In November 2001, Michigan State Representative "Buzz" Thomas (Samuel Thomas III) authored and introduced House Resolution 0259 honoring the life of Lawrence P. Doss.
Among many other accomplishments, Doss was one of the organizers of Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC, the syndicated entity that bankrolled approvals of gambling in Detroit and started MotorCity Casino. Doss was recognized as Manager/Treasurer of Atwater and was a signator to the Detroit Entertainment LLC Operating Agreement as representative of Atwater. That agreement tied together members of Atwater with a partnership that included Marian Ilitch, Tom Celani and Michael Malik, and Las Vegas-based Circus Circus (Mandalay Resort Group) to form the entity that does business as Detroit's MotorCity Casino.
A list of those who were "investors" indicates that then-Representative Thomas (he's now a State Senator) and Doss were partners in Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC. Mr. Doss's interests in Atwater were transferred to Judith Y. Doss in October 2001.
In 2005, Marian Ilitch initiated a buy-out of her Atwater partners -- presumably including Samual "Buzz" Thomas III and Judith Doss -- which some valued at more than $100 million.
Showing posts with label Lawrence Doss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lawrence Doss. Show all posts
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Strather identified those who formed nucleus of Atwater Associates in 1994
excerpted from an article published on 2.21.05 in Crain's Detroit:
Strather, not known for consistency, appears to leave out Lawrence P. Doss in his references to AEA's original members although Doss signed the original Articles of Organization for Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC (AEA) in January 1995 along with Strather and Varner. Doss has been noted as Manager/Treasurer of AEA and along with Strather and Verner he was a signatory to the Detroit Entertainment LLC Operating Agreement on behalf of AEA.
Strather had formed another entity, Atwater Entertainment Associates, Inc., in May 2004. He changed the name to AEA, Inc. in January 2005 and the Michigan DL&EG indicates that entity expired in July 2005.
Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC was dissolved by Vivian Carpenter, Strather's wife, in September 2006.
See List: Investors - Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC
That same article reported that Strather raised "about $3.3 million through Atwater to help win approval for three Detroit casinos in a 1996 statewide election campaign."
When MotorCity was being organized in the days before the city's Detroit casinos were authorized, [Herb]Strather said, 112 Detroit area people each bought one or more $25,000 units in the company that eventually founded the casino.
"Many put in $100,000, four units," he said, making their holdings worth about $1.7 million today.
Strather said this investment growth in MotorCity doesn't include the $38.5 million that he and three other initial investors - Nellie Varner, Ron Slavik and James Blain - received when they sold their shares to Ilitch and to Mandalay, operating partner for MotorCity.
These four, along with former New Detroit President Paul Hubbard, funeral director O'Neill Swanson, and Barbara Callaway, who was Strather's grade-school teacher, were the original investors in 1994 when the city of Detroit voted approval for three casinos, Strather said.
Strather, not known for consistency, appears to leave out Lawrence P. Doss in his references to AEA's original members although Doss signed the original Articles of Organization for Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC (AEA) in January 1995 along with Strather and Varner. Doss has been noted as Manager/Treasurer of AEA and along with Strather and Verner he was a signatory to the Detroit Entertainment LLC Operating Agreement on behalf of AEA.
Strather had formed another entity, Atwater Entertainment Associates, Inc., in May 2004. He changed the name to AEA, Inc. in January 2005 and the Michigan DL&EG indicates that entity expired in July 2005.
Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC was dissolved by Vivian Carpenter, Strather's wife, in September 2006.
See List: Investors - Atwater Entertainment Associates LLC
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