[1] She was born in 1933[2][3] and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, the daughter of Macedonian immigrants[4] from the village of Bouf (modern day Akritas, Florina, Greece).
[5][6] She met her future husband Mike Ilitch, also a child of Macedonian immigrants, in 1954 when the two went on a blind date arranged by his father.
They have acted as a developer of casinos for federally recognized tribes of Native Americans, who have started to use this as a means of generating revenues.
Ilitch has partnered with the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Hampton Bays, New York on plans to develop a casino on Long Island.
Ilitch also partnered with Barwest, LLC and the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians to develop casinos in Barstow, California.
Ilitch Holdings includes Little Caesars Pizza, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution, Little Caesars Pizza Kit Fundraising Program, Champion Foods, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Olympia Entertainment, Olympia Development and various food service and entertainment venues within these businesses.
The charity has sponsored numerous programs in the Detroit area, including amateur sports sponsorships for hundreds of thousands of children.