Don Marrandino didn’t look back when he left Harrah’s Atlantic City in 1989. He joined the Rio in Las Vegas, where he was responsible for setting up the nightclub scene in that seminal property.

When he moved on to Station Casinos, Marrandino’s Atlantic City past seemed a distant memory; as chief operating officer of the Hard Rock Hotel, then president for a short time of Wynn Las Vegas, Marrandino seemed built for the desert. He took several down-and-out properties and revived them as hip (or semi-hip) mid-Strip properties, leading the Flamingo, Harrah’s Las Vegas, O’Shea’s, the Imperial Palace and Bills Gambling Hall into the 21st century.

But Marrandino’s Las Vegas days are over. Last month, he was named president of Harrah’s Eastern Division, which includes the company’s all-important Atlantic City casinos and its Chester racino. News of the appointment followed the news that Carlos Tolosa, with the company since its Holiday Inn days, will soon retire.

Marrandino was born in Atlantic City and grew up in Brigantine. His family still calls the island home, and Marrandino admits he always had “sand in my shoes”—and he didn’t mean desert sand.

The shakeup will send Rick Mazer, a longtime Harrah’s executive, to Las Vegas to take Marrandino’s former position. Dan Nita, previously in charge of Harrah’s AC properties, will assume Mazer’s old job as general manager of Harrah’s Hammond in northern Indiana. Nita will presumably also oversee the company’s Midwest riverboats in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa.

Tolosa will stay on until the end of the year, assisting Marrandino with the transition and working with Harrah’s Chairman Gary Loveman on “strategic initiatives.”

Known for his unique feel for entertainment, Marrandino was doubted last year when he brought Donnie and Marie Osmond to headline at the

Loveman announced the changes in an email to employees and executives that described Marrandino as an “engaging and creative leader.”
    “Don is probably most well-known for his innovative entertainment strategies, but he’s more than Mr. Entertainment,” Loveman wrote. “Throughout his career, he has shown an unwavering dedication to service and a knack for cultivating innovation.”

By Casino Connection Staff

Comments(1):

1. Missed Opp

   You will be missed

   Monday, October 19, 2009 robbynne