The Amusement & Music Owners Assn. of New York held their annual gala April 15 at their usual spot in the five-star Ben & Jack’s Steakhouse in New York City. Many industry leaders were on hand from all over the country to honor Betson’s vice president of sales and purchasing Bob Dipipi.
Debbie Homan, Erica Mastromatto, Mark Dipipi, Bob Dipipi, Gwen Dipipi, Daniel Dipipi, Marissa Morini, Joe Morini, Patty Dellavecchia and Tony Dellavecchia.
“Bob has helped bring Betson to levels we never dreamed could happen – we are so blessed to have him,” said company CEO Bob Geschine, who introduced Dipipi alongside 2023 Guest of Honor recipient Michael Pace, the founder and chairman of Pace-O-Matic.
“To manufacturers, customers, competitors and Betson executives who have shown up tonight, this means so, so much to me, and I consider all of you my family,” Dipipi said, adding that Geschine was like a “father figure” to him and spotlighting Betson execs Rick Kirby and Kevin Fritz as another pair of mentors.
Dipipi’s wife Gwen also spoke, saying in part that Bob “has such a genuine love for people and has had so much respect for everyone in the Betson organization.”
AMI Entertainment’s Michael Maas, Tom Raub and Chris Owens are shown with the jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra, AMOA-NY’s 2024 Jukebox Artist of the Year.
AMOA-NY President Ken Goldberg also spoke at the event on the state of the New York industry. “We have continued to prevent government leaders from increasing our taxes – and convincing federal regulators to provide bank accounts for our business owners has been huge.”
That’s AMOA-NY President Ken Goldberg (Bar Partners-Emerson Amusement, New York City) with Karmin Pace and Michael Pace (principals of Pace-O-Matic, Deluth, Georgia) along with Pace-O-Matic team member Alan Joseph partying at the AMOA-NY gala.
Goldberg also described how operators had to embrace industry changes in the way they do business, citing new generation executives and more equity investment being introduced to the industry. “I am a case study because my three-generation family business joined forces this past year with Bar Partners, a Texas-based, national industry player, who wanted to enter the greater New York tri-state regional market,” he reported.
Additionally, the 2024 Jukebox Artist of the Year was Spyro Gyro, the jazz fusion group celebrating its 50th anniversary tour. Their music was presented on AMI Entertainment’s Curve jukebox by company CEO Michael Maas.
Betson’s Nina Byron, together with Jami Amusement (Bronx, N.Y.) principal Mitch DeCarlo and AMOA-NY Vice President Joe Bossolina, principal of McGee Amusement (Ridgefield, N.J.)
