Mileti Builds the 'Big House'
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THE PLAIN DEALER . SUNDAY, JULY 4, 1999 5-H OURCENTURY 1974 ATA GLANCE Mileti builds the ‘Big House’ By Fred McGunagle Green and blue spotlights criss- crossed the floor, sparkling off the specially created gold commemora- tive medallions around the necks of guests. Resplendent in his brown mo- hair tuxedo, Nick Mileti happily ac- knowledged the applause of thou- sands. It was Oct. 26, 1974, and Mileti, 43- year-old “sports magnate,” was open- ing the gleaming $25 million Coli- seum in Richfield. It was the acme of an almost unbelievable career that had started with part-time jobs in the PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTO fourth grade at Corlett Elementary Frank Robinson. School. “Superstar Mileti Makes American Dream Come True,” a Plain Dealer profile had said in 1972. That was the year Mileti added the OPEC has city Cleveland Indians to his National Basketball Association Cavaliers and over a barrel American Hockey League Barons. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Now, in 1974, he also owned the Countries, the oil cartel, had raised prices World Hockey Association Crusad- twice in late 1973. In January, it raised them ers, with stars for whom he had out- again — to $11.56 a barrel, nearly four times bid the National Hockey League. He the October price. also owned radio station WWWE. The “oil shock” hit America hard, but it hit From his two-story loge high up in Cleveland harder than most places. Not only the Coliseum, Mileti cheered Frank did Clevelanders face long lines at gas pumps Sinatra, whom Mileti had paid and lower speed limits, but the auto industry $250,000 as the Coliseum’s opening — the area’s backbone — led the nation into act. So did those inside the building, PLAIN DEALER FILE PHOTO recession. Buyers discovered that not only many in tuxes and evening gowns for were Japanese cars more economical than the champagne party to follow. The Colisuem’s cement floor is poured just days ahead of its opening. American “gas guzzlers,” but they had fewer Outside, the scene was different. quality problems. Interstate 271 was a parking lot. Cars Within a year, General Motors had laid off trapped in the jam were overheating more than 7,000 workers in northern Ohio. and running out of gas. Drivers who The Lordstown Vega assembly plant was shut- managed to reach the Ohio 303 exit ting down for a week or two at a time. The GM were forced by police to keep going Fisher Body Division laid off employees in into the countryside because the Coli- Cleveland, Euclid and Elyria. Ford announced seum parking lot was full. shutdowns at its Lorain plant, which assem- Many abandoned their cars. bled Mercury Montegos and Ford Torinos. Clutching their $25 tickets, they Suppliers to the auto industry were affected, slogged through the mud toward the especially steel and rubber companies. So lights of the Coliseum a half-mile were machine tools and machinery industries, away. One woman in an evening gown as plants canceled expansion plans. By year’s clambered up an embankment and end, there were 8 million unemployed Ameri- fell in the weeds. She struggled to her cans — the most since 1940. The unemploy- feet, only to fall in a ditch. ment rate was 6.1 percent in Greater Cleve- The problems continued into the land, and twice that in the city. first athletic event, a Crusaders hockey game the next week. It had to • be called off because the ice-making John Glenn made good his vow to oppose equipment didn’t work. The same Howard Metzenbaum for the Senate seat to thing happened for the second game. which Metzenbaum had been appointed by But gradually, the Coliseum over- Gov. John Gilligan. In the climactic City Club came the bugs. It presented a steady debate the weekend before the primary, Met- run of circuses, ice shows and rock zenbaum scoffed that Glenn had never held a concerts. All who saw it agreed it was job in private life. a fine facility, even though there were Glenn replied: “Go with me and tell and a problems with the location — espe- Gold Star mother her son didn’t hold a job. Go cially when snow turned hilly Ohio to Arlington Cemetery, watch those flags, 303 into a toboggan run. stand there and tell those people they didn’t have a job.” Glenn won the primary and went • on to a landslide victory over Ralph Perk in Mileti was a born promoter. He November. started with events for his alma Councilman Dennis Kucinich was running mater, Bowling Green State Univer- for Congress again, this time against State sity, and the Miss Lakewood beauty The crowd — at least those who weren’t stuck on the interstate — gathers for Frank Sinatra’s opening show at the Rep. Ron Mottl for the open 23rd District seat. pageant in Lakewood Park for the Coliseum. His aggressive campaign prompted the Press Lakewood Jaycees. to observe editorially that “Dennis the menace In the early 1960s, he told Lake- wood Mayor Frank Celeste the Jay- That same year, he suddenly nis League. Akronites adopted the has become Dennis the demagogue.” Mottl emerged as owner of the Indians, Cavs as “their” team. Clevelanders won a close race. cees wanted to do something more significant. Celeste told him Congress buying the team from financially braved the icy roads, though there James Rhodes, meanwhile, tried to regain strapped Vernon Stouffer. Again, oth- had just created a senior citizen was no public transportation and the the governorship he had held from 1963 ers put up most of the money. “Why apartment program in which spon- traditional blue-collar fans began to through 1970. In 1970, when he was ineligible are you assuming I put in any drift away. to seek a third term, he was defeated in the sors need put up only a small amount money?” he asked an interviewer. “I Republican Senate primary by Robert Taft, of “seed money.” The result, in 1963, Population was in decline. The put in work and talent. There are dif- megalopolis that demographers while Gilligan was governor. Pundits said the was the Westerly, the first senior citi- ferent things that make a partner- times had passed the 65-year-old Rhodes by. zen apartments in the country. ship. Sometimes you put in money called “Cuyahoga Valley City” in Gilligan, buoyed by polls showing him with a Another result was that Mileti and and sometimes you don’t.” their predictions failed to material- big lead, adopted an above-the-fray attitude. Celeste found themselves the most By 1974, Mileti’s teams were strug- ize; instead, the Census Bureau But in the last 10 days, Rhodes unleashed a knowledgeable lawyers in the coun- gling financially. The Indians were dropped Cleveland from the list of the $100,000 media blitz that hit Gilligan as aloof try about senior citizen housing. losing games before nearly empty nation’s 15 largest metropolitan and uncaring. When Celeste left office in 1964, they stands. One of Mileti’s partners, Alva areas. A recession put a crimp in rec- On Election Night, both ABC and NBC pro- formed National Housing Consultants “Ted” Bonda of Apcoa Inc. took over reation spending. The real estate de- jections showed Gilligan re-elected. Shortly Inc., advising sponsors around the business operations. The “lovable velopment around the Coliseum, on after midnight, Rhodes conceded. He told his country on how to wade through the loser” Cavaliers were losing their lov- which the investors had hoped to supporters, “We lost the election and that’s it,” red tape. ability as well as games. The Crusad- make their real money, was nowhere and went to bed. At 3 a.m., he was awakened Mileti burst on the sports scene in ers were having trouble meeting their to be seen. with news: The complete count showed he had 1968 when he bought the Arena and high payroll. The minor-league Bar- The Coliseum lights still gleamed, been elected governor again. the Barons — or rather, headed an in- ons had been sold in 1973 and moved visible for miles around. Nothing However, Rhodes had a Democratic lieuten- vestor group in which others put up to Jacksonville, Fla. arose to block the view. ant governor. State Rep. Richard Celeste of most of the money. Needing another The new Coliseum gave a boost to “The Big House on the Prairie” tenant for the Arena, he won an ex- Lakewood had defeated John W. Brown. hockey and basketball attendance, stood alone. pansion NBA franchise in 1970. When and Mileti added as a tenant the • he couldn’t get an NHL franchise, he Cleveland Nets, a team formed by Joe McGunagle is a Cleveland free- Host Nick Mileti on opening night, After two years of improvement, the Cavs joined the new WHA in 1972. Zingale in the new World Team Ten- lance writer. fell to 29-53 in their last season at the Arena. Coach Bill Fitch’s one-liners no longer were enough to stop fans from muttering. The Cru- saders finished third in the Eastern Division of the WHA, with a 37-32-3 record, but lost to the Merger puts regional transit on the road Chicago Cougars in the playoffs. Mileti’s Indians struggled to a fourth-place Mayor Ralph Perk had staved off For the first time, Perk agreed to Heights, North Olmsted, Euclid and 30, Judge Daniel O. Corrigan blocked finish in the American League East. Phil Seghi financial ruin in 1972 by selling the submit a tax issue — an increase in Maple Heights systems under a re- Perk’s plan to lay off 289 police and replaced General Manager Gabe Paul, who sewer system to a regional board for the income tax from 1 percent to 1.5 gional umbrella.