Mike Ilitch was born on July 20th 1929; he is an American entrepreneur who started a business making pizzas in 1959. Ilitch started the business with $10,000 he had saved up while playing minor league baseball. Ilitch's first Little Caesars restaurant was opened in 1959 in a shopping mall in Garden City Michigan. By 1999, there were over 4000 Little Caesars restaurants in eight different countries. In 1982, Ilitch bought the Detroit Red Wings for $8 million dollars. The Red Wings are one of the National Hockey Leagues original six franchises. Before Ilitch, the Red Wings were not drawing much fan interest. Ilitch saw the potential in the franchise and he invested some money into the team and by 1986 ticket sales increase, selling out almost every game. The Red Wings won their division becoming contenders for the Stanley Cup. By the mid 1990's, the franchise was valued at over $200 million dollars.
             In 1993, Mike Ilitch bought the Detroit Tigers for $85 million dollars from Tom Monaghan owner of Domino's Pizza. Ilitch did not experience success early on with the Tigers as he did with the Red Wings. The MLB had much higher salaries then the NHL as well as different revenue sharing arrangements. After few years of ownership, Ilitch has said that he regretted buying the Tigers, and if he could do it all over again, he wouldn't have purchased the franchise. In 2012, Ilitch turned 83 years old, and before he dies, his dream is to see his Detroit Tigers win the World Series.
             Mike Ilitch was born on July 20th, 1929 in Detroit Michigan he was the son of Macedonian immigrants. His father Sotir worked for the Chrysler Corporation as a tool and die maker. A tool and die maker is a manufacturer who makes fixtures, dies, molds, cutting tools. Ilitch graduated from Cooley High School in 1947. After high school, Ilitch join the United States Marine Corps in which served four years. After his duty with the Marines he signed a...