James Aljian, 75, the executive director of the Lincy Foundation died Thursday of cancer at a Los Angeles hospital, according to a statement issued by MGM Mirage Inc., where Aljian had served on the board of directors since 1988. Aljian was an executive of Tracinda Corporation and a MGM Mirage board member He was part of a team that developed several major Las Vegas casinos, including Caesars Palace, the Flamingo Hotel, the International Hotelnow the Las Vegas Hilton and the first MGM Grand Hotel, the statement said. Aljian, who lived in Marina del Rey, was a close associate and friend of MGM Mirage majority shareholder Kirk Kerkorian. At the time of his death, he was an executive at Kerkorian’s investment company Tracinda. Aljian was a former senior vice president of finance for MGM Studios in the 1970s and held the same position at MGM/UA Entertainment in the early 1980s, the statement said. A native of Oakland, Aljian served in the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
