Sep 22, 2011 | Breaking News, Employment, Food & Beverage, General News
Joins Celebrity Restaurateurs Bobby Flay, Michael Jordan and Todd 
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(Uncasville, CT) — John J. Tunney III, known for his high-profile, always-packed creations in New York, Connecticut, Las Vegas and Atlantic City, will open a 16,000 square foot restaurant at Mohegan Sun on September 22, 2011. BALLO Italian Restaurant and Social Club is Tunney’s 12th restaurant and his latest after receiving three consecutive New York Times “excellent” reviews for his current properties.
Tunney’s Besito Mexican Kitchen and Agave Lounge, with three locations in New York and Connecticut, was recently listed as the #1 Mexican restaurant in the tri-state area by OpenTable. OpenTable also categorizes Besito West Hartford as the #1 most reserved restaurant in the state of Connecticut. Tunney’s commitment is to not only bring exceptional food and design to a property but to embrace the culture of the cuisine, making the experience a comprehensive one.
BALLO Italian Restaurant and Social Club continues to cultivate that culture of cuisine. BALLO at Mohegan Sun was inspired by San Galgano – a Gothic abbey built in the 12th century and located in the hills of Tuscany. The sheer magnitude of the project fits perfectly with the evolving grandeur and elegance of Mohegan Sun and its connection to nature. “San Galgano represents all that is spectacular about Italy – the history, the passion, the fortitude of the country. What better place to experience the food of Italy than in a place that replicates their mastery,” says Tunney.
Guests can enjoy freshly prepared Italian fare from the open pantry, lounge in a cathedral-like room replete with Italian fixtures, fabrics and dramatic lighting and enjoy a massive by-the-glass wine list or specialty BALLO cocktails. Move further into BALLO and visitors to Mohegan Sun can socialize at one of the largest carrera marble bars ever built or continue into the main dining room where food is the real celebration.
Tunney is committed to locally grown produce and innovative Italian staples you can eat from noon to midnight, “I’ve always loved the idea of a pantry. A place where you are watching the freshest ingredients being prepared with the least amount of touch by the best pair of hands — and delivered in an open area as if you’re in someone’s kitchen.” The culinary team of Executive Chef Matthew Adler and Chef de Cuisine Shaun Golan will execute the inspiring menu at BALLO.
After eating like a high roller, let the Bacchanal begin. At 11 p.m., a rehearsed set of servers at BALLO will carry out a portion of the dining room furniture and guests will literally be able to “dance on tables” — Italian night life style.
BALLO will be located in Mohegan Sun’s Casino of the Earth. “We’re very excited about this new venture,” said Mitchell Etess, CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. “BALLO is a unique concept that will further enhance the experience we offer our guests. We’re thrilled to welcome John Tunney to our group of outstanding restaurateurs.”
Feb 24, 2011 | Employment
Mohegan Sun is proud to announce the promotion of Trevor Newman to Director of Table Games and Ricky Landry to Poker Manager.
Newman brings over a decade of experience in the gaming industry to his new position. As Director of Table Games, Newman is responsible for training and evaluating over 2,000 employees, generating and executing business plans, analyzing statistics and implementing Mohegan Sun policies and procedures.
Newly appointed Poker Manager Ricky Landry brings over twenty years of experience in the gaming industry to his new position. As Poker Manager, Landry oversees day-to-day operations of the Poker Room, organizing daily and major tournaments and coordinating the North American Poker Tour at Mohegan Sun.
“We are very excited with the leadership Trevor and Ricky bring to the table,” said Ian Davison, Vice President of Table Games. “They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their respective positions and we couldn’t be happier with what they have done for the Mohegan Sun team.”
Newman is a day-one employee who began working at Mohegan Sun as a dealer in 1996 and was promoted to Table Games Pit Manager in 2001. He went on to become a Shift Manager in 2005 and held that position until 2010, when he was named Table Games Manager. Newman holds an Associate’s degree in Science in Nuclear Engineering Technology from Three Rivers Community College of Norwich, CT. Currently, Newman resides in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Landry is also a day-one employee who has grown within the company with a focus on table games beginning his career at Mohegan Sun in 1996 as a table games supervisor, promoted to pit manager in 1998. In addition, Landry handled all of Mohegan Sun’s high end table games tournaments, moving to specifically poker when the Poker Room opened in 2008 as the tournament manager. He has worked on many off-site poker events for Mohegan Sun in cities such as Dallas, New Orleans and Montreal.
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.
Nov 24, 2010 | Employment
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs announced today that Kara Fox-LaRose has been appointed Vice President of Marketing, overseeing the advertising, public relations, marketing and revenue maximization for the Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania gaming destination.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Kara Fox-LaRose at Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs,” said Robert Soper, Chief Executive Officer, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. “She has been a tremendous asset for our flagship property in Connecticut, and we’re looking forward to having her with us in Pennsylvania. Her expertise in promotions, special events, regional marketing, advertising and public relations will be a valuable addition in our growth strategies and business development.”
Kara Fox-LaRose has been working at Mohegan Sun since its inception in 1996, where she began as Marketing Administrator. She quickly moved up the ranks, being promoted to Special Events Manager in 2000 and Special Events Director in 2002, a position she held for five year before getting promoted to her current role. As Special Events Director, Fox-LaRose was instrumental in organizing, executing and overseeing a number of high profile events including Mohegan Sun’s star-studded 10th Anniversary celebrations in October of 2006.
Most recently, Fox-LaRose served as Vice President of Marketing and Promotions for Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, where she was responsible for all aspects of development, event planning and analytics, implementation and delivery of efficient and effective events within the areas of Special Events, Consumer Promotions, Player’s Club, Executive Hosts and Bus Marketing.
In her new position as Vice President of Marketing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Fox-LaRose will be responsible for developing specific marketing strategies and tactics as they relate to Bus Sales, Regional Marketing, Players Club, Promotions/Special Events and other miscellaneous marketing programs. In addition, she will be tasked with establishing guidelines for hiring, training, and coaching staff, developing policy and procedure manuals, and guidelines for daily operating procedures, and interfacing with all operating departments to ensure that marketing programs are designed and implemented with ease of execution, profitability and customer service being the most important factors.
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.
Dec 7, 2009 | Employment, General News
Vice President of Player Development and Executive Host of Poker also added
Mohegan Sun is pleased to announce the recent promotion of Ian Davison to Vice President of Table Games. Davison is a passionate day-one employee who recently served as Director of Table Games. In his position, Davison will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of over 300 table games and overseeing 2,000 employees. He will also be responsible for maintaining maximum gaming product revenue by effectively identifying proper product mixture, positioning and pricing levels. Davison has over 34 years of experience in the casino industry and, throughout his career, has worked closely with various departments in the daily operations for Slots, Accounting, Human Resources and Marketing.
He began his career in England in 1975 and then worked eleven years at Paradise Island, Bahamas followed by a position with Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. He joined Mohegan Sun upon opening of the original Casino of the Earth in 1996 as Director of Table Games.
In addition to Davison’s promotion, Mohegan Sun is also pleased to welcome James McMackin as Vice President of Player Development and Jonathan Hogan to Executive Host of Poker.
In his new role, McMackin will focus on attracting and introducing new customers to Mohegan Sun while also staying involved with the marketing strategies and creative processes in place for existing patrons. McMackin started his professional career at Trump Castle, Atlantic City in 1993 where he was part of the management team for the marina department as well as serving in a marketing capacity as a Casino Host. In 2000, McMackin transitioned to Caesars, Atlantic City where he took on roles as Director of Player Development/Casino Hosts. Just before arriving at Mohegan Sun, McMackin worked at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City as Director of Player Development. McMackin has sixteen years of experience in the casino industry.
Hogan is the newest member to Mohegan Sun’s Poker Room. As Executive Host of Poker, he will cater to new and existing poker players ensuring their visiting and gaming needs are met. Along with an extensive amount of customer relations, Hogan will also focus on various sales & marketing components for Mohegan Sun’s poker room. Hogan’s experience includes Front Office Manager at Wyndham Midtown Atlanta Hotel where he worked from 2000 – 2003. He later took on duties as General Manager at Café Kaydance in Norwich, CT from 2005 – 2007. From there, he joined Mohegan Sun as Casino Host and Executive Host.
About Mohegan Sun
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.
Dec 18, 2008 | Employment, Food & Beverage
Mohegan Sun is pleased to announce that James Klewin has been named Restaurant Chef at Todd English’s Tuscany. In his new role, Chef Klewin will oversee a culinary staff of twenty-eight and design seasonal menu selections.
From 2001 to 2004, Chef Klewin worked at Mohegan Sun in the Sunburst Buffet, The Longhouse and the Sachem and Feather VIP lounges. In 2005, Chef Klewin was promoted to Restaurant Sous Chef of the Uncas American Indian Grill (now known as Birches Bar & Grill). In 2007, he was appointed Sous Chef of the Sunburst Buffet.
Mohegan Sun, owned by the Mohegan Tribe, is one of the largest, most distinctive and spectacular entertainment, gaming, shopping and meeting destinations in the United States. Situated on 240 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com.
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