US AMBASSADOR TO ITALY, A NEPHEW OF GALVESTON MOBSTERS, DIDN'T LIKE HIS OFFICIAL RESIDENCE

American ambassador to Italy so 'displeased' with official Roman villa he lived aboard yacht and 'commuted via helicopter'

 

By Rachel Bowman 

 

Daily Mail

Aug 1, 2025

 

 

The Texas billionaire turned US ambassador to Italy is a casino tycoon and has owned the Houston Rockets since 2017 

 

A Texas billionaire turned US ambassador to Italy was so unhappy with his new official villa in Rome he lived aboard his superyacht for weeks.

Tilman Fertitta, 68, was nominated to the ambassadorship by Donald Trump in December and confirmed by the Senate in April.

However, the casino tycoon and owner of the Houston Rockets did not move into his official Roman residence, Villa Taverna, until July 10 following a 'series' of renovations to the property.

Prior to that, Fertitta had reportedly been helicoptering in to his engagements on land, much to the annoyance of locals, Airmail reports. 

A spokesperson for his company, Fertitta Entertainment, confirmed to the Daily Mail that the ambassador opted to live on his $150million yacht during construction to the historic residence.

'Ambassador Fertitta has been living in Villa Taverna since July 10 and couldn’t wait to move in with his family,' the spokesperson said.

'Several weeks prior, however, during the construction improvements to the family quarters (which he paid for), required that he live elsewhere. 

'Rather than a hotel, he chose to commute from his yacht to the embassy, which amounted to only 3.5 weeks.'

 

US ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta (pictured), 68, was nominated by Donald Trump in December and confirmed by the Senate in April

Fertitta lived on his 77-meter, $150million yacht called Boardwalk (pictured in 2022) for 3.5 weeks before moving into his official residence in Rome

 

His 77-meter Feadship-brand vessel, called Boardwalk, has 12 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a chef's kitchen, six bars, a large mosaic pool and a helipad, according to Robb Report.

Information on the number of rooms and amenities inside the Villa Taverna is not publicly available, and it is unclear what renovations Fertitta had done to the place.

'No changes have been made to the Villa and he honors its architecture, its history, and is quite excited to reside there during his ambassadorship,' Fertitta's company spokesperson insisted.

However, a separate news release from the embassy notes, 'a series of careful renovations' at the historic home. 

The fifteenth-century Villa Taverna, commissioned by Cardinal Consalvi, was first rented by the US Embassy in 1933, according to the State Department.

Villa Taverna is known for its rich history, lavish outdoor gardens and expansive art collections.

'The Villa and its historical gardens are filled with valuable art from antiquity through the Renaissance, to the nineteenth century,' the State Department said.

On Wednesday, the State Department announced that Fertitta unveiled a new American art collection at the villa. 

 

Fertitta opted to live on his yacht instead of the official residence, Villa Taverna (pictured), because he had unspecified renovations done to the place

Before he moved into the villa on July 10, a few days earlier he hosted Italian officials, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (left) for an Independence Day celebration 

 

'The Villa’s new collection, curated in partnership with the State Department’s Art in Embassies program, reflects his belief in art as a bridge between cultures—sparking dialogue, telling stories, and enriching shared space,' the department said.

The collection features pieces by American artists such as Roy Lichtenstein, Frederic Remington, John Singer Sargent and Hans Hofmann.

Before he moved into the residence, Fertitta hosted an Independence Day celebration at the villa with Italian leaders. 

Fertitta was born in Galveston but is of Sicilian descent.

He has owned the Rockets since 2017 and has made his fortune as the chairman of Landry's, a corporation which includes casinos, hotels and restaurants such as Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Anthony Fertitta, his great-uncle, and I became friends after he got over being pissed off at me for giving him a speeding ticket.