Business & brands / Sports / Food
Mike Ilitch
1929–2017 · founder of Little Caesars, owner of the Red Wings and Tigers
Son of Macedonian immigrants who founded Little Caesars, bought the Red Wings and Tigers, and restored the Fox Theatre as his headquarters.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Detroit, Michigan
aged 87- Birth name
- Michael Ilitch
- Also known as
- Mr. I
- Detroit years
- 1929–2017
- Field
- Business & brands, Sports, Food
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Ilitch was born in Detroit to Macedonian immigrants, graduated from Cooley High School, served in the Marines and played four seasons of minor-league baseball in the Tigers' system. In 1959 he and his wife Marian opened the first Little Caesars Pizza Treat in Garden City, which grew into one of the world's largest pizza chains. In 1982 he bought the struggling Detroit Red Wings for $8 million; the team made the playoffs 25 years in a row and won the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. He restored the 1928 Fox Theatre in 1988 and moved his company headquarters into its office tower, and in 1992 he bought the Tigers from Tom Monaghan, moving them to Comerica Park in 2000. He quietly paid Rosa Parks's rent for years after she was attacked in 1994. He pushed for the Little Caesars Arena and District Detroit but died in February 2017, months before it opened, and is buried at Holy Sepulchre.
Highlights
- Co-founded Little Caesars in Garden City in 1959
- Owner of the Detroit Red Wings (1982–2017): four Stanley Cups
- Owner of the Detroit Tigers (1992–2017); Comerica Park opened 2000
- Restored the Fox Theatre in 1988
- Paid Rosa Parks's rent from 1994 until her death in 2005
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 8
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Worked here · 1987–2017
Fox Theatre
The 5,000-seat movie palace he bought and restored in 1988, making its office tower the Ilitch companies' headquarters.
Related place · 1982–2017
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
The Red Wings' riverfront home during his ownership and four Stanley Cup wins; closed in 2017 and later demolished.
Founded · 2000–2017
Comerica Park
The downtown ballpark built for his Tigers, which left Tiger Stadium in 2000.
Founded · 2017
Little Caesars Arena
The arena he championed as the heart of District Detroit; it opened in September 2017, seven months after his death.
Buried here · 2017
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery
The Catholic cemetery in Southfield where he is buried.
Founded · 1987–2017
Fox Theatre
The 1928 movie palace on Woodward that the Ilitches bought and restored in the late 1980s, moving their company offices into the building.
Related place · 2000–2017
Comerica Park
The Tigers' downtown ballpark, built under Ilitch's ownership to replace Tiger Stadium.
Memorial · 2017–
Little Caesars Arena
Arena of the Red Wings and Pistons in the District Detroit, developed by the Ilitch organization and named for their company; opened months after his death.