About Us

America’s First Complete Bocce Facility and Italian Ristorante

Campo di Bocce — Los Gatos

Eight championship bocce courts — four indoor, four out — paired with genuine Italian food and a wine list that holds its own. It's where Silicon Valley comes to close a deal, celebrate a launch, or just stop staring at a laptop for a few hours.

Since 1997, Campo di Bocce has been the original bocce-and-dining destination in the Bay Area, built by Tom Albanese and still run today under GM Benjamin Musolf. We've hosted national and international tournaments, corporate offsites for companies you'd recognize, rehearsal dinners, and a lot of Friday nights that started with "just one glass of wine."

No experience needed — our staff will get your team playing in minutes. Whether it's a client dinner, a team win to celebrate, or a private event for 20 or 200, Campo di Bocce is Los Gatos' answer to "where do we take this crowd that isn't another steakhouse."

Campo Di Bocce – from Italy to Los Gatos

Our Story

It started on Thursday nights in backyards around Los Gatos, where Tom Albanese and his friends rotated bocce courts, sharing food and wine after work. Simple rules: bring something to share, have fun.

The idea took shape on a family trip to Campobasso, Italy, where Tom found a bocciodromo — part restaurant, part bar, part bocce hall, packed with families spending their evening together. He came home determined to build one.

He found an old lumberyard in Los Gatos, brought his bocce friends in as investors, and in 1997 opened eight courts, a full Italian kitchen, and a bar. The mission never changed: show people how much fun bocce is.

It worked. Apple, Google, and Adobe started bringing employees in for team events. Tournaments followed, including the National Bocce Championships. What began as a backyard hobby helped put bocce on the map on the West Coast.

Never played? Our staff will get you started in five minutes.

Our Owners & Management

Owners and Management

Tom Albanese, Owner and Founder — Tom's family roots trace back to Campobasso, Italy. A second-generation Italian-American born and raised in San Jose, he's spent his entire life in the Santa Clara Valley. He met his late wife Maureen at Santa Clara University, served in the U.S. Marine Corps after graduating in 1968, then returned home to marry Maureen and raise three daughters in Los Gatos and Saratoga. They shared thirty-five years together before her passing. Tom remains active in the concrete business, running Central Concrete Supply in San Jose.

Tom has never been a tournament bocce player, but few people have done more for the sport in this country. The United States Bocce Federation recognized him with Wall of Honor accolades in 2006. He's hosted events that put bocce on the national and international map — the 2000 Friendship Games with China, Italy, and France, multiple National Bocce Championships, the North American Championships, and years of charity and celebrity bocce tournaments.

Since Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos opened in 1997, close to a million customer visits have passed through its doors. The annual Madden Mariucci Charity Bocce Tournament — a format Tom pioneered with friends Steve Mariucci and John Madden — has now raised over $10 million for local and national charities.

"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. — Benjamin leads operations with a focus on the dining and beverage experience, from the wine list to the events calendar. He's a Level Two Sommelier certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers, and his eye for detail shows in every bottle on the list and every event hosted at Campo di Bocce.

Outside of work, Benjamin is married with two daughters, and spends his free time on the golf course and traveling with his family.

Alex Hardin, General Manager — Oversees day-to-day operations at Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos.

Nicole Simons, General Manager and Director of Finance — Leads the venue's finance operations alongside general management duties.

Ilene Wild, Director of Sales and Event Management — Leads sales and event planning, from corporate outings to weddings and private parties.

Javier Ambrosio, Chef and Kitchen Manager — Heads the kitchen and oversees the restaurant's Italian menu.