The casino industry has lost Felix Rappaport, CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. The longtime industry veteran was taken from us while staying in a Foxwoods suite that he maintained 
while away from his family home in Las Vegas. This news hits close to home because Felix was a columnist for Casino Executive Magazine during the time I was its managing editor. His advice to fellow executives was always direct, candid, elegantly written and seasoned with humor. The latter stemmed from Felix’s lack of pretension about himself: His Casino Executive head shot featured him wearing a necktie adorned with a pattern of flyswatters. When not writing or being one of Vegas’ leading casino executives, he could found coaching a Little League team.
Rappaport’s sense of playfulness will live on in many signature features at Foxwoods, including the Foxwoods Extreme Adventures Thrill Park. The Mashantucket Pequot tribal council stated that it would “consider how to best resume Rappaport’s strategic plan for growth in the days ahead with a continued focus on the property’s long-term vision.” That’s going to be much easier said than done. Felix had a vast resumé in the casino industry, stretching back to Station Casinos, opening the property that reinventing the company’s image, Boulder Station. At MGM Mirage his portfolio included The Mirage, New York-New York, Excalibur and Luxor, before being eased out by CEO Jim Murren. MGM’s loss was quickly Foxwoods’ gain. (Murren issued a classy statement reading, in part, “Felix was a member of the MGM Resorts family for more than two decades and is remembered fondly by many. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time.”)
Tributes were quick to roll in. Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler, the man who saw that even in his sixties Felix still had a lot of miles left in him, said “With his passing, we have suffered a major loss. Felix’s passion for modernizing and growing Foxwoods, as well as his friendship, mentorship and humor touched everyone who worked with him. We are confident that Felix’s legacy will live on as we continue to push forward on the vision he set.”
American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman stated, “Felix made profound contributions to the gaming industry over decades of service to several casino operators. In recent years, Felix led Foxwoods Resort Casino and was a driving force behind their active engagement in the AGA. We could always count on Felix to be publicly supportive, privately constructive and dedicated to the best interests of the gaming industry. We will miss his humor, companionship and unique ability to find the positive.”
“Felix was hands-down the best president and CEO I have ever worked with,” said SPI Entertainment CEO Adam Steck, whose company went from Thunder Down Under to producing seven Strip shows. Rappaport also brokered the deals that brought Carrot Top and Criss Angel to the Strip, mixed blessings though those might have been. Both men were quick to express their sadness at Rappaport’s passing. Throw in Rita Rudner, Menopause the Musical, the Australian Bee Gees revue and Boyz II Men, and Felix obviously had a sixth sense for entertainment that would ‘play’ in notoriously hard-to-please Vegas.
Unlike many in the industry, Felix leaves only good memories in his wake. But that’s the kind of man he was.
Very sad indeed. RIP