CNY Scout
Risk and reward BY AMY BLEIER LONG PHOTOS BY ALAINA POTRIKUS
Hints and private previews, cards (literally) kept close
Thinking that it also would be a great opportunity for a
to the vest. It seems more suited to Clue, but the details
fundraiser, Nicotera linked the sales to benefit another cli-
of the City of Syracuse First Edition Monopoly game have
ent — the Abraham House, a non-profit that serves termi-
been closely guarded. Until now, the gameboard prototype
nally ill patients and their families. The City of Utica ver-
and other components have only been shared on a need-
sion was released to great success in 2018. The demand for the game led Nicotera to explore the pos-
to-know basis. When this officially licensed version is released to the public on November 15, the parts of our city that were immortalized will be revealed. The level of secrecy may seem unusual, but it was just the thing to generate interest when Jeana Nicotera first spearheaded a custom Monopoly project for the city of Utica.
To accomplish all that goes into manufacturing a custom Monopoly game, Nicotera brought on Karie Ballway, an executive vice president in Cooley’s East Syracuse office. They drew up a wish list of local companies and corporate entities they wanted to approach. Because gameplay
Nicotera is a Utica-based brand consultant at Cooley Group,
remains unchanged from the original, the duo had to en-
a company in the print and promotional products industry.
sure that the participants featured fit appropriately, while
She had been germinating the idea of a themed Monopoly
still highlighting hometown treasures and iconic places in
game for a few years; after seeing a law enforcement-themed
the community.
game at a trade show in Las Vegas, she pitched a similar project for a client, but Hasbro denied the request. Undeterred, she tried again, broadening the focus to all of Utica. 70
sibility of creating a Syracuse version.
CENTRAL NEW YORK MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Nicotera and Ballway carefully considered their options while exploring potential beneficiaries for the game. They realized that the Food Bank of Central New York