Houston Billionaire Tilman Fertitta Dines at Mar-a-Lago With Donald Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister In an Under-the-Radar VIP Huddle

All eyes were on the center table at Mar-a-Lago Saturday night when President-elect Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy at a festive under-the-radar dinner in her honor. Among VIPs enjoying the headliner seating with Trump was Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Italy, and his wife Lauren.

It was a heavy-hitter clutch schmoozing with Trump –  Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s Secretary of State nominee; Florida Senator Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor nominee; Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury nominee; and Italian Ambassador to the U.S. Mariangela Zappia. The table was cloistered from other guests by red velvet roping and attentive security. No eavesdropping, no selfies.

Following protocol, Fertitta declined to comment on the dinner when contacted by PaperCity. Neither Trump’s nor Meloni’s offices have issued comments on the visit.

New York Magazine details how influential these chic huddles can be in a story headlined “Dinner at Mar-a-Lago Is for Power Games.” It was no surprise that the Landry’s CEO and his wife were included on this particular Mar-a-Lago evening.

Beyond the multi-million dollar off-the-grid Trump fundraisers that Tilman Fertitta has hosted at his Post Oak Hotel in Houston and beyond the estimated millions that the Houston Rockets owner and hospitality tycoon has contributed to Trump’s campaign, it was only fitting that Trump’s choice for ambassador to Italy should join this oh-so-exclusive table. It served as an ideal moment for introduction of Trump’s proposed ambassador to the Italian prime minister.

When Fertitta’s nomination is approved by the Senate, he will have access to the U.S. embassy in Rome —  Villa Taverna, the 15th  century villa that was first rented by the U.S. Embassy in 1933. The historic structure rests amid seven acres in one of Rome’s most exclusive neighborhoods.

For a 21st century business mogul, the embassy is a far cry from the posh contemporary surroundings of Tilman Fertitta’s modern offices in the Post Oak Hotel. Giving just a hint at  the villa antiquities, Maison Global notes: “The property includes a Roman sarcophagus dating to the 3rd century, ancient Egyptian granite columns, a swimming pool and a tennis court.”

Get a closer look here in an art tour of Villa Taverna filmed during the ambassadorship of John R. Phillips, appointed by President Barack Obama.