Blood ties forge empire of $650 million yearly revenue

By Andrew Conte and Carl Prine TRIBUNE-REVIEW Rooney Inc. includes the Steelers, and a whole lot more. The five sons of the late Art Rooney Sr., often called The Chief by friends and family, oversee a sprawling empire that includes at least two dozen corporations -- in fields as diverse as dog racing, restaurants and electrical contracting -- that combine to churn more than $650 million in annual revenue. One piece, a casino and harness racing track at the northern edge of New York City, raked in more than $400 million last year. "A fair amount of what we have done well as a family goes back to Art Rooney Sr., my grandfather," said Patrick Rooney Jr., 44, a West Palm Beach, Fla., racing executive and restaurant owner. "He knew that the Steelers couldn't support all of his sons, so he started up businesses to help them." With... [read full story]