John Brunetti, owner of Hialeah Park casino and race track, died Friday morning at his home. He was 87.
Brunetti, who built his fortune via the construction business, purchased the historic horse track, then closed after the state stopped dividing racing dates among the three South Florida thoroughbred tracks.
Hialeah Park, the historic track with the pink flamingos, was still closed when Florida voters approved a slot amendment in 2004, and Brunetti, after reopening the track with quarterhorse racing, needed legal challenges going all the way to the Florida Supreme Court to obtain the right to open slots.
He will be cremated in accordance with his wishes and a services is set for sometime next week at Hialeah Park.
