THE MOB MUSEUM APPOINTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS AND ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO BOARD AND ADVISORY COUNCIL

THE MOB MUSEUM APPOINTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS AND ANNOUNCES ADDITIONS TO BOARD AND ADVISORY COUNCIL

LAS VEGAS (September 2022) – The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, announces newly appointed Board Officers and Members as well as Advisory Council Members. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Museum boasts a highly respected board of directors, comprising professionals from local and state government, law enforcement, the judicial system, media and the business community. The Museum’s Advisory Council membership roster spans the globe, including individuals with expertise in a variety of relevant disciplines such as law enforcement, journalism, academia and the criminal justice system, as well as an array of business sectors.

Board of Directors Newly Appointed Officers:

New Board of Directors Chair Steve Martinez: Steve Martinez is the senior vice president of global security for MGM Resorts. From 1987 to 2013, Martinez enjoyed a distinguished career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Through a series of promotions during his FBI career, Martinez served as the special agent in charge of the Las Vegas Field Office as well as the assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles Field Office. Martinez concluded his FBI career as the executive assistant director for the Science and Technology Branch at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Board Vice Chair Valerie Murzl: With more than 30 years of experience in the human resources profession, Valerie Murzl has received national recognition for her creation of a non-traditional platform of benefits during her tenure as senior vice president of human resources and training with Station Casinos. Murzl was a graduate of the FBI Las Vegas Citizens Academy’s 2004 class and is a past president of the FBI Las Vegas Citizens Academy Alumni Association. 

Board Treasurer Edward A. Koijane: Edward A. Koijane has worked in public accounting for nearly three decades, providing tax and accounting services to large, multinational businesses. For more than 10 years, Koijane has also been the Las Vegas office tax managing partner at Ernst and Young. Koijane is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in Nevada, California and Oregon. He is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the Nevada, California and Oregon Societies of CPAs.

Board Secretary Audry “JB” Batiste: Audry “JB” Batiste is a retired Air Force officer who honorably served his country for more than 20 years. Batiste holds more than 15 years of experience in financial and tax services. He currently works as a certified financial planner professional at Redrock Wealth Management.  In addition, Batiste volunteers with several organizations throughout Las Vegas, including acting as a role model and mentor to young children in underserved areas. 

Immediate Past Board of Directors Chair Jeff Silver will remain as a member of the Board. Silver’s contributions to the Museum are unparalleled, and his life and career in Las Vegas bring decades of historical knowledge and experience through his various positions with the Gaming Control Board, roles at resorts, including the Landmark Hotel & Casino, Riviera Hotel & Casino and Caesars Palace, as well as his decades of legal experience. 

New Museum Board of Directors Member:

Dr. Claytee White: Dr. Claytee White is the inaugural director of the Oral History Research Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Libraries. In this position, she collects the history of Las Vegas and the surrounding areas by gathering memories of events and experiences from long-time residents that are used by students and researchers from around the world. She has also written several book chapters, journal articles and presented oral history papers at national conferences across the United States. 

New Advisory Council Members:

  • Chelle Adams – Former Museum Board of Directors Treasurer and former chief financial officer (CFO) of the Cosmopolitan, Chelle Adams recently joined SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment as CFO, working out of their Orlando, Florida, headquarters.
  • Anthony “Tony” DeStefano – Pulitzer Prize-winning organized crime reporter and criminal justice and legal affairs expert, Anthony “Tony” DeStefano has covered a number of major trials and has written three books on the American mob during his four decades in media. 
  • Richard Dreitzer – Broadening the advisory council’s legal expertise, Richard Dreitzer brings more than two decades of experience as a Nevada attorney spearheading BigLaw firm Fennemore’s Las Vegas office as the managing partner. Dreitzer was elected to the State Bar of Nevada Board of Directors in 2013 and is a proud liaison to the State Board of Continuing Education.
  • Weysan Dun – A former FBI special agent of 30 years, Weysan Dun is a certified intelligence officer and FBI certified undercover agent who worked deep undercover. As a lifetime member of the FBI Agents Association and of the American Legion FBI Memorial Post 56, Dun brings exemplary law enforcement expertise that will help to further the Museum’s mission. 
  • Jerry Epstein – Former Board of Directors member, Jerry Epstein is an accomplished strategic positioning and brand development expert who is now the founder, president and CEO of Engaged Nation. Epstein spent 17 years with Fleishman-Hillard International, Inc., serving as regional president and a member of the operating committee.
  • Kristin Grammas – In her 20 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Grammas has supervised numerous crime scene investigation (CSI) field squads in addition to overseeing the CSI Academy training. 
  • Ray Johnson – FBI Las Vegas Field Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Ray Johnson leads the Criminal, Administrative and Critical Incident Response Programs.
  • Jenn Michaels – Senior vice president of public relations for MGM Resorts, Jenn Michaels oversees PR for some of the most iconic hospitality brands. In her 30-year career she has either led or been part of the executive teams that developed and opened Treasure Island, Bellagio, ARIA/City Center, MGM Springfield and many more, as well as consulting on the opening of MGM Macau and MGM Cotai. 
  • Patti Naughton – Patti Naughton began her career as one of the first female police officers in the state of Indiana. She went on to work as an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent where she infiltrated and investigated illicit drug operations run by outlaw motorcycle gangs and the mafia. 
  • Frank Panessa – As one of the most prolific undercover DEA operatives of all time, Panessa successfully infiltrated the Sicilian Mafia in the infamous “Pizza Connection” case which resulted in high-level convictions of wholesale Sicilian heroin distributors. 
  • Joe Pistone – Retired special agent for the FBI, Joseph Pistone is best known for his legendary infiltration of the Bonanno and Colombo crime families as Donnie Brasco. Pistone is a New York Times bestselling author and his life and undercover work were depicted in the 1997 crime drama “Donnie Brasco,” which starred Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. 
  • Nancy Rapoport – Former Museum Board Member, Nancy Rapoport is a current Garman Turner Gordon professor of law at the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She served as interim dean of Boyd, senior advisor to the president, acting executive vice president & provost, acting senior vice president for finance and business and special counsel to the president during her tenure at the university.
  • Giovanni Rocco – An undercover FBI agent at the epicenter of several federal operations, his most recent assignment “Operation Charlie Horse” ultimately brought down several high-ranking members and associates of the New Jersey DeCavalcante Mafia family, the organization known as “The Real Sopranos.”

ABOUT THE MOB MUSEUM

The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a world-class journey through true stories—from the birth of the Mob to today’s headlines. The Mob Museum offers a provocative, contemporary look at these topics through hundreds of artifacts and immersive storylines. Numerous interactive exhibits include a Crime Lab, Firearm Training Simulator and Organized Crime Today exhibit. The Museum is also home to The Underground, a Prohibition history exhibition featuring a speakeasy and distillery. The Mob Museum has accumulated numerous accolades, including being named one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 U.S. Museums;” one of Las Vegas Weekly’s “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History” and  “Best Museum” by its 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards; one of National Geographic’s “Top 10 Things to Do in Las Vegas;” USA Today’s “Best Museum in Nevada,” 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for “Best Las Vegas Attraction” in 2021, “Top Five Best History Museums in the United States” in 2021 and one of its “12 Can’t Miss U.S. Museum Exhibits;” named “A Must for Travelers” by The New York Times and one of “20 Places Every American Should See” by FOX News. The Museum is a two-time winner of the Mayor’s Urban Design Award for Historic Preservation and Adaptive Reuse and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Museum is open daily; visit the website for admission rates and operating hours. For more information, call (702) 229-2734, visit themobmuseum.org, or download the Museum’s free mobile app.

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