Suit against Golden nugget settled

Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 | 7:52 a.m.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. settled a lawsuit Tuesday that was filed against the Golden Nugget and Frank Toddre, a former casino manager at Wynn Las Vegas.

Wynn claimed in his suit that Toddre broke an employment agreement with Wynn Las Vegas when he was hired as general manager of the Golden Nugget Laughlin.

The suit touched off name-calling and highlighted a clash of personalities between Wynn and Tilman Fertitta, chief executive of Landry's restaurants.

Landry's purchased the Golden Nuggets in Laughlin and Las Vegas from Poster Financial Group in September.

Officials for both Wynn and Golden Nugget declined to comment further on the court settlement Tuesday. Terms of the settlement were confidential, Golden Nugget spokeswoman Sylke Neal-Finnegan said.

In a separate announcement, Golden Nugget officials said Toddre was officially hired as general manager at the Laughlin property. He formerly worked as chief of operations at the casino, which is in the midst of a renovation under Landry's.

"It is incredible to have Frank return to the Golden Nugget Laughlin during this important and dynamic time as we renovate and expand the property and as Laughlin and the Colorado River Valley experience unprecedented growth," Andre Carrier, chief operating officer of both Golden Nuggets, said in a statement.

Wynn and Fertitta also had kind words for one another Tuesday.

"Landry's and Tilman are proposing some innovative and exciting changes for the Nugget, which should continue the redevelopment of downtown and kick off a revitalization along Fremont Street," Wynn said in a statement.

"Mr. Wynn is a visionary who has helped to make Las Vegas the world-class city that it is today," Fertitta said in a statement.

"The fact that the Golden Nugget was one of Steve Wynn's original gaming properties was one of the motivating factors" behind Landry's decision to acquire the downtown property, he said. "It gave us a property with Steve Wynn touches and Steve Wynn trained employees, something we found to be invaluable."