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Gaming Guru  The legacy of Warren L. Mason10 April 2013
By Rudi Schiffer The official obituary from the funeral home in Gulfport stated that Warren L. Mason, 56, of Biloxi, MS died Easter Sunday after a long courageous battle with cancer. And that he was a devoted husband and survived by his beloved wife of thirty-three years, Sherrie, and was the proud father of three loving children, Nicole, Shane, and Laura, and Papa to his precious grandchildren, Mason, Maya, and Maddox. Obits stick to the facts like a legal notice in the newspaper, but there is a larger story to tell. It’s not easy to summarize a man’s life in a short feature so forgive me if I pass over some milestones. Warren, Regional Vice President of Operations at the MGM Resorts properties of Beau Rivage in Biloxi and Gold Strike in Tunica, had a remarkable career that spanned 30 years in a tough business. But he was a devoted professional in that industry and over the years he rose from a dealer at Dell Webb’s Claridge Casino in Atlantic City, became a pit boss at Trump Castle, moved to casino shift manager at Southern Belle in Tunica and when that house went bankrupt, he moved to Horseshoe and later became Vice President of Table Games where he was a protégé of legendary Jack Binion. His career was bearing fruit. When Binion sold Horseshoe Warren moved South to join his close friend, George P. Corchis, Jr. President and COO of MGM Resorts International Regional Operations. That was in 2006 right after Hurricane Katrina paid an unwelcome and devastating visit to the Gulf Coast gaming industry. He went right to work and played a vital role in the reopening team’s efforts to get the the beautiful resort back on its foundation and within a year the property was restored. Two years later Warren was promoted to VP of Table Games for MGM Resorts International Mississippi properties where he was instrumental in conceptualizing and implementing strategic initiative to increase market share and ensure profit not only at the Beau Rivage but at Gold Strike. A native of New Jersey, Warren came South with a group of friends, the Jersey Boys, to start a new life with more opportunity. It paid off for most of them and Warren, who was a tireless worker with a capacity to make friends with everyone he encountered along the way. Those thousands included not just players, but his staff, colleagues, and people outside of the industry. His kind heart and unwavering dedication to his profession proved that casino executives were not just cold-hearted guys looking at the bottom line all the time, but were real people who respected the various publics they dealt with daily. He considered his team of loyalists as an extension of his beloved family and his bare-faced enthusiasm was contagious to all he came into contact with. How did he maintain this great demeanor when he was harboring a killer within; Cancer. Two weeks before the Southern Belle Casino went bankrupt, Warren was found to have cancer. When the Belle folded he was left without medical insurance and faced a future with his life in the balance. He fought the enemy tenaciously, for off and on for20 years, but on this past Easter Sunday, he passed to a better place. He was so loved by his family, that son Shane, quit a well-paid job in Texas to be with his father in the last several months of his life. Corchis had an insiders’ perspective of Warren and said, “to paint a complete picture of Warren’s contribution to this world is impossible, but I can honestly say that he had two true passions in this life…his family was first and foremost and next was his ‘other’ family, the casino industry. “He had a passion for his job and the people he managed unlike anyone else I’ve ever met…he was a man who truly cared about everyone he came in contact with. His legacy of love, compassion, strength and passion for work and family lives on directly through all of those fortunate enough to have known him. Heard it on the River is published courtesy of Jackpot Magazine, the South's leading gaming newspaper. Heard it on the river13 December 2012
I would think that many of us hope 2013 is a lot better than the year about to end. Heck, even a little better would be fine. So many challenges remain out there that affect the casino industry and with them a lot of economic uncertainty. While the biz takes its share of arrows it is still a great source of ... (read more)
Southland Park upgrades to the tune of $11 million11 May 2012
The Mississippi River Flood of a year ago devastated the gaming industry which shut down in Tunica but when that door closed another opened wider for Southland Park Gaming & Racing in West Memphis, AR., which escaped the water and suddenly was the only gaming spot available to ever-eager gamblers. ... (read more)
Heard It on the River: Glitz on the Mississippi8 May 2012
Trop Casino is a pretty exotic name for a casino situated on the banks of the Mississippi in Delta country but it’s a name that gets your attention in a landscape where some glitz is a good thing. The name and upgraded facility is the replacement for Lighthouse Casino and Jubilee Casino in Greenville. ... (read more)
Heard it on the River: Crapsless craps?CRAPLESS CRAPS is making a comeback at the Fitz Tunica and with a name like that, it is bound to attract players, some who know the game, and others who ask…what the heck is this game? We kept getting requests to bring it back and finally we decided it would be a good idea and to make it even more ... (read more)Mississippi poker room manager makes the rules her wayWhen you walk into the poker room at Gold Strike Casino Resort, tucked away by the dual escalators on the second floor, you may only see one lady there in the male dominated setting but with her spiked short cut blonde hair and an imposing figure of authority, you will know at once this is HER ro... (read more)Heard it on the River: Rudi succumbs to social media pressureNever thought I would succumb to this “social media” stuff sweeping the world and making our lives busier than we want them to be. After deriding it for over a year I have jumped on the bandwagon that is exponentially growing at a horrific rate and I can now bore you on TWITTER@RUDISCHIFFER, FACEBOOK, and even by blogging at GOODTIMESRADIO.BLOGSPOT.COM. ... (read more)Heard it on the River: Myths part of the gameThey come from far away with money in their pockets and stars in their eyes looking for the Golden Fleece. They wander up to a blackjack table a bit tentatively and slide into a seat after watching the play for awhile. Your suspicion is confirmed when they hold the cards they are dealt with both hands until ... (read more)Heard it on the River: Madam Chief a first for ChoctawsPhyllis Anderson is a busy lady but finds time for three children, is stepmother to four more and grandmother to two. Now she has added to her workload and was inaugurated Tuesday as the first female chief of the proud Mississippi Band of Choctaws…an energetic and ambitious tribe that has carved out a ... (read more) |
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