Archive for month: June, 2022

As I made the drive from Venice Beach to Tampa, the words of Bennett Collett, Sr. echoed in my head.  “We want you to be the General Manager of Tampa Jai-Alai.  You’re the man for the job.”

My mind drifted back to 1971, when I sat across the desk from Tampa’s GM, ex-Naval Commander, and hippie-hating Ernie Larsen.  I was a young, long-haired recent UF grad with a passion for my new love, Jai-Alai.  Ernie, though he loathed my look, filled me with hope that I could one day take the reigns of Tampa Jai-Alai.

Then, I thought about my ex-boss and friend Dick Gerrity, who took over for Larsen, and suffered a premature death at the hands of cancer.  I was sure my turn had come to return to Tampa and fulfill my dream.  But, Gerald Coakley, our Ft. Pierce GM, was somehow chosen to go to Tampa.  Befuddled by that decision, still I was patient.

In less than two years, Coakley was removed from the Tampa post and to my amazement, I was passed over again!  This time, Giles Ellis, many years Gerrity’s assistant who had just relocated to Miami to be VP Administration, had gotten the nod. 

Astounded by the decision, I went directly to Donovan to request an explanation.  Donovan told me I was scheduled to go, that I had his and Rico’s support.  But he said he had made a pledge to Ellis that if he wanted to return to Tampa from Miami, he would honor that request.  At the last minute, Ellis made the request.

As I crossed the Sunshine Skyway in awe of the beauty of Tampa Bay, I realized my chance had finally come.  But it had taken almost 30 years!  And, it came from a new CEO that hardly knew me.  Someone that I could barely trust.  Remember Collett offering me Florida Gaming stock options?  I was still waiting.  Remember doubling the advertising budget?  That never happened.

Tampa Jai-Alai was now but a shell of a business.  It was bleeding cash.  Since the strike of 1988, Jai-Alai attendance and betting had dropped almost 90%.  The excitement of poker had waned as the $10 pot limit restriction by the state pushed the poker players away.

There were strong rumors that the Collett’s were shopping the property to developers and even had a possible deal.  Yet, I was still leaning toward accepting the offer, thinking I really had no choice.

As I pulled into the vast empty parking lot of Tampa Jai-Alai, my mind flashed back to the lines of people at the box office.  I entered the same door that I used as a teenager sneaking in with a fake ID just to get a glimpse of the world’s fastest game.  I walked across the lobby to the conference room immediately adjacent to my old PR office that I inhabited in my early years.  And they’re sat CEO Bennett Collett, his son Benny to his side.  My future resting in their hands.

They both got up and greeted me warmly.  Bennett thanked me for making the drive and repeated his offer or should I say directive.  “You’re the man for the job, we want you here running things for us,” he said smoothly.  Benny was silent.  This was Bennett’s “show.”

I told him how long I had waited for this opportunity and thanked him for being the one to finally give it to me.  But I had concerns.  My biggest was the difficulty of uprooting my kids, Shawna being in high school, and Jason in middle school.  Bennett suggested I commute from Miami while they finished the school year.  I could stay Monday through Thursday in Tampa and return to Miami each weekend.

I processed that as he spoke, knowing that the weekends were the most important times to be at the fronton.  Yet, I would be absent.  I, also, dreaded flying back and forth every weekend.  But I didn’t reveal those thoughts to him.  I just nodded.

Then, I hit him with the big question.  “Bennett, I heard that Florida Gaming had a possible deal on selling Tampa Jai-Alai to a developer.  Is that true?”  He looked at me as if I was a member of the media and carefully chose his words.  “Marty, we’re looking at all our options.  There’s no signed deal… yet.”

That was the worst denial I had ever heard.  Now, I was sure the rumors were true.  So, I had one question left: “If you do sell it, do I still have my job back in Miami?”  I knew this was going to be difficult because they would have to fill my position with someone if I left for Tampa.  But, moving or even commuting to Tampa for a short time only to lose my job with a sale… his response was going to weigh heavily on my decision.

“Marty there just are no guarantees in life,” Bennett told me.  “Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee your job will be waiting for you back in Miami.  But, we need you here in Tampa,” he reiterated.  Now I knew my true value to them.  We sell and you’re gone.  Loyalty certainly didn’t seem to be in the vocabulary of the Collett’s.

I told him I needed to talk it over with my family.  He agreed we would finalize everything back in Miami after Christmas.  He got up signaling the meeting was over.  I shook hands and Benny, Jr. escorted me out.

As the two of us walked across the lobby, he could see the look of worry on my face.  I told Benny, “I’m screwed!”  He calmly said to relax and “don’t worry about Senior.”  I said, “Benny if you sell this place in 6 months, I’m out of a job.  If I tell your father ‘No,’ I’m sure he will fire me.  Your father doesn’t look like a man that takes ‘no’ for an answer.”

Benny acted like a friend to me.  He tried to reassure me that I shouldn’t worry about it.  I should talk it over with my family and have a nice Christmas.  He would do his best to calm his father down if I refused.  I shook hands and left.

After returning to Venice and discussing the meeting with Sue, I came to the painful decision that I was going to decline Bennett’s offer.  I told Sue to prepare to move back to Tampa as I was sure Bennett would fire me.  I would have no job.  At least my prospects were better in Tampa.

One week after Christmas, Bennett returned to Miami.  I knocked on his office door (he used the downstairs office which was Buddy Berenson’s, then Paul Rico’s) and I slowly went in.  He was working on some papers and briefly looked up, waved me in.

“Bennett, you don’t know how much I appreciate you showing such confidence in me to offer me the head job in Tampa.  It has been my dream,” I told him.  He barely looked up. “After giving it a lot of thought, I really think I’m more valuable to you and the company here in the corporate office.  I know you are probably going to fire me for saying this, but I have to refuse your offer.”

There was complete silence.  He paused and finally looked up.  “I wish you’d change your mind,” he said with little emotion.  Then, he looked down again.  “And you’re not fired.”  He didn’t utter another word.  I quickly got up, thanked him, and made my escape.

Six months later, on July 4^th, 1998, the players of Tampa Jai-Alai raised their cestas as the final salute to the fans.  At the end of that game, the pelota would never again be heard striking the granite wall in Tampa.

The next day, a handwritten sign for the employees was hastily taped to the glass door at the main entrance saying Tampa Jai-Alai was closed indefinitely.

As the limousine pulled up to the gates of the Miami MetroZoo, I realized that this might have been the first time I had ever actually ridden in a limo.  Sue and I had been invited by CEO, and now owner of the World Jai-Alai frontons, Bennett Collett to attend the annual “Feast with the Beasts.”  Also, in the limo… Bennett’s “consultant” (girlfriend) Linda.

Over the past few months, I had been completing the marketing and advertising plan for the launch of our new Crystal Card Room at Miami Jai-Alai.  We were about to unveil the first poker room television commercial.  Prior to actual running it in the media, we had arranged for it to be shown on a large viewing screen.   All the prominent guests attending would see for the first time.  The primary viewer would be Bennett, who had never seen it.

I was nervous.  We had been told it was to be shown at approximately 7:45 pm. The four of us departed Miami Jai-Alai about fifteen minutes later than I had hoped.  Bennett had been on some last-minute calls.  Of course, I was flattered that he had invited us to be his personal guests in the limo.  For some reason, he seemed to like me.  Or, maybe Linda did.  But, for whatever reason, Sue and I were certainly enjoying the luxury of a limo.

Dan Licciardi, now Benny Jr.’s confidante, had a close relationship with the Miami zoo.  He had made sure Miami Jai-Alai was always a major supporter.  Dan was able to arrange for the showing of our commercial at the prestigious event.  This was great exposure for our upcoming planned grand opening.  But Bennett HAD to like it.

As the driver opened the door for us, we exited the limo and made the long walk to the party area.  I could see the screen in the distance and told Bennett and Linda that at any moment our new commercial would be featured there.  They were currently running beautiful videos of animals and other short features.

Dan walked up and started introducing Bennett to some of the guests.  Meanwhile, Bennett was drinking and talking, with his back to the screen.   Suddenly I noticed the television spot was being shown.  I quickly interrupted him and told him to look up.  He only saw the last 20 seconds.  I waited for his response.  “Marty, that looked pretty good.  Now, let’s get the heck outta here and go eat.” 

I realized all the stress and worry was for nothing.   He was ready to leave this magnificent setting, serving great food, for a visit to their favorite restaurant in Coral Gables.  I’m not sure how much he even cared about the commercial.  

I was getting more insight into our new CEO.  Over the months, I had found that Bennett Collett was all about trying to raise the Florida Gaming stock price and continuing to please his minority investors.  Roland Howell was one of them.

This guy was a character.  His name always reminded me of Thurston B. Howell, the millionaire from Gilligan’s Island.  Roland was an elderly man in his late 80s that made his money owning some small hotels on Miami Beach.  Somehow, he became a major investor in Bennett’s enterprises, which was now basically Jai-Alai.  I got to see close up how Bennett would continue to charm Howell and try to suck more money out of him.

The construction of Tampa Jai-Alai’s Poker Room finished first.  My brother, the architect for the project, had turned a small area on the north side of the entrance into a jewel.  We flew to Tampa for the grand opening.

The Tampa Poker Room was classy, but cozy.  It was not like the stodgy, ballroom feel very comfortable for the poker players.

Tampa Jai-Alai would be our first poker room to open.  Sue and I attended the opening party as did Bennett, Linda, and the Howells.  After an hour of two of festivities, Bennett was ready to leave.  He invited us to Donatello’s Restaurant with the Roland Howell and his wife.  That’s where I saw the romance of a shareholder.

Bennett turned on the charm and opened his wallet.  Of course, it was not his money, it was all charged to the company.  Expensive bottles of wine, the best items on the menu, anything Roland wanted.  Sue and I had no problem with that, we just smiled, drank, and ate.  But I would hear Bennett tell Roland how much money he was going to make, how successful poker would be, expansion to new areas.  But Florida Gaming might float some preferred stock that he could get in on the ground floor.  Bennett was like “Wolf of Wabash,” pump and dump.  I heard that Roland, later, made another substantial investment with Florida Gaming.

Now it’s December of 1997.  We always took our kids, Shawna and Jason, to visit Sue’s parents in Venice, Florida, for the Christmas holidays.  Two days before Christmas, the phone rings.  Sue’s father tells me it’s for me.  On the other end is Bennett Collett.  I was very surprised hearing his voice, wondering how he got my in-laws home phone number.

“Marty, you know we’re having problems in Tampa,” he told me.  “You’re from there, know everyone in town,” he went on.  My heart begins to race.  What is he leading up to?  “Marty, you’re the man for the job… we want you to be the new Tampa Jai-Alai General Manager.” 

I could hardly speak.  These are the words I’d been hoping to hear since that day I had sat across the desk from Tampa’s GM Ernie Larsen in 1971.  Ernie said I could be general manager there some day.  That day never came.  It was my hope, it was my dream.  Now, Bennett was offering me the job.  But why did I feel so hollow, so confused?

“Bennett, I appreciate all the wonderful things you are saying,” I told him.  “But I have a family, two kids in school.  Also, what about the rumors we are about to close and sell Tampa Jai-Alai,” I said.

“Can you meet Benny and me in Tampa tomorrow?” he asked me.  “We’ll talk about it then.  You’re the man for the job, don’t let me down, Marty,” he said and hung up.

Then… I still get tears in my eyes as I remember this.  I slowly walked out of the room and into the living room.  Sue could see I was somewhat stunned.  I asked her and the kids to come out to the screened in porch, I needed to talk to them.

As they all stared at me, I said, “How would you like to move back to Tampa, they offered me the job as General Manager.”  Shawna burst out crying, my younger son Jason soon followed her lead.

“What about my friends, don’t make me leave Miami,” Shawna pleaded between sobs.  She was in high school, Jason in middle school.  Can a father rip his beloved children away from their friends, uproot them while they are in the middle of the most important years of their lives?  Of course, Sue calmed them down and told them we would all do “whatever Dad needs us to do.”

But I was shaken, torn. I had to give serious thought to the entire situation.  This WAS my dream.  But Tampa Jai-Alai was nothing like it was.  Business was awful.  The fronton was losing a significant amount of money since the strike in 1988.  Not me, no one could change the course of decline.  Plus, there were strong rumors that the Collett’s already had a deal to sell the land to a developer.  If that happens, what becomes of my job?  Do we, then, return to Miami?

Sue and I talked it over.  We talked for hours.  She said that they would support me no matter my decision.  She assured me the kids would get over it. Would they?

Tomorrow, I will drive to Tampa.  I will listen to Bennett’s proposal.  During the drive, all I could think about was having to say, “Merry Christmas, kids, we’re moving back to Tampa.”