Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • A1

ike Ilitch rose from a humble west-side neighborhood to assemble a food, sports and entertainment empire that enabled him to return the Stanley Cup to Hockeytown, build both a new arena and a ball- park with a Ferris wheel, restore the grandeur of iconic Fox Theatre and introduce metro Detroit to the conceptof From his first Little Caesars outlet in a Garden City strip mall in 1959 where a pizza cost $2.39 Ilitch, aided at every step by Marian, his wife of 61 years, became a major metro Detroit personality and akey figure in the revival of downtown Detroit. In addition to founding the Little Caesars pizza chain, he owned the Red Wings, Tigers and the Fox Theatre, and operated city- owned Joe Louis, Cobo, and Little Caesars arenas, among other smaller businesses, teams and restaurants. Mike Ilitch, one of the most famous Detroiters of his time, died Friday at the age of 87, according to his company, Ilitch Holdings. His family will honor him at a private funeral service, and a public memorial Champion for Detroit Visionary turned pizza into billions, left city asports legacy AMY FREE PRESS Mike Ilitch at the administrative offices of Comerica Park in 2006. Ilitch, one of the most famous Detroiters of his time, died Friday at the age of 87, according to his company, Ilitch Holdings.

MIKE ILITCH 1929-2017 By John Gallagher and Bill McGraw Detroit Free Press See ILITCH, Page4A Vol. 186, Number 283 2017 Detroit Free Press Printed in the U.S. $1.50 CONTACT US Delivery questions: 800-395-3300 News tip hotline: 313-222-6600 Classified: 586-977-7500; 800-926-8237 ONGUARDFOR185YEARS Saturday2.11.2017www.freep.com 4C 8A 7B 6C 2A 6A 2C 1C 2A 3A 3C 4-5C 1B INDEX MILD AND MISTY More clouds and rain Sunday FORECAST, 2A 45 33 High Low.