8 JANUARY 1, 2008
Smoke Signals
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The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde did its part in bat
tling statewide and local hunger over the holiday season.
On Dec. 17, the Tribe presented Oregon Food Bank Chief
Executive Officer Rachel Bristol with a $155,000 check rep
resenting a $40,000 donation from the Tribe, $40,000 from
Spirit Mountain Casino and $75,000 from Spirit Mountain
Community Fund, the Tribe's philanthropic arm.
"Our Tribe has always supported the mission of the Oregon
Food Bank," Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy said. "It's an
important part of our Tribal culture to share and give back.
That's why we're making this contribution, and our casino
is matching it."
The Tribe challenged its vendors and other Oregon business
es to support the Oregon Food Bank with a contribution.
"People are hungry," Kennedy said. "The recent winter
storm has displaced many of our fellow Oregonians. They
need our help."
The Oregon Food Bank donation came on the heels of a
$10,000 Tribal donation made in late November to the Grand
Ronde Food Bank and a $250 donation by Tribal Elders to
the local food bank.
The $75,000 donation from the Community Fund
brought the total the fund has donated to the Oregon
Food Bank to $470,000 since its inception 10 years ago.
Bristol said the Oregon Food Bank has appreciated the
long-term support of the Tribe and casino.
"These gifts come at a critical time for Oregon Food Bank
when supplies in our warehouse have dropped significantly,"
Bristol said.
"We know families in the storm-stricken areas will need
emergency food for many months to come. These gifts will
make a major difference in the Food Bank's ability to respond
to families in need."
The Oregon Food Bank Network supplies 20 regional
food banks and 919 hunger-relief agencies and programs
serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash.
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Photo by Dean Rhodes
The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde made a presentation on Dec. 1 7 signifying
the Tribe's donation of $155,000 to the Oregon Food Bank over the holiday season. The
Tribe donated $40,000 and Spirit Mountain Casino added another $40,000 while Spirit
Mountain Community Fund gave $75,000. Attending the event, from left, are Tribal
Council members Reyn Leno, Val Shelter and Wink Soderberg, Oregon Food Bank Chief
Executive Officer Rachel Bristol, Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy, Tribal Council
member Chris Mercier, Spirit Mountain Community Fund Director Shelley Hanson and
Tribal Council member Steve Bobb.
Casino burnings odd vetteraim from Las Vegas
Joe Mascellino accepts position of gaming director
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Photo by Angle Sears
Spirit Mountain Casino Gaming Director Joe Mascellino
By Angie Sears
Smoke Signals staff writer
Joe Mascellino, 51, is the new
gaming director for Spirit Moun
tain Casino.
Mascellino grew up in Las Vegas
and has 30 years of experience in
gaming. He moved to Las Vegas at
an early age.
"My father was Frank Sinatra's
bass player; that's what brought us
to Las Vegas from Pennsylvania,"
he said.
"We traveled with Sinatra to
places like Palm Springs and Lake
Tahoe."
Mascellino has a degree in finance
and personnel management from
the University of Nevada at Las Ve
gas, and attended numerous leader
ship training classes at institutions
such as Dale Carnegie and the MGM
Grand Leadership Institute.
He began working in the gaming
industry as a craps dealer on the
Strip, working at places such as
Caesars Palace, The Mirage and
Golden Nugget.
When the MGM Grand opened in
1983, he went to work for the casino
as a supervisor, and was eventually
promoted to dice manager and as
sistant casino shift manager.
When the MGM Grand bought
New York New York, he trans
ferred there as a casino shift man
ager and was later promoted to
casino manager.
Eventually, MGM bought Manda
lay Bay properties and Mascellino
went to work at the Luxor as direc
tor of casino operations.
About the time that Mascellino
had decided he was finished with
the Vegas scene, he received a
phone call about an opportunity at
Spirit Mountain Casino.
"As soon as I walked onto the
property, I knew this was a place I
wanted to work," said Mascellino.
"The people here are extremely
friendly; the property is immacu
late; and the people who interviewed
me, I just knew that we would be a
great fit. They're great people. It was
a win-win for everybody."
Mascellino began working at the
casino in mid-November. His goal
is to keep the department moving
forward with improvements. He pre
fers to use the word improvements
over changes because he believes
people tend to get a little scared
when they hear the word "change."
"I'm not here to change the world.
I'm just here to assist in making
Spirit Mountain Casino the best it
can be," he said.
"It's a very successful property.
All I'm going to do is just come in
and try to improve what they've
already done.
"Change is a word that a lot
of people don't like. We'll make
changes, but they'll be slow. And I
believe that every change should be
communicated.
"I'm real big on communication
with the employees because most
changes are going to benefit them.
They don't realize it, but in the long
run it's to benefit them and make
their job easier.
"That's my goal, to make their
job simple and fun. You've got to
have fun."
Mascellino is single, which, he
said, has made his professional
life easier.
"With me being single, I don't
have to worry about dragging my
family with me," he said. "I can do
whatever I need to do. It makes
life easy. My life is simple ... very
good and simple. I've made it that
way." B