LittleSis: Michael Ilitch

Emperor of Little Caesars pizza empire started off fielding ground balls in the Detroit Tigers farm system. Injury ended baseball career; opened first slice shop 1959. Modeled franchise on Ray Kroc's McDonald's: cheap ingredients, fast service, drive-up windows. Famous for "Pizza Pizza" 2-for-1 promotions. Trouble late 1990s; refurbished stores, ditched frozen cheese. Estimated annual sales: $1.6 billion. Detroit native bought Tigers 1992. Also owns pro hockey's Detroit Red Wings; team won Stanley Cup in June (fourth championship since 1997). Wife, Marian, owns Detroit's MotorCity Casino. Facing new competition from MGM Mirage; economic downturn depressing casino valuations. The son of Macedonian immigrants, Mr. Ilitch played baseball at Detroit’s Cooley High School and was signed by his hometown Tigers after his four-year stint in the US Marines, spending three years in the team’s farm system before a knee injury ended his playing career. But he found his niche in business. His family’s companies had combined revenues of $2.4 billion in 2011. Mr. Ilitch broke into sports ownership in 1982, when he paid a reported $8 million for the struggling Red Wings. Once a National Hockey League powerhouse, the team had bottomed out to mediocrity, but it began winning again under Ilitch. The Red Wings took home the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2008. Ilitch also bought Olympia Entertainment, which manages several restaurants and sports and entertainment venues, in 1982. Husband and wife bought the downtown Fox Theatre five years later and started a massive, $12 million restoration. It reopened a year later and became a lucrative venue for musicals, plays, and other productions. Then, in 1992, the man who once dreamed of playing for the Detroit Tigers bought the team for $85 million. He moved it in 2000 from the storied but fading Tiger Stadium to Comerica Park, across from the Fox Theatre. All of Mr. Ilitch’s businesses have their headquarters in the Detroit metropolitan area. His son Christopher is president and chief executive officer of Ilitch Holdings. In addition to his wife Marian and his son Christopher, Mr. Ilitch is survived by his sons Michael Jr., Atanas and Ron; his daughters, Denise, Lisa and Carole; 22 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Donor	Common Recipients
Daniel DeVos	John Boehner, Joseph Knollenberg, Bill Schuette, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Ronna Romney, Susan Heintz, Dave Trott, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Terry Rakolta	Joseph Knollenberg, Debbie Stabenow, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Ronna Romney, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Dave Trott
Josephine Templeton	Mark Kennedy, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee
Lorenzo Fertitta	John Boehner, Hillary Clinton, Daniel Ken Inouye, Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, Don Young, Mark Kennedy, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Republican Party of Wisconsin, Rich Political Action Committee, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Scott D Farmer	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Arte Moreno	Harry Reid, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Carol Moseley Braun, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball Political Action Committee, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee
William D Perez	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Spencer Partrich	Joseph Knollenberg, Carl Levin, Sander Martin Levin, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, Rudy Giuliani, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Bob Carr, Ronna Romney, Patrick N Nowak
Stephen Schwarzman	John Boehner, Daniel Ken Inouye, Charles Rangel, Chuck Schumer, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Dennis Bassford	John Boehner, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, Debbie Stabenow, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Searchlight Leadership Fund, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party
Robert Coletti	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Susan Castellini	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball Political Action Committee, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Ward J Timken Jr	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Edward C Levy Jr	John Boehner, Daniel Ken Inouye, Joseph Knollenberg, Carl Levin, Sander Martin Levin, Candice S Miller, Chuck Schumer, Bart T Stupak, Don Young, Barbara-Rose Collins, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Republican Party of Minnesota, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Wisconsin, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Bob Carr, Ronna Romney, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Dave Trott, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
John Rakolta Jr	John Boehner, Joseph Knollenberg, Carl Levin, Candice S Miller, Debbie Stabenow, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Minnesota, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oklahoma Leadership Council, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Bob Carr, Ronna Romney, Patrick N Nowak, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Dave Trott
James Hagedorn	John Boehner, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee, Boehner for Speaker Cmte, Trump Make America Great Again Committee
Helen DeVos	Joseph Knollenberg, Bill Schuette, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Ronna Romney, Dave Trott
Cheri DeVos VanderWeide	Joseph Knollenberg, Bill Schuette, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, New Hampshire Republican State Committee, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oklahoma Leadership Council, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, Maine Republican Party, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Idaho Republican Party, Vermont Republican Federal Elections Committee
Richard Kinder	John Boehner, Sander Martin Levin, Don Young, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, Rudy Giuliani, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, Arizona Republican Party, Massachusetts Republican State Congressional Committee, Republican Party of Iowa, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, Nevada Republican State Central Committee, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Boehner for Speaker Cmte
Ronald Weiser	John Boehner, Joseph Knollenberg, Candice S Miller, Mark Kennedy, Bill Schuette, George W Bush, Republican National Committee, National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, Arkansas Leadership Committee 2004 Fcrc, Michigan Republican Party, New Jersey Republican State Committee, Ohio Republican Party State Central & Executive Committee, Republican Federal Committee of Pennsylvania, Republican Party of Florida, Republican Party of Minnesota, Washington State Republican Party, Republican Party of Wisconsin, 2004 Joint State Victory Committee, Oregon Republican Party, Missouri Republican State Committee-Federal, George H W Bush, Mitt Romney, Ronna Romney, Susan Heintz, Dave Trott, Boehner for Speaker Cmte

Donor

Common Recipients

Daniel DeVos