Twenty-five years ago, Tom Albanese got the idea to open a bocce ball court and Italian restaurant after traveling to Campobasso, Italy and seeing the way the sport brought people together.

He had a bocce court in his backyard where he and his family would host charity tournaments, but decided to expand it to a business called Campo di Bocce, located at 565 University Ave.

“I said, ‘Life’s too short not to have a little fun,’” Albanese recalls. “I just wanted a place to have all my buddies, a little glass of wine and salami and cheese on a Friday afternoon and play some bocce. So I came home and bought this lumber yard in Los Gatos.”

To celebrate a quarter-century in business, Campo di Bocce is hosting its annual Valentine’s Day bocce tournament Feb. 12. The Maureen Memorial Valentine’s Day Tournament is named after Albanese’s late wife.

Campo di Bocce is affiliated with the U.S. Bocce Federation and hosts several charity tournaments. The club has given back more than $8 million to the community over its 25-year history.

In 1998, Albanese partnered with his old friend and former 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci to start a charity tournament. Years later, he brought in former Raiders head coach John Madden, who played with him on a bocce team in Pleasanton, to create the “Madden-Mariucci Tournament: Battle of the Bay.”

These events raised money for dozens of charities, including the Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Special Olympics and local organizations like the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department and Los Gatos High School.

“I’ve pretty much been in Los Gatos my whole life. Los Gatos is very close and dear to my heart,” Albanese says. “You’re raised to give back, and that’s the fun part. … It’s just inherent in the way we grew up, our friends and our community”

The Madden-Mariucci tournament takes place every June, and Albanese said this year’s tournament will pay tribute to Madden, who passed away last December.

“John turned out to be a great friend and supporter of all of our causes that we were going for, especially kids and athletes. It was a perfect match for him to be part of our group,” Albanese says. “He was very very generous.

“I look back and this is what bocce brings; it brings people together in an atmosphere that was so conducive to building a lot of comradery.”

While the Los Gatos location managed to make it to this milestone anniversary, Campo di Bocce’s Livermore and Fremont locations closed their doors in spring 2021 as a result of the pandemic.

Albanese says he’s grateful for all the community support the restaurant has received over the years.

“I tell you that was a gut-wrenching year and a half, as it has been for so many other people. To close Livermore was really hard to do,” he adds. “Los Gatos has survived; we’re going through some hard times kind of now, but we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to be here for another 25 years for sure.”

Campo di Bocce has kept family at the center of its operations. Ben M., Albanese’s son-in-law, serves as the chief operations officer and has taken over managerial responsibilities over the past few years.

“Families–90-year-old birthdays, 10 year old birthdays–all different walks of life coming in, which was really rewarding,” Albanese says. “The employees that we hired as kids are now adults with families. Some of them even met at our place, proposed in our place, had rehearsal dinners in our place.

“My definition of successful is listening to those people laughing and having a good time,” he adds. “That to me was success, and that still exists today. That’s what our place brings. People lose their work and their thoughts and they come in and worry about getting the big ball next to the small ball. That’s as simple as it gets.”

To celebrate its anniversary, Campo di Bocce is offering specials through Feb. 12. All food and drinks are 25% off, and bocce is $10 a person instead of the normal $15. Cocktails are also $5 on Feb. 12. Campo di Bocce will be closed on Mondays until Feb. 21, and on Sunday, Feb. 13, for the Super Bowl. Source: www.mercurynews.com