Los Angeles Archives

Los Angeles: Documentaries “Orphans of the Genocide” and “Uprooted” to Air on KCET

April 21, 2016 By administrator

472016_110742_1 LOS ANGELES— Documentary “Orphans of the Genocide” will be featured on April 24 at 1:30 p.m. PT on KCET, while documentary “Uprooted” will premiere at 8 p.m. ET/PT nationwide on Link TV (DirecTV Channel 375 and Dish Network Channel 9410) and at 7 p.m. PT in Southern California on KCET.

“Orphans of the Genocide,” Emmy award-winning Director Bared Maronian’s critically-acclaimed documentary, sheds light on crimes against humanity and tells part of a larger story of the Armenian genocide of 1915 through the eyes of some of its more than 130,000 orphaned children. The documentary focuses on one orphanage, Antoura, where 1,000 children orphaned by the Armenian genocide lived and were forcefully converted to Turkish beliefs and culture during World War I. The film features never-before-seen archival footage as well as recently discovered memoirs of orphans.

“Uprooted” is a documentary from Producer and Director Hagop Goudsouzian that traces the evolution of Armenian culture, identity and heritage. Research in “Uprooted” weaves together stories in an attempt to answer the question of what being Armenian means in America today. Goudsouzian’s personal and passionate film features interviews with expert sources who continue to delve into the critical elements of Armenian identity.

As an additional way for KCET and Link TV programming to amplify the importance of recognizing the Armenian Genocide, viewers who tune-in to the broadcast will have the opportunity to receive DVD copies of “Uprooted” as a gift for a $60 donation, or acclaimed filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian’s DVD trilogy set of “Armenian Exile, My Son Shall Be Armenian” and “Uprooted” for a $150 donation.

In addition to the broadcast documentaries, KCET.org is offering multimedia content that showcases stories that allow users to further explore more history on Armenian heritage:

–I Am Armenian: The Intriguing Life of Aurora Mardiganian
–Visiting With Huell Howser: Armenian Christmas Meal, [www.kcet.org/shows/visiting-with-huell-howser/episodes/armenian-christmas-meal]
–Subtle Commemoration: Pasadena’s Armenian Genocide Memorial, [ www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/subtle-commemoration-pasadenas-armenian-genocide-memorial]
–Armenian-American Artists Reflect the Diaspora Experience, [ www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/armenian-american-artists-reflect-the-diaspora-experience]

Los Angeles Officials to Lead Vigil for Peace in Artsakh

April 11, 2016 By administrator

Vigil at City Hall to call for peace in Artsakh

LOS ANGELES- In response to the recent shelling of Armenian villages in Artsakh (also known Nagorno-Karabakh) by Azerbaijan, Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Krekorian and other elected officials are joining with Armenian-American civic and religious leaders to make a call for peace in the Caucusus region where violence by Azerbaijan’s government has taken dozens of innocent lives in recent days. The vigil comes just days after a protest of 3,000 community members outside Azerbaijan’s consulate in Los Angeles.

The conflict erupted just over a week ago after Azerbaijan killed Armenian civilians and soldiers, in violation of a two-decade old, internationally recognized cease fire. Among the casualties were young children and elderly grandparents in small, rural villages. The conflict is especially sensitive to stability in the region as any additional escalation in violence could spark a wider regional conflict, pulling in Russia and Turkey.

The Community Vigil for Peace in Artsakh will take place on Tuesday April 12 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Los Angeles City Hall (South Lawn), 200 N. Main St., LA 90012.

“This is a critical human rights issue for the Armenian-American community and anyone who cares about peace and justice,” said LA Councilmember Paul Krekorian. “Our own U.S. government is a beacon of hope and democracy in the world and must use its influence and ensure stability in this vital region. Elected officials and community organizations are gathering to urge peace and to speak out on behalf of the victims of this inexcusable violence.”

Expected to attend the event are LA City Councilmembers Paul Krekorian, Herb Wesson Jr., Nury Martinez, Mitch O’Farrell and David Ryu; LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region, Armenian Assembly Western District; and religious leaders Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Archbishop Mikael Mouradian, Rev. Berdj Djambazian, along with many hundreds of community members, city employees and others.

Twenty five years ago, the people of Artsakh declared independence from Azerbaijan. Their demand for self-determination in their historic homeland was met with Azeri pogroms and a devastating war in the Caucasus region. Against all odds, these people defeated the much larger and better armed Azerbaijani forces and established a free, independent and democratic Republic of Artsakh, following in the tradition of the revolutionary founders of the United States of America.

Since the ceasefire in 1994, Artsakh has flourished, despite constant threats and violent provocations by Azerbaijan. Last week, Azerbaijan broke ceasefire with unprovoked full scale military attacks on the people of Artsakh, just days after the U.S. government emphasized to Azerbaijan’s president the importance of continuing to seek a permanent peace.

The vigil will promote peace in the region and urge the U.S. government to speak out against Azerbaijan’s military aggression.

Armenian Youth Federation: Over 3,500 Protest Karabakh Attacks in LA, Staging Spontaneous Sit-In

April 8, 2016 By administrator

Over 3,500 gathered at the Azeri Consulate General in LA to protest attacks on Artsakh

BY ARA KHACHATOURIAN

LOS ANGELES—More than 3,500 community members heeded the calls from the Armenian Youth Federation on Friday and gathered in front of the Azerbaijani Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard to protest Baku’s savage attacks on Artsakh, where civilians and children were also targets of the Azeri aggression.

At one point during the peaceful rally, the protesters, who were huddled on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Granville Avenue, began to cross the street northbound and staged a spontaneous sit-in in the middle of the street, blocking eastbound and westbound traffic.

Chanting, “Not One Inch,” protesters the protesters sent a clear message to the Azerbaijani authorities that no amount of aggression and gunfire will force Armenians to concede any territory in Artsakh.

The Los Angeles Police Department, which was caught when protesters staged the sit-in, worked with organizers to ensure the safety of the protesters and those around them. The organizers thanked LAPD for their service, as well as the community around the consulate building for understanding the just cause for which the protest was staged.

In fact, the messages delivered by the speakers were loud and resolute. That as long there is a threat to Armenians anywhere in the world—and in this instance to the population of Artsakh—the nation will come together to defend the homeland.

AYF Central Executive member Verginie Touloumian invited the crowd to observe the moment of silence in memory of the those who lost their lives in defense of Artsakh and proceeded to read the names of those soldiers, civilians and the 12-year-old boy who died during last week’s attacks by Azerbaijan.

Areni Hamparian, a member of the AYF Junior Organization, delivered a moving speech, in Armenian, declaring that as long as there was an existential threat on Artsakh, or any other Armenian land, Armenian will continue to fight for justice.

Puzant Berberian, a member of the AYF San Fernando Valley Sardarabad chapter spoke about attempts to distort facts and recounted Artsakh’s centuries old history as a bastion of Armenian culture and heroism.

AYF Central Executive Chairman Gev Iskajian directed his remarks to the Azerbaijani Consulate by delivering a clear message of resistance and condemnation, saying that a nation that won the Artsakh war in the first place, has the resolve and the means to ensure “not one inch” of land is conceded and that the brutal savagery on display by Azerbaijan would not be tolerated.

After rallying the crowd with messages of victory and heroism, Davit Arakelyan informed the crowd that the AYF’s “With Our Soldiers” campaign was busy working to ensure that our soldiers and families were taken care of and urged the community to assist in that effort, and encouraged to community to support Artsakh though the Armenian Relief Society’s fund that was established after last week’s attacks.

His message was clear: Armenians in Los Angeles and around the world will continue to fight until justice prevails and a Free, United and Independent Armenia is established.

The protesters vacated the street peacefully and moved to the front of the consulate building, where after singing the Armenian National Anthem, they collectively pledged their resolve and solidarity to Artsakh.

This was part of the Western US community mobilization effort in the wake of the renewed attacks on the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, with members and activists coming together to voice their unified protest against this, the most large-scale attack on Karabakh since the 1994 cease-fire agreement.

Secret Military Operations Force Flight Diversions Out of Los Angeles

November 7, 2015 By administrator

Airspace over the Pacific is closed to late-night Los Angeles International Airport flights for the next week, due to secret military operations. These maneuvers will mean more noise for residents beneath its alternate flight path.

In order to reduce noise, flights typically begin flying from the West and over the ocean. This week they will land from the east over Inglewood.
“We clearly understand that neighbors and communities east of the airport will experience noise and we apologize for that,” said LAX Public Relations Director Nancy Castles.
The military won’t reveal the nature of its operations and Castles says all she knows is that planes can’t be flying at low altitudes west of LAX.
“If it’s a military thing, it’s a good thing,” said Steve Devosin of Inglewood. “That means they’re making it safer for us, so I wouldn’t let it bother me. I’d be more interested in them not doing something about what’s going on than them doing something about what’s going on.”
Six years ago, ABC affiliate KABC captured military helicopters flying so close between high-rises in downtown LA that residents reported seeing camouflaged soldiers onboard. The military announced that particular operation was conducted to prepare soldiers for urban combat and upcoming overseas deployment.
Source: sputniknews.com

LOS ANGELES: Councilman Krekorian Urges Congress to Stand Against Azeri Aggression and Save Armenian Lives

October 27, 2015 By administrator

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian

LOS ANGELES- In response to the recent escalation of violence and war threats by the government of Azerbaijan against Armenians in Artsakh and the Republic of Armenia, Councilmember Paul Krekorian, the first Armenian-American elected to public office in the City of Los Angeles, urged U.S. Congressional leaders to take immediate action to save Armenian lives. In an recent letter to Southern California Congressmembers, Krekorian asked leaders to sign the Royce-Engel letter and hold Azerbaijan accountable for its crimes, refrain from further violence and take measures toward establishing a lasting peace in the region. Krekorian’s letter is attached and reprinted below:

Dear Congressmember:
As you know, more than 20 years after Artsakh’s declaration of independence and the ceasefire in its subsequent war with Azerbaijan, ongoing tension in the Caucasus region continues to devastate innocent lives and threaten regional stability. In particular, the Republic of Azerbaijan has engaged in both increasingly bellicose rhetoric and an increasing willingness to engage in active violence in violation of the ceasefire agreement.

In the past few weeks, for example, Azerbaijan’s shelling of villages in the Tavoush region of Armenia has killed numerous civilians, including 83-year-old Paytsar Aghajanyan, Sona Revazyan, 41, and Shoushan Asadryan, 94, along with at least four Armenian soldiers. Many other innocent civilians have been wounded in separate unprovoked attacks. Shellings like these, as well as cross-border killings by Azeri snipers, have taken countless lives of civilian men, women and children.

The response from our government has been pathetically weak. U.S. Ambassador and OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair James Warlick has said that both sides should refrain from violence, but the United States refuses to state clearly that there is only one state that continues to be the predominant aggressor and provocateur, and that is Azerbaijan.

Any statement of moral equivalence in the face of continued aggression by the government of Azerbaijan is not an acceptable way forward. It could give the world the perception that the U.S. government sees no difference between the perpetrators of violence and the victims. Our government has an obligation to stand on the right side of this issue and should not give Baku cover for their crimes against the Armenian people in Artsakh and in the Republic of Armenia.

I urge you to join so many of your colleagues in signing the Royce-Engel letter, calling for a transition away from a failed policy of false parity to a constructive, accountability-based approach to peacekeeping. Renewed U.S. leadership in keeping the peace along the Nagorno Karabakh line of contact is absolutely necessary as Azerbaijan steps up its attacks.

This sensible, bipartisan letter proposes three concrete steps to help save lives, avert war, and reach a just and lasting peace:

1. An agreement from all sides not to deploy snipers along the line of contact;
2. The placement of OSCE-monitored, advanced gunfire-locator systems and sound-ranging equipment to determine the source of attacks along the line of contact; and
3. The deployment of additional OSCE observers along the line of contact to better monitor cease-fire violations.
Armenia has already agreed to abide by these principles, but the Aliyev regime continues to refuse to do so.

Please sign the Royce-Engel letter today. Azerbaijan’s unprovoked attacks will continue unless we stand together for justice and peace. The government of Azerbaijan must honor its OSCE obligations to refrain from violence and to undertake confidence-building measures toward a lasting peace.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue. I am confident that your leadership will make a material difference in helping to prevent the destructive slide toward a new war.

Very truly yours,
PAUL KREKORIAN
Los Angeles City Councilmember
Second District

LOS ANGELES: World Renowned Experts to Discuss the Occupied Ancestral Armenian Homeland at ANCA-WR Grassroots

October 8, 2015 By administrator

The “Western Armenia and the Hidden Armenians” panel will be on Saturday, October 24

LOS ANGELES—The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA-WR) has confirmed the attendance of three highly-respected international experts on free speech, human rights, and minority rights, Aris Nalci, Baris Allen, and George Aghjayan, at the 2015 ANCA-WR Grassroots Conference. The guest speakers will join hundreds of attendees from around the world to participate in the “Western Armenia and Hidden Armenians” panel, which will take place on October 24at 9 a.m at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. Matthew Karanian, Esq. author of the best-selling English language books Armenia and Karabakh: The Stone Guardian Travel Guide and Historic Armenia: 100 Years Later, will moderate the panel.

With more than 7 million Armenians living outside of Armenia and Artsakh, in addition to the estimated 2 million forcibly Islamized or “Hidden Armenians” living in present-day Eastern Turkey as a result of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, the dynamic panel will engage audiences in identity politics and issues interfering with cultural preservation for Armenians everywhere. There will be a question and answer session at the end of the panel.

Aris Nalci, an author and filmmaker noted for his coverage of Armenian and minority issues, as well as freedom of speech, will join geographical and demographic researcher of Western Armenia (present-day Eastern Turkey), George Aghjayan, and Kurdish human rights activist Baris Alen.

Aris Nalci graduated from Feriköy Merametçian Primary Armenian School, Getronagan Armenian High School in Istanbul and the Yildiz Technical University, where he served on the Mechanical Engineering Faculty. Between 1997 and 2011, Nalci worked as a writer and editor for the Istanbul-Armenian newspaper, Agos. He has also written for the daily newspaper Birgun and Radikal, the weekly newspaper Beyoğlu, and several Armenian and Turkish journals. He is currently a producer and editor at IMC TV in Turkey.

In 2011, Nalci created the first TV show about minorities in Turkey called Gamurç (Bridge), which is still on air. He has also filmed documentaries on Armenian issues, minority rights, and free speech, including Avtobus (2012), 23-and-a-Half (2013), January Nineteen (2013), Grandma’s Receipt (2013), and Turkish Presidents’ Exam with Armenians (2014). In 2014, he co-wrote “1965-50 years after Armenian Genocide, 50 years before 100″ with Serdar Korucu. Nalci also contributes weekly blogs to T24.com.tr.

Baris Alen, born in Diyarbakir, Turkey, studied International Relations at Istanbul Dogus University. He received an M.A. of Global Studies at Lund University in Sweden and launched his professional career in the NGO sector, working for the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey in Ankara and the Federation of Southeast Anatolian Businessman Association in Diyarbakir. More recently, Alen worked for the Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality as the Mayor’s Foreign Relations advisor until the 2014 elections. Since then, he has been working for the International Humanitarian organization on the Syrian border to provide basic hygiene, food, and other essentials to refugees out of official camps.

George Aghjayan graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute with honors in 1988, acquiring his bachelor’s of science degree in Actuarial Mathematics. He achieved his Fellowship in the Society of Actuaries in 1996. After a career in both insurance and structured finance, Aghjayan retired in 2014 to focus his efforts on Armenian related research and projects. His primary area of interest is the demographic and geography of Western Armenia, but he also researches hidden Armenians living there today.

Aghjayan has also written and lectured on a wide array of topics, including Armenian genealogy and genocide denial. He has served on the Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Eastern United States and the National Board of the Armenian National Committee of America.

“Our featured panelists provide invaluable insight into the occupied ancestral homeland of Armenians. The panel will serve as a mini-course in issues faced by Armenians and non-Armenians living in modern Western Armenia,” said ANCA-WR Grassroots committee co-chairman Ayk Dikijian, Esq.

The moderator of the panel, Matthew Karanian, Esq. is a second-generation Armenian American lawyer who wrote the first self-published guidebook on Armenia. Karanian served as the Associate Dean of the American University of Armenia’s law program and as the Director of the University’ Legal Research Center. Karanian also founded the Armenian Law Review in 2003 with his students.

Since 1995, Karanian has embarked on journeys to Eastern and Western Armenia, Artsakh, Javakhk, Ani, and Cilicia. His book, “Armenia and Karabakh” is based on over a dozen visits to Armenia. His writings about Armenia have been published in numerous periodicals in the United States and Canada, and his recent book “Historic Armenia: 100 Years Later” is an impressive encyclopedia and pictorial record of the present-day status of Western Armenia, its monuments, churches, villages, and people.

“We are so proud to present this esteemed panel to our community and the hundreds of Grassroots participants who are sure to gain a new and unique knowledge about how past and current events in Turkey directly affect the pursuit of our Cause,” remarked ANCA-WR Chair Nora Hovsepian, Esq.

The ANCA-WR Grassroots conference will take place on October 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. General admission to the conference is $85 and $50 for students. Visit www.ANCAWRGrassroots.org to register online or to learn about sponsorship and booth display opportunities.

This year’s ANCA-WR Gala Banquet will be one of the largest the organization has hosted. The event, which has become one of the most anticipated events of the calendar year, will be held on Sunday, October 25 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. For information about purchasing tickets, and corporate and tribute message sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.ANCAWRGala.org or call 818.839.1918.

The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

California: Nation’s 2nd Largest Teachers Union Unanimously Passes Armenian Genocide Resolution

September 18, 2015 By administrator

Participants raise their hands in favor of the measure, which passed unanimously

LOS ANGELES—On Wednesday, September 16, the United Teachers of Los Angeles House of Representatives (UTLA), the policy making body for the nation’s second largest teacher union local adopted a resolution recognizing 2015, as the “Year of Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the month of April of every year thereafter as the month of Commemoration of the Anniversary Genocide”, reported the Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR).

“Our heartfelt appreciation goes to the UTLA’s leadership and membership for taking this historic and critical step to ensure that the Armenian Genocide is properly taught to the students and staff at LAUSD; and to educators Mr. and Dr. Sean and Suzie Abajian for leading the effort, Jose Lara and many others for their continuous support,” stated ANCA WR Executive Director Elen Asatryan. “This motion is particularly important because having the support and commitment of the teachers who are in the classrooms will ensure that genocide studies remains an important part of the high school social studies curriculum. We look forward to working with them and connecting them to the Genocide Education Project in providing the proper materials they may use both in World and American History classes to teach the next generation about the Armenian Genocide,” added Asatryan.

During the meeting, Asatryan took the floor to speak in support of the resolution on behalf of the ANCA-WR, highlighting that the case of the Armenian Genocide is not only a critical component of World History, but perhaps the proudest chapter in American history, during which time the Unites States and the American people helped rescue the Armenian nation through the Near East Relief in its most expansive humanitarian aid effort to date. “All students should be familiar with modern world history and this important part of American history, no matter what their course of study. Study of 20th Century world history would be incomplete without familiarity with the Armenian Genocide, its impact on global events, and subsequent genocides then, and also the manner in which it has shaped and affected the Armenian-American community of California,” Asatryan stated in her remarks. “Your commitment here today to teaching of the subject to faculty and students in Los Angeles Unified School District — notably the extraordinary response of Americans to the Genocide, will do exactly that,” she added before urging the UTLA leadership to echo the message of countless governing bodies, including the California State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council, Los Angeles Unified School District by conveying its support for a fair, just and comprehensive resolution of this crime against humanity.

Following Asatryan, author, filmmaker, former educator, and ANCA-WR Education Committee Member Kay Mouradian also spoke in support of the resolution, more specifically from an educator’s perspective. Mouradian went on to tell the capacity filled room the story of her mother, who was also a Genocide survivor, the significance in not allowing this important part of history to be forgotten or denied, and the critical role teachers play in preserving history.

Last to speak in support was the Vice President of the El Rancho Unified School District, Jose Lara, who also serves as the Coordinating Committee Member of the Ethnic Studies Now Coalition and is a member of the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers. In his remarks Lara stated, “This is exactly what our endorsement of the ethnic studies campaign is about. It’s about bringing stories of those who have been oppressed and marginalized. We have a large Armenian community in Los Angeles that needs to be recognized. It’s the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and if we look at the world today and what’s going on around us, there are many lessons that need to be learned to understand modern day genocide such as the Armenian Genocide, and what happened to Armenia – so I urge you to pass this motion at this time.”

After closing the in-support comments portion, UTLA President Alex Caputo Pearl asked the membership if there was anyone in the room that would like to speak in opposition. The room remained silent, allowing Lara to make the motion for a vote. One after another, then all together, the UTLA House of Representatives held their signs up high with pride as they voted unanimously in favor of the resolution.

Prior to coming for a full floor vote in the UTLA House of Representatives, the resolution was unanimously passed on August 26, 2015 at a UTLA Area Meeting, and again on September 9 by the UTLA Board of Directors.

Read the entire motion.

With more than 31,000 members, UTLA is the second largest teachers union local in the nation and one of the most influential. UTLA is comprised of teachers and health and human service professionals that make up the Los Angeles Unified School District throughout the following eight areas: North, South, Harbor, Central, East, West, Valley East, and Valley West. UTLA is affiliated with the two largest national affiliates, the American Federation of Teachers/California Federation of Teachers as well as the National Education Association/California Teachers Association.
The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the Western United States and affiliated organizations around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.

Los Angeles Armenian Genocide memorial tree project underway

September 9, 2015 By administrator

The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday approved funding for the Armenian Genocide Memorial Tree Project, spearheaded by Councilmember Paul Krekorian and with the aim of planting 100 pomegranate trees across city parks and in each of the 15 council districts to mark the centennial of the Armenian Genocide.
The first pomegranate tree was planted earlier this year at City Hall on April 23 during LA’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Asbarez reports.
“Los Angeles has unquestionably taken the lead in showing solidarity and standing on the side of justice
and recognition for the Armenian people,” said Councilmember Krekorian. “This project will serve as a living genocide memorial and symbol of the Armenian people’s history as we commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.”

“Anyone who comes to City Hall or travels throughout our city will see the pomegranate trees, which will continue to flourish as the Armenian community has. It will stand as a sign of hope, rebirth, and survival,” added Kerkorian.

Krekorian, chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee, represents Council District 2, which includes North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Village and other communities in the east San Fernando Valley. His website is cd2.lacity.org, where you can sign up for news updates.

source: tert.am

Armenian youth to hold action near Azerbaijani consulate in Los Angeles

June 20, 2015 By administrator

The Armenian Youth Federation will hold a demonstration on Saturday in front of the Azerbaijani consulate in Los Angeles to call attention to the Azerbaijani government’s continuous human rights violations, Asbarez reported.

“We won’t sit idly by and watch Azerbaijan attempt to present itself as a democracy on the world stage,” said Gev Iskajyan, a member of the AYF’s Central Executive board. “With the international attention surrounding Baku at this time, we feel now is a good a time as any to show the world just how corrupt the government of Azerbaijan is.”

The demonstration is held amid European Games in Baku.

Billionaire Kirk Kerkorian one of the founders of modern Las Vegas dies in Los Angeles

June 16, 2015 By administrator

By HOWARD STUTZ
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian, one of the founders of modern Las Vegas whose name is synonymous with some of the Strip’s best known hotel-casinos, died Monday night in Los Angeles after a brief illness.

Kerkorian, who tuned 98 on June 6, was the largest shareholder in MGM Resorts International, which he founded in the early 1990s.

Considered one of the central figures in making Las Vegas a premier global tourist destination, Kerkorian three times built and opened what were then the world’s largest hotel-casinos — the International (now the Westgate Las Vegas) in 1969, the original MGM Grand (now Bally’s Las Vegas) in 1973 and the current MGM Grand Las Vegas in 1993.

Kerkorian invested in and operated businesses in numerous industries, including airlines, auto makers and film studios, but no business held his interest as much as gaming. He owned, operated and sold a handful of historic Strip resorts, playing a paramount role in shaping the landscape of the Strip and Las Vegas.

Much of what Kerkorian accomplished was without fanfare.

When the $8.5 billion CityCenter development opened in 2009, Kerkorian, who had a key role in getting the development off the ground, celebrated the event quietly, away from the spotlight.

“Of all the wonderful Las Vegas properties with which I’ve been associated, CityCenter is simply the most amazing,” Kerkorian said in prepared remarks. “I’m extremely excited to see the public’s reaction and look forward to seeing how it changes Las Vegas.”’

His friends and colleagues in and out of the gaming industry recalled Kerkorian as a quiet and humble pioneer.

MGM Resort Chairman Jim Murren said Tuesday the company was “honoring the memory of a great man” and that he has lost a good friend.

“Mr. Kerkorian combined brilliant business insight with steadfast integrity to become one of the most reputable and influential financiers of our time,” Murren said. “Personally, he was a friend and coach, who taught me the importance in looking forward, and to look back only to understand how things could be done better.”

Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, who became acquainted with Kerkorian as an attorney representing the businessman’s brother in the 1960s and 1970s, took to the Senate floor Tuesday morning to discuss Kerkorian.

“He was just a really interesting, wonderful man,” Reid said. “He is one of the personalities I will never forget. My relationship with him is one of the special things in my life. I feel so fortunate to be able to talk on a personal basis about this man. He was one of a kind.”

David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, said Kerkorian “may have had the biggest impact of any one individual” ever on the Strip. Schwartz said Kerkorian, while creating jobs through his development of Strip resorts, forced “Las Vegas to think big.”

“Today we accept that the city has a good percentage of the world’s biggest hotels and some of its most profitable casinos, restaurants, and nightclubs,’ Schwartz said. “Kerkorian was the first one to think of Las Vegas in those terms and to actually deliver. Without him, our city would be much smaller in many ways.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Born in Fresno, Calif., in 1917 to Armenian immigrants, Kerkorian never had it easy. After the Kerkorians lost their farm in 1922, the family moved to Los Angeles where at age 9 Kerkor sold newspapers on street corners.

From those humble beginnings, Kerkorian became one of the world’s richest men. At the time of his death, Forbes Magazine ranked him No. 393 among the world’s billionaires and No. 130 in the U.S., with a net worth of $4 billion.

Tracinda Corp., Kerkorian’s privately held investment company named for daughters Tracy Kerkorian and Linda Ross Hilton Kemper, is MGM’s largest shareholder with an 18.6 percent stake. In a securities filing Tuesday, Tracinda said nothing would change with its ownership in the company.

Over the years Kerkorian had reduced his one-time majority stake in the company, and retired from its board in 2011, becoming a senior adviser to the company and emeritus board member.

“I just didn’t care to keep going back to meetings,” Kerkorian said at the time. “(The board meetings) got to be very lengthy. I do stay busy. I like new challenges.”

But Kerkorian’s presence was still felt in the company. Tracinda’s two representatives on the board in April threw their support behind the company’s management to help end a contentious proxy fight.

Until his illness, Kerkorian spoke weekly with Murren.

“His is very proud that Las Vegas and MGM Resorts is on a global stage,” Murren said in an interview last week.

Kerkorian had a similarly close relationship with the late Terry Lanni, Murren’s predecessor and the company’s chairman and CEO for 14 years.

“Kirk is a very humble person,” Lanni told the Review-Journal in 2007. “I’ve seen a lot of people who own 2 percent of something who call it their company. Never once in my 12 years with Kirk have I heard him refer to MGM Mirage as ‘my company.’ Whenever we propose something, he wants to know how it will affect the other shareholders. He has majority control, but he’s very cognizant of all the other shareholders.”

BUILDING AN EMPIRE

In his youth, he was known as “Rifle Right Kerkorian” for his punching power as a small-time boxer after abandoning reform school in the eighth grade. He had little formal education after that.

A friend with whom he worked installing furnaces changed his life by taking him on a flight in a small plane. Kerkorian then paid for flying lessons with famed pilot Pancho Barnes by milking cows and shoveling manure at her ranch. A skilled aviator, Kerkorian flew dangerous missions delivering warplanes from Canada to Britain during World War II, and later opened a charter airline ferrying gamblers from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

He began buying property in Las Vegas in 1962 after selling his charter airline, which he later repurchased. After selling the land where Caesars Palace now stands, he bought 82 acres on Paradise Road in 1967. The site would eventually be home of the 1,512-room International. Before that resort opened, Kerkorian bought the Flamingo as a way to train the International’s staff.

At the International, Kerkorian brought in Barbara Streisand and Elvis Presley as the hotel’s first two performers.

By the end of 1971 he had sold both properties to Hilton Hotels Corp.

Kerkorian then took majority ownership of MGM Studios, decided to put the studio’s name on a new hotel-casino, the MGM Grand, which opened in 1973 at a cost of $107 million. With 2,084 rooms, the MGM Grand surpassed the International as the world’s largest hotel-casino.

In 1986, he sold the MGM Grand and a sister resort in Reno to Bally Manufacturing of Chicago for $594 million. At the time, gaming analysts said it was the largest single hotel sale ever.

Kerkorian didn’t stay sidelined for long. In 1987, he bought both the Desert Inn and the Sands for $167 million from Summa Corp., the legacy of the Howard Hughes casino empire.

“He went toe-to-toe with Howard Hughes and won,” Schwartz said.

A year later, Kerkorian sold the Sands to then trade-show magnate Sheldon Adelson for $110 million. (The Sands was demolished, making way for The Venetian).

In 1989, while remodeling the Desert Inn, Kerkorian announced he was acquiring the troubled Marina and the adjacent Tropicana Country Club. He said the 115 acres at the corner of Tropicana Boulevard and the Strip would be the site of the $700 million MGM Grand hotel and theme park, which opened in 1993 with 5,000 rooms and became — at the time — the world’s largest and most expensive hotel-casino.

“Kirk Kerkorian was one of the true pioneers of Las Vegas whose vision and drive brought us some of the most iconic properties in our history,” Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Rossi Ralenkotter said. “From the International, complete with Elvis, to the MGM Grand, Mr. Kerkorian was always eyeing bigger and better things for tourism in Las Vegas.”

THE ART OF HIS DEAL

At an age when most of his contemporaries were retired or deceased, Kerkorian was still refining the art of the deal. The word retirement was absent from his vocabulary.

Friends said he had an agile mind and a keen business acumen. He never wavered in the way he negotiated transactions and struck financial agreements. Friends and rivals alike said Kerkorian was like a seer, gazing 10 years to 20 years into the future when viewing how a potential investment opportunity could affect the gaming industry.

On the occasion of Kerkorian’s 90th birthday in 2007, the late Burton Cohen, who knew Kerkorian for more than half a century and operated some of the businessman’s Las Vegas hotel-casinos, said his friend “absolutely loves making the deal. That’s what drives him.”

Kerkorian engineered two buyouts that grew MGM Grand into one the gaming industry’s largest companies.

In 2000 he negotiated the $6.4 billion purchase of Steve Wynn’s Mirage Resorts, and in 2005 helped seal the Mandalay Resort Group acquisition.

“He loves the game, pure and simple, and he knows how to make money for himself and his stockholders,” South Point owner Michael Gaughan said in 2007.

UNLV history professor Michael Green once humorously likened Kerkorian to Zelig and Forrest Gump, fictional literary and cinematic characters who miraculously pop up in many world-changing events. Kerkorian appears to have played a role in many of Las Vegas’ historical moments.

“It seems like he’s been involved in everything that has gone on here,” Green said.

As a businessman, Kerkorian touched industries besides gaming.

He dabbled in airlines, once owning about 17 percent of now defunct Western Airlines in the 1970s. In 1991, he made a failed bid for Trans World Airlines. He also created the short-lived MGM Grand Airlines.

Hollywood also held his interest. Three times Kerkorian bought and sold the film studio MGM/United Artists — making a profit all three times.

The U.S. auto industry also captivated Kerkorian.

In the 1990s, he bought a large chunk of the Chrysler Corp., but sold the stock after launching a failed hostile tender offer.

In 2005 and 2006, Kerkorian made moves on General Motors Corp., becoming the automaker’s largest shareholder before cashing out altogether. In April 2007, Kerkorian made one last stab at Chrysler Corp., offering $4.5 billion. The bid failed.

Gaming, however, remained his passion.

PERSONAL LIFE

Kerkorian was married four times, and his third marriage brought the normally shy businessman tabloid headlines.

He had a decade-long romantic relationship with former tennis player Lisa Bonder, but they were married for only a month in 1999.

In high-profile legal battle in 2002, Bonder demanded $320,000 per month in child support for her then-4-year-old daughter. A judge granted $50,316 per month.

But Bonder later admitted she faked a DNA paternity test by using saliva she obtained from Kerkorian’s adult daughter. It was later revealed that Hollywood producer Steve Bing was the father after a security guard working for Kerkorian nabbed dental floss from Bing’s trash to obtain a DNA sample.

Meanwhile, Kerkorian’s longtime confidant and attorney, Terry Christensen, paid celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano $100,000 to tap Bonder’s phone. Kerkorian later denied knowledge of the wiretapping, and Christensen was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role.

Kerkorian was a dedicated philanthropist who quietly donated a fortune to charities worldwide. His charitable work included hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Armenia. He started providing medical and other supplies following a damaging 1988 earthquake in Armenia and helped build homes and repair infrastructure.

In 2011, Kerkorian transferred his $200 million charitable Lincy Foundation to the University of California at Los Angeles. The foundation was established in 1989 and had given more than $1.1 billion to schools, hospitals and Armenian charities.

Kerkorian is survived by his daughters and three grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.

Reuters contributed to this report.