CLEVELAND — When you think of bingo, you might think of seniors playing in a community center, but on Wednesday nights at The Winchester, one bingo caller is drawing a much more diverse crowd.

Sophia Santillo is making a name for herself as Cleveland’s bingo girl. 

“There will be other people who do bingo around town, but I want mine to be special and unique,” she said.

Hosting bingo is a stark contrast from Santillo’s day job, where she works as a victim advocate in the cold case unit for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

“Everybody has stuff going on in their life, so it’s fun to come together and forget about life and have fun for two hours,” she said.

Santillo came to bingo at the Winchester for the first time with friends during the pandemic, when bingo was hosted by the bar’s owner and not many people were in attendance. 

She asked to take over and got the job on the spot. It’s not a job she takes lightly. 

Bingo doesn’t start until 7 p.m., but Santillo arrives to set up right from work by 5.

“I like to make sure that, if I were coming to bingo, how I would like to be placed in a room,” she said.

Santillo draws a crowd that requires the Winchester to bring out every single chair they’ve got. 

Each week is a different theme, with a few staples, like plant bingo.

“I love using sponsors for events,” Santillo said. “So for tonight, we have two local businesses.”

Part of the reason the event gets so crowded is because Santillo insists on keeping it free. 

She wants it to be accessible to anyone who wants to come because she believes everyone deserves a little break in the middle of the week.

“I’m just so appreciative of this opportunity and how my little side-hustle hobby has turned into this staple in other people’s lives,” she said. “That makes me really happy.”

Santillo has no plans to slow down on bingo anytime soon.

She said it means a lot to be able to support local businesses while having fun doing something she loves.