A Mississippi Coast casino GM just got a huge promotion. Next stop? Chicago
John Ferrucci, general manager of Silver Slipper Casino in Hancock County, was promoted Thursday to chief operating officer and senior vice president of parent company Full House Resorts.
Ferrucci will continue as GM of Silver Slipper while overseeing the construction of American Place, a Full House Resorts’ casino north of Chicago. That casino will open in a temporary Sprung tent structure while the permanent casino is built.
He also will oversee operations of the company’s other casino resorts, Full House said in a press release.
Ferrucci started in the casino industry as a table games dealer in Atlantic City, 30 miles from where he grew up. He later served as a casino manager in the Bahamas before moving to South Mississippi in 1993, soon after casinos were legalized in the state.
He opened Grand Casino locations in Gulfport and Biloxi in the 1990s and then was general manager of New Palace Casino in Biloxi for two years.
In 2004, he joined the development team for Silver Slipper property, where he worked with architects, engineers and designers to develop and open the first land-based casino in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.
“Under his leadership, the Silver Slipper has reached new levels of profitability,” said Daniel R. Lee, president and CEO of Full House Resorts. He said Ferrucci has been a mentor for the general managers of Bronco Billy’s and Rising Star, and he developed talent throughout the company.
A Sun Herald profile in 2003 said, “Ferrucci, a gourmet cook and successful restaurateur, is one of the more experienced general managers on the Coast. His forte is marketing and player development. He’s often spotted strolling through the casino, mingling with guests and gamblers, many of whom he knows by name.”
