Dec. 18, 2012--Felix Rappaport resigned today as president and chief operating officer of the Mirage, after 21 years with MGM Resorts International.

Rappaport is the second casino chief to leave MGM this month. Bill McBeath, president and COO of CityCenter announced his resignation on Dec. 3.

MGM Chief Executive Jim Murren said the company would immediately begin looking for a replacement. Corey Sanders, COO for MGM, would be assigned to work with the Mirage during the transition, Murren said.

"Felix has been the epitome of a hospitality leader," Murren said in a statement. "We thank him for his many years of dedicated service and successful leadership to the company and extend every best wish for success."

Rappaport, 60, did not announce his plans.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Rappaport took his first job at age 14 working in a men's clothing store making $25 a week. He eventually went into hotel management and moved to Las Vegas in the early 1990s. He has spent most of his career with MGM, where he worked in the executive offices of the MGM Grand, Luxor, Excalibur and New York-New York before moving to the Mirage.

He oversaw a massive renovation at the Luxor, while serving as president of that casino and the Excalibur, in early 2000s. Rappaport took over as president of the Mirage in September 2010, during a move of casino leadership that also sent Scott Sibella to the MGM Grand, Renee West to run the Luxor and Excalibur and promoted Chuck Bowling to president of Mandalay Bay.

Rappaport is a well-known foodie who oversaw the development of new nightclubs and restaurants at the Mirage.

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