By Jenny Callison
Enquirer contributor

LOCKLAND - Entrepreneur Jim Mussio Jr. is hoping that a card game will spell success for his company.

Mr. Mussio owns the rights to Tri-Virsity, a rummy-style spelling and word game that originated in Cincinnati during the 1980s. Wherever it was sold, the game won fans, but its distribution was limited. Early attempts to market it fizzled.

ABOUT THE GAME

• Tri-Virsity is a rummy-style spelling and word game that is played with a deck of 132 cards. Each player is dealt a hand of 10 lettered cards, which come in three suits: green, red and orange. The goal is to spell words of three letters or more. Each card has a specific point value; at the end of the game, the value of any unused cards is deducted from a player's score. • The game can be played alone or with up to eight people, and is suitable for ages 7 and older. • Locally, Tri-Virsity is available at all Biggs and Meijer stores, and at some Kroger stores. It sells from $3.99 to $5.99. • Information: www.tri-virsity.com or 527-4263.

But Mr. Mussio believed Tri-Virsity had potential to rival sales of Uno, the popular card game that inspired it. And for the past four years, he has devoted most of his waking hours to making that dream a reality.

The game was in his blood. As a teenager, Mr. Mussio helped his father market the card game, which the elder Mr. Mussio had licensed from the two Reading residents who invented it. But that company soon folded, leaving decks of Tri-Virsity to gather dust.

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati and working as a stockbroker for several years, Mr. Mussio decided the time was ripe for Tri-Virsity to re-enter the marketplace. In 1998, he bought the rights to the game from its inventors and began marketing his own company, Gentertainment Inc., patterned on what he learned while working for his father during college.

"I had paid close attention to pricing, packaging, promotion, licensing disputes," he said. "I was also responsible for inventory control and shipping."

Turning down offers from U.S. Playing Cards and Scholastic to license or purchase the game from him, Mr. Mussio recruited veteran Uno sales representative Chris Castricone to build a sales network in the United States and Canada.

Mr. Mussio's instincts told him that the game needed a brighter look and a cheaper price. With Mr. Castricone's help, he tinkered with the game's appearance.

"One of the biggest concerns we had was for it to look fun," he said. "We weren't attracting schoolchildren."

So with Uno in mind, the two recast Tri-Virsity in primary colors. Next, they worked on the price. Mr. Mussio wanted his product to be an affordable item that parents or grandparents could pick up on a whim. By buying in bulk, they were able to produce the card game for far less, ultimately reducing the retail price by as much as two-thirds.

By 2000, Mr. Mussio had left his job as a stockbroker, spending almost every waking hour on marketing Tri-Virsity.

"Sales have been doing great," he reported. "We deal with local companies such as Meijer, Kroger, Biggs; and larger concerns around the country like Scholastic Book Fairs, Eckerd Drugs and Big Bear. We are sold over Internet sites like areyougame.com and most recently ToysRUs.com."

But there have also been a few learning experiences. For instance, Gentertainment's owner spent six months in 2002 negotiating with the Kellogg Co. for rights to its "Team Tony" properties, with the idea that special decks of Tri-Virsity would feature Team characters.

"Unfortunately, as perfect as this partnership would have been, Gentertainment Inc. just couldn't afford the guarantee payment, and I had to respectfully decline," said Mr. Mussio.

But he believes that his Tri-Virsity hand is a winner. Mr. Castricone is preparing to introduce the game in Australia and New Zealand. The company reports that it has several new products ready to hit the market as soon as Tri-Virsity hits national sales goals.

"And the best news of all is this year we won three national awards for Tri-Virsity," Mr. Mussio said. "We won the 2003 Teacher's Choice Award, the 2002 Parent's Choice Approved Award and the 2002 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Award."

E-mail jcallison@cinci.rr.com.