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 Joe Massari is the General Manager at Jeffrey Chodorow’s Red Square Restaurant located in The Quarter at Tropicana. He graduated from Glassboro State College with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Joe was elected to the International Who’s Who of Professionals in 2000 and is a certified Food and Beverage Executive. He has established his career in various food & beverage departments at
several casinos. Joe honed his F&B skills during his tenure in the Night Club sector at the Jersey shore running
the nostalgic greats Meral’s Inn and Gilhooley’s on the Margate strip. He has been involved in most of the city’s transitional stages and special events
ranging from board member of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee to the opening F&B team for Borgata. He spends most of his time in the day-to-day operations and is assisting in the planning & opening of 2 additional restaurants, Rumjungle and English is Italian, which will be located on The Pier at Caesars.
How long have you lived in Atlantic City?
I’ve lived & worked in the Atlantic City area for 22 years.
What do like most about Atlantic City?
Most of the people that live or work here have some sort of history with the city back when a
suit & tie was the norm on the Boardwalk. For example, my in-laws owned The Venice Restaurant
Describe your perfect day in Atlantic City
My wedding day 9/8/90 (I think that’s the date) at St. Michaels on Mississippi Ave. A scene from a Scorsese movie
What originally brought you to AC?
I was running a Night Club, Meral’s Inn / Gilhooley’s, in Margate which shaped into a career in food & beverage.
Where do you see the city in 10 years?
I see some of these celebrity and specialty restaurants turning into casino gaming space. Also, a major implosion of sorts to make room for a new casino resort. Remember, history repeats itself, so all the young and hip crowd today will stand in-line for the
buffets and toaster give-aways in the future!!
Tell us about your favorite AC memory.
The East Coast Video convention. I was working at the Sands and there was a sponsored event for Freedom of Speech at the Copa Room hosted by Ron Jeremy!! Second, interviewing F&B candidates for Borgata. Finally, watching Michael Jordan splitting a pair of Kings at a Black-Jack table
You’ve got two hours to kill on the boardwalk, what do you do?
Watching the Pier coming to life and visualize the lines to get into the Rumjungle and the mouth watering aroma from CGM’s Italian restaurant.
Why should I go to Red Square?
Several reasons. Service that truly comes from the heart and not a manual, we have the
area's only Vodka Locker, Caviar, Steak Tartare and we have an upper echelon of management that inquire
about “what you want” rather than “telling you what you need”!!
Is there something that I will only find at Red Square and not other AC hot spots?
Never a cover, 125 (and growing) varieties of Vodka, uni-sex bathrooms, 5 intimate dining booths, a menu that adds flare to traditional dishes, two12-foot ice columns, Fur coats and authentic Russian Army Jackets and authentic head gear.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever seen in Red Square or the casinos?
The leather lounge chairs in our uni-sex bathrooms. Use your imagination!!
Requested items that Butlers and Stage acts demanded during my tenure as an In Room Dining manager in 2 casinos.
What three words describe Atlantic City best?
“Second to None.”
Dealer shows 16 you’ve got a pair of 8s – how do you play them?
Treat it like a pair of fighting dogs, Split-Em.
What would you most like to change about Atlantic City?
The mind-set of all these self proclaimed experts who constantly put down AC yet they work, their companies prosper and eventually they become wealthy/celebrity-like
figures off of AC's amenities and hard-working local work force.
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