by Todd Haight, for Batavia Downs

Batavia, NY — Western Regional OTB has announced that actor Joey Gannascoli, most notable for his portrayal of Vito Spatafore on the HBO series The Sopranos, will help Batavia Downs celebrate its national television debut on Sunday, April 29, at 6:00 p.m. The popular actor will meet fans and sign autographs prior to a VIP event and airing of the program in the Clubhouse.

Batavia Downs will be featured in this Sunday’s historic episode of the Sopranos in a scene that utilized footage from the track. Downs Track Announcer Joe Zambito was enlisted to call the race for the show. This is the final season of The Sopranos, one of the most popular television programs in history.

Attending the event will be Joey Gannascoli, who plays the mob character “Vito” on the series. Vito, who was “whacked” last season, has come back to life bigger than ever and is now touring the United States and abroad as the celebrity spokesman for Rocky Patel Premium Cigars. Batavia Downs features a new 60-machine smoking room.

In addition to meeting fans at the Downs on Sunday night, Gannascoli will be visiting a number of Off Track Betting locations in Western New York including:

Friday, April 27 — 1:30 p.m. — East Rochester Branch — 445 W. Commercial Street, Rochester, NY 14445

Friday, April 27 — 3:00 p.m. — Marway Branch — 63 Marway Circle, Gates, NY 14624

Saturday, April 28 — 12:00 Noon — Delaware Ave. Branch — 2228 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, NY 14216

Saturday, April 28 — 4:30 p.m. — Wehrle Drive Branch — 1042 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville, NY 14221

Saturday, April 28 — 6:00 p.m. — OTB Teletheater — 1201 Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301

Batavia Downs, America’s oldest lighted Standardbred racetrack, is owned and operated by Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation, a public benefit corporation. The track is also home to Batavia Downs Gaming, a 590 video gaming machine facility featuring video poker, big payoff progressives and the Clubhouse Restaurant. Batavia Downs Gaming is located less than one mile from Thruway Exit 48 and is open daily from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.