Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that Mike Mellon , who has been senior vice president of operations at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City since 2010, will become the new general manager of the Boardwalk property.
Mellon will take the helm as the Taj works to complete its bankruptcy restructuring, thanks to financing from billionaire Carl Icahn, who holds the mortgage on the property, the last remaining Trump casino in Atlantic City. He replaces former CEO Robert Griffin, who resigned last month.
Prior to joining the Taj Mahal, Mellon worked as a senior executive with Isle of Capri, Mountaineer Gaming and other Atlantic City properties. “I look forward to the opportunity to emerge from bankruptcy and continue Bob Griffin’s work to return the Taj Mahal to its previous position of prominence in East Coast gaming,” he said in a statement.
There are still many roadblocks for the Taj Mahal along that journey. Icahn is waiting on a court ruling to see whether or not he will take ownership of the Taj and pump millions into renovations to keep it open. The city’s main casino employee union appealed a lower-court decision that authorized Icahn to discontinue pension and health benefits for Taj employees. Icahn has said he will close the property if the union wins in court.
In addition to naming Mellon the new GM, Trump Entertainment announced the appointment of two members of it board of directors, David Licht and Michael Elkins, as co-chairmen of the board.
