Our staff
One of the most inviting aspects of Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos is our great staff. Many of our employees have been with us for over 10 years. Our staff takes great pride in both the food and service provided at Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos. Please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do to make your dining and bocce experience an exceptional one.
We are very proud of our staff. Our General Manager, Event Coordinators, Managers, Servers, Bartenders, Support Staff Culinary Team—every team member is an integral part to the success of our restaurant and the enjoyment of every guest that walks through our doors.
Our restaurant staff always goes the extra mile to make sure your dining experience is memorable. From adding a candle to your dessert when celebrating a birthday, to running your leftovers out to the parking lot when you forget them, we make sure you have a wonderful time when you visit Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos.
Tom Albanese, Owner and Founder – His family hailing from Campobasso, Italy, Tom is a second generation Italian-American born in San Jose, California. He was raised in the Santa Clara Valley and spent his entire life in the valley. He went to Santa Clara University where he met and fell in love with his late wife Maureen. After graduation in 1968 Tom served in the United States Marine Corps. After his discharge he and Maureen married and raised three beautiful daughters while living in the town of Los Gatos and later in Saratoga. Tom and Maureen had a wonderful thirty-five years together before her untimely passing. Tom works in the concrete ready mix business running Central Concrete Supply based in San Jose, California.
Although Tom is not a national bocce champion or known as a tournament bocce player, he is one of the great friends of the game of bocce and was recognized by the United States Bocce Federation with Wall of Honor accolades in 2006.
His vision in building a first class facility where beginners and experts can enjoy the game and also a fine meal has inspired others to continue with the concept. Bocce has gained national and international exposure because of some of the events hosted by Tom including the 2000 friendship games with China, Italy, and France, the 2002 National Bocce Championships, the 2006 North American Championships and 2007 National Bocce Championships, and the many charity and celebrity charity bocce events held over the years. Since opening the Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos in 1997, hundreds of thousands of people have passed through the doors and have been exposed to this wonderful game. Counting repeat visits, it may be said that close to a million customer visits have occurred over the years at the Los Gatos and Livermore clubs.
One of Tom’s passions is hosting charity bocce tournaments. Over a million dollars has been raised for worthy causes through the annual Madden Mariucci Charity Bocce Tournament. The celebrity bocce tournament format pioneered by Tom and his friends Steve Mariucci and John Madden just celebrated Ten Years of Giving with the 10th Annual tournament hosted by Campo di Bocce’s Livermore location.
A quote from Tom’s remarks included in the program from the 2002 National Championships says it best:
"I had noticed that through my association with the Los Gatos Bocce Club and my involvement with family and charity bocce parties at my house for St. Mary’s Church it had become noticeable that this game was made for everybody. I also realized that life was too short not to try and provide an environment where people could enjoy a simple game that also could be played by all groups, all ages, men and women, and all nationalities – truly a unique sport that cannot be surpassed."
Benjamin Musolf, C.O.O – At the helm of both locations, Benjamin can be seen at both Campo di Bocce of Livermore and Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos. A tireless leader, Benjamin is constantly plotting new ways to make every guest and player a part of the family. Truly an advocate of bocce and wine, Benjamin pours his heart into each wine on the wine list and every bocce event hosted at Campo di Bocce.
Along with his duties as C.O.O., Benjamin is a Level Two Sommelier certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a World Class Bocce player and coach. When not planning the next big bocce tournament or turning one of his many ideas into reality, Benjamin can be found on the bocce courts coaching the Campo di Bocce Ladies team or practicing for the 2008 North American Championships, tasting wines and refining the wine list and enjoying both his Campo di Bocce family and his beautiful wife and daughter at home.
Jennifer Albanese, Office Manager, Accounting & Fundraising Coordinator – A workaholic by nature, Jennifer’s responsibilities at both locations and spending time with her young daughter, keeps her constantly on the go. Campo di Bocce truly has been a labor of love since the beginning. When she got the call that her father and mother, Tom and Maureen, got the approval from the Town of Los Gatos to move forward with their dream of building a bocce facility, Jennifer knew she wanted to be a part of it. Leaving her educational pursuits to be a part of the family business was not a gimme. Jennifer had to apply like everyone else and has since held multiple positions within the company.
Through the construction process hearing all the buzz from the bocce players to the chefs, Jennifer knew she had to see where this venture would lead. In the beginning she set up shop in what is now the Tuscan Room selling specialty goods with her mom. She then moved into the Front Desk position to Event Planning to her current position handling the finances and managing both Los Gatos and Livermore’s administrative offices. Truly an invaluable asset to all that Campo di Bocce does, Jennifer finds herself staying with the company for the joy she sees in the guests when they are having a good time on the courts, the good ol’ fashion camaraderie that the club creates among its members and guests and the positive work environment the staff fosters.
Always up for a good laugh, Jennifer finds the most joy in spending time with her husband and daughter. When given the chance for a vacation Jennifer and her family tend to stay close to home where they can enjoy going to the park, barbequing with friends and family, going to the beach or to Carmel.
Javier Ambrosio, Chef – Campo di Bocce has been fortunate to have Javier on board for over 11 years. Javier is truly dedicated to the success of Campo di Bocce. He finds a great deal of happiness delighting guests with the delicious dining options available on our menu. Aside from creating tasty dishes, Javier enjoys the fun and friendly work environment and his entertaining co-workers.
Being his first job, Campo di Bocce has been lucky to grow with Javier and has become a second family to the Chef. It is that family atmosphere and family-oriented management team that keeps Javier with the company. A people person at heart, Javier is always smiling and makes all who come in contact with him feel welcome. He plays a huge part of creating the family friendly atmosphere at Campo di Bocce. Time away from Campo di Bocce is spent enjoying fatherhood and spending time with his family.
Cassie LeBaron, Accounting/Club Relations – Before joining the Campo di Bocce team, Cassie worked at the bank where Campo di Bocce does business. Jennifer had mentioned an opening she was looking to fill and Cassie, knowing that she and CdB would be a perfect pair, asked to interview. Two years and countless spreadsheets later, Cassie has never looked back. She wears many hats at Campo di Bocce and truly enjoys utilizing her talents to help keep the club organized and on track. While not a hospitality veteran, her dedication to providing exceptional guest service is evident in all she does at Campo di Bocce. Finding an employee who loved their job more would be difficult!
Cassie’s enthusiasm for work is fueled by a genuine love for life and family. An ideal day away from work would be spent with her wonderful husband, adorable baby daughter, and their dog, Charlie. Shopping, hanging out with friends, watching movies, playing darts, and going to the park are some of her favorite pastimes. Funny, vibrant, and understanding, Cassie is another one of the many megawatt employees at Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos.
Kaitlin Barnea, Event Coordinator, Groups 25+ – Kaitlin has worked with Campo di Bocce for more than three years now and loves every minute of it. She was hired and worked as the Front Desk Receptionist for a year and a half and continued on to move up to the Events Office as a Coordinator in 2007. Kaitlin has adopted the true Italian spirit of Campo di Bocce over the years, so much so that it inspired her to travel to Italy for three months this past spring. Good food, good wine, and great fun were the staples of her life-changing trip, and she brought the “Italy bug” home with her upon her return (not to mention a few dozen amazing stories as well!). Passionate about her work and her life, Kaitlin loves to bring a smile to the faces of her contacts and do her best to bring the joy of bocce to each and every one of her events.
Joe Morelli, Manager –Since the beginning of time, or at least the beginning of Campo di Bocce, Joe has been around. A true bocce aficionado Joe loves sharing the game with all that come through the doors in Los Gatos. A long time acquaintance of Tom from his college days at Santa Clara University, he jumped at the opportunity to work at Campo di Bocce. Like many of us know, finding a great boss is hard to do and at Campo di Bocce Joe has found concerned owners that support a pleasant work environment.
Never at a loss for words, Joe is the perfect host, always having an anecdote to share at just the right time. Friends and family alike can take in a story while drinking a fine glass of vino. When not entertaining friends, Joe enjoys heading out for a run and watching the horses run at the racetrack.
Wendy Kreek, Event Coordinator, Groups 12-24 – Wendy is one of latest and greatest additions to the Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos family. While she may be new to CdB, Wendy is no stranger to the restaurant industry or the Town of Los Gatos. With over ten years of experience in the hospitality industry, she has cheerfully submerged herself in the Los Gatos community where she is well liked and known by many. She is a workaholic and after waiting months for an event coordinator position at CdB to become available, is ecstatic to finally have scored her “dream job”. In her personal life, Wendy is a globe-trotting philanthropist, determined to see the world and help others any way she can. We have no doubt that she was a great hire and will accomplish outstanding things for our team.
