Joseph Terrence Lanni (March 14, 1943 – July 14, 2011) was an American casino executive. He was the former chairman of the board and former CEO of

MGM Mirage MGM Resorts International is an American global hospitality and entertainment company operating destination resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Detroit, Mississippi, Maryland, and New Jersey, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, and Par ...

Early life

Joseph Terrence Lanni was born on March 14, 1943, in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. He graduated from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

with a B.S. degree in business.

Career

Lanni served as Treasurer of Republic Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange-listed conglomerate based in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Lanni joined Caesars World in January 1977 as Chief Financial Officer, was named Senior Vice President in April 1978, and elected Executive Vice President in December 1979. He was a senior executive of Caesars World, Inc. for 18 years, serving as president and Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of that company from April 1981 to February 1995. Lanni joined

MGM Grand, Inc. MGM Resorts International is an American global hospitality and entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is ...

as president, chief executive officer and Director in 1995. In July 1995 he was named chairman and CEO. In 2000, he oversaw the acquisition of Mirage Resorts by MGM Grand, Inc., which created MGM Mirage. Lanni served as a member of the Board of Directors of the

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club The Del Mar Fairgrounds is a event venue in Del Mar, California. The annual San Diego County Fair is held here, which was called the Del Mar Fair from 1984 to 2001. In 1936, the Del Mar Racetrack was built by the Thoroughbred Club with foundi ...

; the Board of Trustees of the

Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the repository of presidential records from the administration of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, and the burial place of the president and first lady, Nancy Reagan. It is the larg ...

;

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mis ...

, and the Board of Overseers of the

Keck School of Medicine The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California teaches and trains physicians, biomedical scientists and other healthcare professionals, conducts medical research, and treats patients. Founded in 1885, it is the second oldest ...

at the University of Southern California. Lanni also served as Chair of the

American Gaming Association The American Gaming Association (AGA) is a United States gambling industry association. It was founded in 1994 with the goal of promoting, educating and lobbying on behalf of the gambling industry through education and advocacy. The AGA's offices ...

. He was appointed by the Speaker of the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in 1997 to serve on the nine-member National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Lanni received the "Alumnus of the Year Award" from

USC Marshall School of Business The USC Marshall School of Business is the business school of the University of Southern California. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. In 1997 the school was renamed following a $35 million donation fr ...

in 1992. In October 2000 he was inducted into the

Gaming Hall of Fame The Gaming Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to recognize individuals who have played a significant role in the gaming-entertainment industry. The Gaming Hall of Fame Charity Gala is an annual event organized by the American Gaming Associatio ...

, and in January 2001 was the recipient of Casino Journal's 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award. He received the Sarno Award for Lifetime Achievement in Casino Design from the

Global Gaming Expo Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is a gambling industry trade show presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and organized by Reed Exhibitions. The flagship G2E convention debuted in 2001 and is held each fall in Las Vegas, Nevada. G2E Las Vega ...

in 2012. Lanni resigned as CEO of MGM Mirage on November 30, 2008, after allegations of plagiarism over his degree.

Personal life and death

Lanni had a wife, Debbie, and two sons. He died July 14, 2011, aged 68, from cancer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanni, Terrence American chief executives of travel and tourism industry companies Businesspeople in the casino industry Chaminade High School alumni Marshall School of Business alumni Keck School of Medicine of USC people Santa Clara University people 2011 deaths 1943 births People from Greater Los Angeles Deaths from cancer in California American chief operating officers American chief financial officers MGM Resorts International