaming (a DELLC dba)
City Theater
Classic Buffet (a DELLC dba)
Classics Buffet (a DELLC dba)
Club Metro (a DELLC dba)
Club Metro Signature (a DELLC dba)
Cobo Arena (an Olympia Entertainment dba)
Dellc or DELLC (Detroit Entertainment LLC dba)
Detroit Entertainment LLC (dba MotorCity Casino, etc.)
Detroit Tigers, Inc.
Detroit Tigers Latin American Operations, Inc.
Detroit Red Wings
Downriver Properties & Land Development, Inc.
Elizabeth Street Properties LLC
Empire Associates, LLC
Empire Ventures, LLC
The Fox Theater (an Olympia Entertainment dba)
Gaming Entertainment Michigan (GEM) LLC
Gateway Casino Resorts, LLC (Hamptons/Long Island, NY Casino)
Gateway Funding Associates
Gateway Holdings, LLC
Gateway Manager, Inc.
Grand River Deli (a DELLC dba)
GP Development LLC
Hawaii Entertainment Associates, LLC
Hawaiian Manager, LLC
Holomua Hawaii
High Octane Café (a DELLC dba)
Hockeytown Cafe (an Olympia Entertainment dba)
I.E. Enterprises
IH Gaming, Inc. (successor of Circus Circus Michigan, Inc.)
IH Indemnity, LLC
IH Management, Inc.
I.H. Management, L.L.C.
Ilitch Holdings, Inc.
Innkeepers Managment LLC (owns Thomas Edison Inn)
Iridescence Experience (a DELLC dba)
Iridescence Restaurant (a DELLC dba)
Joe Louis Arena (an Olympia Entertainment dba)
JR Property Holdings, LLC (Heather Lufkins Robinson lawsuit)
J.R. Michigan LLC (Johnny Rockets)
Lakeland Tigers Food Service, Inc.
LC/CS Westland Inc. (Little Caesars/Chicken Shack)
LCB Barwest Holdings, LLC
LCB Barwest Manager, Inc.
LCB Barwest, LLC
Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. (multiple dba's)
Little Caesars International (See: List of 28 Other Assumed Names)
Little Caesars Pizza
Malik Developments Co
M&M Ventures, Inc.
M & M Ilitch Holdings, Inc. (est. 1997; changed name to Ilitch Holdings, Inc. in 2001)
M & M Realty Holdings, LLC
M & M Realty Holdings II, LLC
Michael Ilitch Trust
Michael J. Malik, Sr. Revocable Living Trust
MJM Bay Mills, Inc
MJM Blue Water, LLC
MJM Blue Water Investors, LLC
MJM Border Holdings, Inc.
MJM Charlotte Beach, LLC
MJM Consulting Associates, LLC
MJM Development Holdings, LLC (?) Delaware 8/21/06
MJM Enterprises
MJM Enterprises Development Co. (North American Gaming
Company)
MJM Interactive Venture, LLC
MJM Investments, LLC
MJM Manager, Inc.
MJM Manistee Inc.
MJM Music Productions, LLC
MJM Pleasant Family Holdings, LLC
MJM Retail Ventures, LLC
MJM Royal Properties, LLC
MJM Security Venture, LLC
MLC Financial Corporation
MM Annuity I, LLC
MM Annuity II, LLC
MM Family Mineral Ventures, LLC (Michael Malik)
MM Holdings, LLC
MMI Holdings LLC
MRS Holding Company, LLC
Moose Building, LLC
MotorCity Casino (a Detroit Entertainment LLC dba)
MotorCity e-cash (a DELLC dba)
MotorCity Memories (a DELLC dba)
MotorCity Millionaires (a DELLC dba)
MotorCity Pit Stop (a DELLC dba)
MCC Radio (a DELLC dba)
MCC Records (a DELLC dba)
MCC Recording Studio (a DELLC dba)
MotorCity Casino Radio (a DELLC dba)
MotorCity Casino Records (a DELLC dba)
MV Land Holdings, LLC
North American Gaming Company (MJM Enterprises Development Company)
Northern Michigan Food Services Company
Olympia Arenas, Inc.
Olympia Aviation, LLC (Tigers/Red Wing Airplane)
Olympia Building Corp.
Olympia Development, LLC
Olympia Development of Michigan, LLC
Olympia Entertainment, Inc.
Olympia Entertainment Overdrive (a DELLC dba)
Olympia Entertainment Tiger Ballpark, Inc. (dba Comerica Park)
Olympia Land Holdings, LLC
Paradice Entertainment and Gaming, LLC
Paradice Feed Company, LLC
Paradice Hunt Club
Paradice Hunt Club II, LLC
Paradice Marketing and Sales, LLC
PKC, L.L.C.
PKC, L.L.C. of Michigan
Ren Cen 4 Theaters, Inc.
Renegade Charters, LLC
Renegade Charters Manistee, LLC
Second-City, Detroit (an Olympia Entertainment dba)
Seven I's Inc.
Seven I's Realty Holdings, LLC
Signature Club (a DELLC dba)
Taillights (a DELLC dba)
The Atwater Fund, LLC
Tres Vite, Inc.
TS Ventures (Twist & Shout Gourmet Pretzels)
Uptown Entertainment
Vapors (a DELLC dba)
West Grand River Lofts, LLC
X.R.N. L.L.C.
Z.L.M. Corporation
Z.L.M. L.L.C.
Z.R.X. L.L.C.

Please contact us via comment or email if you have questions or wish to suggest additions or corrections to these lists. Thanks to all those who have provide insight and information that's helped build this list.

2002 Article sheds light on Ilitch involvement with Port Huron Casino bid

An article originally published on 10.23.02 in the Detroit News sheds light on the Ilitch Family's involvement with plans to build a Bay Mills Indian Community Casino in Port Huron, Michigan:

Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles
Marian Ilitch lobbies to legalize gambling in Hawaii, helps Port Huron gaming effort

...Al Sebastian, a spokesman for Ilitch Holdings Inc., parent company of Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. and other family endeavors said, "She has been successful in Detroit, and she's looking to duplicate that success elsewhere."

Some Detroit casino interests are in a lather about the prospect of a Port Huron casino. But Ilitch, 69, has merely played matchmaker between members of the Bay Mills Indian Community -- with whom she has had a relationship for about 10 years -- and federal lawmakers who ultimately will vote on the St. Clair County project, Sebastian said.

"We would do that for any group, whether it concerns proposed casinos, entertainment efforts or sporting events," Sebastian said...

The Port Huron question
Back home, Ilitch assistance, however tangential, with the Port Huron casino proposal and the Bay Mills tribe could raise eyebrows. Some Detroit casino interests think Port Huron is too far away to significantly dent their business, but others like MotorCity investor Tom Celani and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick contend the casino would take revenues from Detroit casinos -- and the city of Detroit.

Michigan Gov. John Engler and the Bay Mills tribe reached a settlement by which Bay Mills would drop a land claim in the Upper Peninsula if it were allowed to open a casino in Port Huron.

Sebastian confirmed that Marian and daughter Denise attended an Oct. 10 hearing called to discuss legislation allowing the Port Huron deal to proceed. But he said the main reason for the trip was to show off the Stanley Cup trophy won by the Red Wings to legislators.

"Marian and Denise Ilitch observed the hearings, but did not participate,"

Celani, a 10 percent shareholder in MotorCity, said a study by Detroit casinos showed that a Port Huron rival could cost the city of Detroit up to $20 million a year in tax revenues.

"We're disappointed," said Celani, who also co-owns a Harley-Davidson dealership in Farmington Hills. "Why should anybody in Detroit promote anything within a 150-mile radius? It doesn't make sense."

The city of Detroit could have a say, ultimately. Agreements with each of Detroit's three casinos prevent them from owning a piece of another casino within 150 miles.
Ilitch spokesman Sebastian said Celani's concerns are unfounded. "There is no ownership because there is no casino," Sebastian said of Ilitch's role. "It is not an issue."

But Ilitch believes that a Port Huron casino would help Metro Detroit.

"It's a good proposal that will help the tribe, Port Huron and the state if approved," Sebastian said.

"Members of our organization [Michael J. Malik, Sr.] have had a relationship with Bay Mills for 10 years," Sebastian said. "We had initial discussions about casinos before the Detroit casinos opened." At one time, Bay Mills wanted to build a casino near the Fox Theatre.

Recently "the tribe came to our organization to ask for our assistance to open doors for their proposed casino project in Port Huron," Sebastian said. "We introduced some of their members to a number of public officials in Washington, D.C."

In 2001, 54 percent of city voters approved a proposal to build a Port Huron casino.

Ilitch hasn't leaped at every casino opportunity, though. In 1999, she, along with Celani [and Michael Malik], was part of a group that would manage Little River Casino in Manistee. But Ilitch left the group. Ilitch and Celani are the two biggest local investors in Detroit casinos.

Other Detroiters are watching Port Huron developments.

The head of a group of about 100 Metro Detroiters owning 12 percent of MotorCity Casino has asked Ilitch about Port Huron. Ilitch has assured Vivian Carpenter, president of Atwater Entertainment Associates, that her children have no ownership interest in Port Huron, and that Marian Ilitch isn't violating a pact prohibiting the ownership of another casino within 150 miles...

Ilitch Family casino and development partner Michael J. Malik, Sr., and several entities he's affiliated with (Blue Water Resorts, MJM Enterprises, Blue Water Resorts Manager, Inc) are tied directly to the Bay Mills Indian casino scheme.

Michigan Indian tribe eyes second casino

7.16.08

Indian tribe plans for 2nd western Michigan casino

An American Indian tribe plans to open its second western Michigan casino at a closed thoroughbred horse racing track in the Muskegon area.

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians said Wednesday it's buying Great Lakes Downs in Muskegon County's Fruitport Township. The tribe's Little River Casino Resort is near Manistee.

Canada's Magna Entertainment closed the track last fall, saying it lost money there for years.

Tribal Chief Larry Romanelli, a Muskegon businessman, tells The Muskegon Chronicle the casino planned for the track site would bring jobs, businesses and tourism to the area.

Township Supervisor Ronald Cooper tells WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids it's too early to know how the township board will react.

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians: http://www.lrboi.com/

NOTE: Detroit-based gambling men Michael J. Malik, Sr. (aka Mike Malik) (MJM Manistee) and Tom Celani (Manistee Gaming) were behind the original Little River Casino Resort in Manistee. It's also been reported that Mrs. Marian Ilitch -- she now owns Detroit's MotorCity Casino -- was also a financial backer of the original Little River Casino. While Celani continued to manage the Little River Casino until 2004, documents filed with the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) indicate Mike Malik was removed from the management contract by at least 2002.

Original Michael Malik backed revenue sharing deal short-changes local government

Before the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians was allowed to open its Manistee casino in 1999, the tribe's backers negotiated agreements with the State of Michigan that requires the tribe to make payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) to local Manistee area governmental agencies via a local three-member Revenue Sharing Board (PILT fund).

Michael J. Malik and a partner managed/funded the tribe's entitlement and pre-development activities and no doubt helped to structure the agreements.

As a result, the tribe must share 2% of all slot machine profits with the local governments in lieu of property and other taxes. This year that amount is reported to be $2,039,000; however, if the tribe were to pay propety and other taxes like other local land/business owners, payments would exceed $2,160,000 -- a short fall (discount) of at least $121,000.

Further, this year local governments have made requests of the PILT fund which exceed $2,820,000; that's $781,000 less than the PILT fund has to award.

The original deal backed by Malik and his partners is a good one for the tribe but short-changes local government.

Little River Band's Manistee casino falls short of funds to make payments in lieu of taxes

10.10.07

GAMING NEWS

Slot profits don't cover local funding needs

MANISTEE, Michigan -- As reported by the Ludington Daily News: "The Manistee Local Revenue Sharing Board has about $2,039,000 in casino slot machine profits to share with local governments and agencies.

"That amount, however, isn't even enough to cover the $2.16 million payments in lieu of taxes (PILT) on the casino, let alone hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant requests made by the local governments.

"The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians owns the casino and does not pay taxes on that property. The PILT payments are a way of giving the affected governments the money they would have received if the tribe did pay the taxes.

"...In all, local governments are asking for $2.82 million, including the PILT payments. Nearly $135,000 of that money is for required public safety grants..."

"...Kaminski said it’s up to the board to decide how to divide the rest of the money, possibly even reducing PILT payments. He said the board asked him to write letters to the governments that receive PILT payments and tell them there is a good chance those payments will be cut by 11.82 percent."

Tom Celani: a biographical feature from Crain's Detroit Business

9.24.07

A man of many titles: Tom Celani has so many interests, it's hard to keep them straight

By Robert Ankeny

Tom Celani has to make a decision when you ask him for a business card.

He's either “owner” of Farmington Hills-based MotorCity Harley-Davidson and Bloomfield Hills-based MotorCity Power Sports; or he's “president and CEO” of Novi-based Luna Entertainment; or he's “proprietor” of TC Vineyards Inc., the Celani Family Vineyards in Napa Valley.

He's also an investor in a theater chain, a land developer in Arizona and Colorado, and a casino management consultant.

Celani, 51, of West Bloomfield Township, has grown a successful family wholesale beer company into an empire of businesses.

One source estimates Celani's companies could hit close to $250 million in revenue in 2007. His two dealerships employ about 110 people and had about $50 million in revenue last year, Celani said.

Celani expects to sell about 1,100 motorcycles this year at MotorCity, the top volume Harley-Davidson dealer in the Midwest. He is currently expanding the dealership from 30,000 to 40,000 square feet.

Walls in his upstairs office are decorated with Harley posters, a huge elk head and a large portrait of his wife Vicki and three children: Vinnie, Olivia and Ben.

On the wall near his desk is a striking photo of the Celani Family Vineyards in Napa Valley.

In many ways, Celani's heart is there on the sunny slopes that remind him of Italy, or back to Detroit's east side 40 years ago.

"I guess there always was a seed there, since I was a boy and worked with my grandfather Vincenzo in his basement making wine with grapes we'd buy at Eastern Market.

"He'd make about four barrels just for his own family and friends, and a small barrel of vinegar,” Celani said.

"I began collecting wines about 20 years ago, knew a good distributor, started going to tastings, and about 1987 put a few cases away."

Today, his home wine cellar is stocked with French, Italian and U.S. wines, and includes about 5,000 bottles, he said.

In 2005 he purchased a 20-acre vineyard with house and winery in Napa Valley.

"We're about a quarter-mile down the road from (race driver) Mario Andretti and (former Kmart CEO) Joe Antonini's vineyard," Celani said.

Celani has hired winemaker Mark Herold, who has been astonishing critics with his wines from small vineyards.

Our goal said Celani, is to build "a small, boutique, high-quality winery, and make wines sought after by great restaurants."

He said his wines — labeled "Ardore," meaning passion — will hit store shelves this fall with a limited amount of Chardonnay available in October and about 300 cases of a Cabernet/Merlot blend to be distributed by General Wine & Liquor Co. starting Nov. 1.

Celani's passion for wine-making extends to custom-designed bottles and a custom label. His love for wine has also led him to wine auctions, which in one case resulted in a spot on the board of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

CCS President Rick Rogers said the college family got to know Celani through the wine auctions before he became a trustee in 2003.

Celani is a big donor, as well as a major bidder at CCS wine auctions, Rogers said.

"We were already friends. Knowing of his interest in the mission of the institution, and of his level of enthusiasm, we thought he would be an asset to the board and that's worked out," Rogers said.

As a businessman, Celani also has fared well from his investments in the casino industry.

In March 1999, Celani hit a $30 million jackpot when International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) bought Sodak Gaming Inc., a South Dakota-based slot machine distribution company he had invested in.

"I bought two-thirds of the company for $2 because two partners wanted out ... and then invested $500,000 in it," Celani said.

Sodak became the exclusive slot machine distributor to North American Indian-owned casinos for IGT, the world's largest manufacturer of slot machines.

Celani owned more than 3 million shares, according to the 1998 annual proxy report of the then-publicly traded company, when IGT decided to buy Sodak and do its own distribution to tribal casinos.

He also was working with various start-up tribal casinos in Michigan and elsewhere. That led to a partnership in Detroit's MotorCity Casino.

Celani joined with Detroit entrepreneur Herb Strather and Greektown Casino L.L.C. founders Ted Gatzaros and Jim Papas to push for commercial casinos in Detroit by helping finance a statewide ballot campaign in November 1996.

"Tom was a good partner," Strather said. "We did our deal on a handshake, in July 1995, and signed paperwork a month later."

Celani had been supporting a proposal for an Indian casino complex called FoxTown to be built east of Woodward Avenue by the Bay Mills tribe and Harrah's Casinos of Las Vegas.

But then-Gov. John Engler blocked off-reservation casinos, Strather said.

"My recollections of Tom are that he always kept his word and he had guts. I'm very appreciative to have worked with him," Strather said.

Celani was a partner in MotorCity Casino L.L.C., and sold his share to Marian Ilitch when she gained total control in 2005.

Ilitch paid MGM Grand/Mirage Casinos $525 million for its Mandalay Bay holdings, a 53.5 percent share of MotorCity. She bought an additional 11.5 percent from Strather's group, Atwater Associates L.L.C., for $100 million and 10 percent from Celani for an undisclosed amount estimated at between $85 million and $100 million.

In addition to casinos, Celani is a major figure on Detroit's philanthropic scene.

In 2003, the Celanis donated $1 million worth of Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles, personal watercraft and other power sports items to the Central Michigan University College of Business Administration.

"Those were ingenious contributions," said Steve Smith, CMU director of media relations. "Celani's idea was that marketing students could find the best ways to sell the 'boy toys,' with the money from the sale going toward a student investment portfolio, the Tom and Vicki Celani Venture Capital Fund.

"It gave marketing students a chance to figure out how to get the best prices for those items, so the bikes were auctioned on eBay," he said.

Then finance students got to figure out how to invest the money in the stock market. "It gave them real world experience," Smith said.

Celani attended CMU as a freshman in 1974 but left to help run the family business — Action, a Livonia-based Miller beer distributorship — because his mother was dying.

In 2004, CMU awarded Celani an honorary doctorate for his "more than three decades as a business leader and entrepreneur."

And in 2005, the university named a new dorm on the Mt. Pleasant campus the Ben and Marion Celani Residence Hall in memory of Celani's parents.

Since 1982, one of Celani's favorite charitable endeavors has been Hearts of Livonia, founded in 1978 by his father. The nonprofit raises money for advanced life-support equipment at Livonia's St. Mary Mercy Hospital, giving $2.6 million to St. Mary and other charities, including more than 160 college scholarships for Livonia students.

The Celanis also support Rochester-based Sweet Dreams Project, Oakland Child Abuse and Neglect Council, and the Rainbow Make-a-Wish Foundation in Oakland County. They are also benefactors to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theatre.

"He's such a good community citizen," said David DiChiera, founder and general director of MOT. "You don't meet many people as open to supporting community efforts as he and Vicki."

He said the Celanis opened their home for a fund-raiser for the world premier of "Cyrano," DiChiera's own opera that will be performed Oct. 13-28.

"They do it with such grace, everything very beautifully done, and show so much enjoyment doing it," DiChiera said.

Robert Ankeny: (313) 446-0404, bankeny@crain.com

The Detroit Gaming Syndicators: Marian Ilitch, Michael Malik and Tom Celani

For almost 15 years, the trio of Detroit business leaders has been entangled in a web of casino syndication companies and affiliates. Together they bankrolled MotorCity Casino, The Little River Casino Resort in Manistee and various urban casino proposals with Harrah's and the Bay Mills Indian Community.

In 1993, Thomas Celani (a Bloomfield Hills, MI businessman; once president of his family's prized Detroit Miller Brewing distributorship; ventured into gaming as a major shareholder in slot machine manufacturer SODAK Gaming Inc.) first partnered with Michael J. Malik, Sr. (a Detroit area developer and self-identified entrepreneur) to form North American Gaming (NAG), a developer and operator of gaming facilities. Concurrently Celani formed TVC Enterprises Development Co. to represent his interests and at the same time Malik formed MJM Enterprises Development Co.

Their first big idea came together in 1994: a Bay Mills Indian casino in the Ilitch dominated Foxtown area of downtown Detroit in partnership with Harrah's; the casino would fund a new adjoining major league baseball park. While that plan made little progress, it was the start of an ongoing relationship between Celani, Malik, the Ilitch Family, the Bay Mills Indian Community and Las Vegas heavy-hitters like Harrah’s, Circus Circus and MGM Mirage.

North American Gaming backed and helped finance the 1994 casino ballot proposals in Detroit. Although approved by local voters, Governor Engler blocked the Detroit casinos from moving forward at that time.

In November 1996, Michigan voters statewide approved Proposal E, the creation of three Detroit casinos, by a 52-48 percent margin out of nearly 3.5 million votes cast. Z.R.X. L.L.C. (ZRX), a partnership that would include Celani, Ilitch and Malik bankrolled the campaign supporting Proposal E by contributing $5 million+ to fund an “11th hour” campaign advertising blitz. In recognition of their role in the success of Proposal E, Atwater Entertainment Associates a partnership of more than 100 Detroit area leaders who had originally contributed at least $25,000 each for membership in the LLC had agreed to form Atwater Casino Group (ACG) with ZRX and awarded Celani, Ilitch and Malik 85% ownership interest in ACG.

Within months of the Proposal E victory, Celani and Malik had brought in Circus Circus Enterprises and together with Atwater Casino Group formed Detroit Entertainment LLC, the company behind MotorCity Casino. Circus Circus agreed to provide the capital funding needed for the planning and development of MotorCity Casino and also reimburse Malik and Celani for the costs of the Proposal E campaign -- reimbursement of political contributions is generally not legal in states with post-Watergate political reform laws. Circus Circus would oversee MotorCity's management once it opened. And on November 20, 1997, Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer announced Detroit Entertainment would be one of two entities invited to negotiate casino development agreements with the City of Detroit.

In 1999, word leaked out of the Michigan Gaming Commission that several casino investors wouldn’t be qualified for gaming licenses. Malik was one of those individuals. Before facing disqualification and a reduction of share price, Malik sold his shares in MotorCity Casino to Marian Ilitch, moved into the offices of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. and then went into partnership with her on other gaming projects. Celani and Ilitch retained their collective 35% interest in MotorCity Casino.

Tom Celani was one of those Marian Ilitch bought-out in 2005 when she acquired 100% ownership of MotorCity Casino; however, not before Celani and other minority shareholders in MotorCity Casino sued Ilitch, seeking damages of more than $50 million, saying she violated the terms of their partnership when she negotiated the deal to buyout Mandalay Resort Group's 53.5% interest in MotorCity.

At the same time the trio pursued gaming opportunities in Detroit and plans to establish MotorCity Casino, their North American Gaming (Celani, Malik & Ilitch) began working with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians on plans for a Manistee, MI, casino resort and the necessary gaming compact required from the State of Michigan. They were instrumental in gaining Compact approvals in 1998.

In July 1999 the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians signed a management services agreement with Celani, Malik, and Manistee Gaming LLC. Celani and Malik were the first in Michigan to be awarded such a contract by an Indian casino. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) permits such outside contracts for tribal casinos for the first five years of operation with payments up to 30% of profits. The tribe opened their temporary Little River Manistee Casino that same month.

1999 served to be a banner year for Tom Celani when he reportedly pocketed more than $30 million upon the sale of Sodak Gaming Inc. of Rapid City, S.D., to the world's biggest slot machine maker, International Game Technology (IGT) of Reno, Nev. Celani was flush with cashand poised to make some new significant investments.

Throughout the better part of the 1990s; Tom Celani, the Ilitch Family and Michael Malik, expended substantial resources pursuing opportunities in Michigan to expand commercial and Indian gaming. With a couple of big success stories under their belts, the trio decided to parlay their experience beyond Michigan but took different paths.

Starting in 2000, Ilitch and Malik pursued casinos in New York; Hawaii; Barstow, California; and with the Bay Mills Indian Community. It's unclear if Celani was also an investor in any of these projects. In fact, it's not known who if anyone else Ilitch and Malik have included in their various ventures.

Celani, working with attorney James D. “Jim” Oegema, headed west and partnered with the Smith River Rancheria (Smith River Gaming LLC); Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians (Luna Gaming –Corning LLC); and Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians (Luna Gaming-San Diego LLC). They acquired ownership in the commercial Red-Dolly Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado. Today Celani has consolidated his numerous business ventures under the “Luna” family of companies’ banners: Luna Gaming, Luna Properties and Luna Entertainment. Luna, among other assignments, will now manage the casino in the Cal Neva Resort at Lake Tahoe once owned by Frank Sinatra.