Tropicana manager resigns

April 13, 2007

In online gambling news today, we are covering an interesting development in the land based gambling world. After only 3 months in his position, the general manager of the Tropicana has resigned.

Larry Johnson handed in his resignation two weeks before his final day on April 6.

Columbia Sussex Corp. Chief Financial Officer Richard FitzPatrick emphasized Friday that Johnson decided to leave for personal reasons.

 Obviously, the casino company is disappointed with the departure, but we are confident that the company will be able to find suitable replacement for the general manager. This resignation follows a sequence of lay offs and intended departures that has trimmed the staff by hundreds of jobs.

Assistant General Manager Penny Baratta has been named acting general manager until a new general manager has taken over.

Baratta started as a dealer at the Tropicana in 1979 and was promoted to her current post in January. She had previously been Tropicana's executive director of table games.

Baratta is sharing day-to-day operations with Mike Smith, Columbia Sussex's regional vice president of operations.

Smith oversees the company's Nevada operations, which include Westin Casuarina locally and four other properties in the state, from his office at the Tropicana.

Columbia Sussex owns and operates the Westin Casuarina and the Tropicana in Las Vegas, as well as four other gaming properties in the state. The company owns 13 gaming properties nationwide.

The Kentucky based hospitality company became the owner of the 34 acre Tropicana and three other casinos in January upon the closing of a $2.75 billion buy out of Aztar Corp.

Johnson was officially announced as the new general manager in January replacing Gary Van Hettinga who had been the president general manager since January 2005. He was the property's 32nd general manager in 50 years.

Johnson was brought over from the company's Laughlin property, River Palms, where he had held the same position.

Johnson had previously worked for Harrah's Las Vegas, Mirage Resorts, Black Hawk Gaming and Development Co., and Ameristar Casinos before joining Columbia Sussex.

(343)