Welcome to a special edition of The Strip. Former MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni has died. To commemorate the occasion, we are re-issuing our April 2008 interview with Lanni, who entered the gaming business as C.F.O. for Caesars World Inc in 1977 and went on to be president of that company before becoming president and C.E.O of what was then MGM Grand Inc in 1995. In 2000, he oversaw the buyout of Mirage Resorts, and in late 2008 he resigned his post at the helm of what by then was known as MGM Mirage. This interview was conducted in early 2008 as the recession was just beginning to take hold. At that point in time, Steve had broken the news that the company wanted to use the name ARIA for the CityCenter hotel but legal problems thwarted it. Obviously at some point after this discussion, those issues were resolved. Those caveats aside, we’d like to extend condolences to all within the gaming community and the Lanni family who mourn the loss of one of the industry’s most significant figures.