Houston Billionaire’s Daughter Rocks Galveston Mardi Gras as Queen of the Ball
A Tilman Fertitta Family Party Like No Other
BY Shelby Hodge // 02.28.19The Tilman Feritta family — Tilman, Blayne, Michael, Paige, Blake, Patrick — celebrate the Knights of Momus Fiesta de Momus at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. (Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchlightGroup.com)
When an evening begins with a rousing 35-piece mariachi band and champagne flowing in a lavish party tent, the odds are it’s going to be a pretty good night, particularly when the lead protagonists are part of billionaire Tilman Fertitta‘s family. Galveston’s Knights of Momus Coronation Presentation and Ball was one for the books with Blayne Fertitta, daughter of Paige and Tilman Fertitta, ruling as Momus Queen and her grandfather Vic Fertitta, Tilman’s father, reigning in playful style as King Frivolous CIV.
The multi-tiered soirée introduced 28 young women from prominent families in Galveston and Houston, the femmes swaddled in opulent gowns created just for the occasion by Miwa Sakashita of Houston. Their presentation, that included the requisite Texas bow (nose to the ground), on stage in the Grand 1894 Opera House was followed by the reveal of the king by Momus Ball captain Dr. Todd Maesel.
Beloved Galveston native Vic Fertitta two-stepped on stage in a series of dance moves that had the crowd roaring with approval. Then came Queen Blayne, a junior at the University of Southern California, who arrived on a flower-decked cart, not towed by a donkey, but rather pushed by her three brothers, Michael, Blake and Patrick, each dressed for the occasion in white-tie-and-tails.
Following the light-hearted presentation, the jovial throng of 900 adjourned to the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort for a dinner dance that just wouldn’t end, not with the youthful group of duchesses and their energized posses on the dance floor. The joint was jumping thanks to the sounds of party band Chinatown out of Austin and the Twins of Cabo San Lucas.
Guests partied amid the glowing”Fiesta de Momus” decor featuring walls of eye-popping paper flowers, fiesta flags and more courtesy of The Events Company, one of many interests in Fertitta’s Landry’s Inc. stable of successful businesses. In lieu of the traditional purple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads, this night was all about Mexico with custom beads adorned with sugar skulls.
The duchesses: Lexie Ammons, Gracie Bassett, Nicole Blakley, Kristen Blakley, Kathryn Criaco, Katie Rose Cullen, Bailey Dodson, Kaki Duenner, Melissa Estrada, Blayne Fertitta, Chloe Flores, Hannah Herrold, Valerie Herrscher, Joanie Kelso, Sabrina Kesler, Hannah Kirby, Heather Kirby, Maria Koutrouvelis, Marissa Matthews, Macey McCann, Danielle Perugini, Devin Peterson, Cara Quigley, Sara Beth Shelton, Emlynn Smith, Amber Tribble, Morgan Vicknair and Maddi Walser.
The players: Ball chairs Renee and Scott Rice; Momus president Hal Rochkind and wife Jessica; the king’s retinue Vic Fertitta’s sons Todd and Jay and his grandsons Michael, Patrick and Blake Fertitta and Josh Woods and friends Jim Ware, Doug McLeod, Scott Kusnerik, J. Fellman Seinsheimer III and Paulie Gaido.
Partygoers: King Frivolous’ wife Joy Fertitta, Vicki West and Ralph Burch, Cindy and Jim Earthman, Robyn and Mike Newburn, VJ Tramonte, Katie and Harry Cullen, Rose Cullen, Lisette and Tony Brown, Dancie Ware, Lane Ware, Hailey and Thomas Kleiderer and Dianne and Fred Burns.