From the Steel Pier and other amusements of yesteryear to the movies featuring Atlantic City, the old inlet and historian Allen "Boo" Pergament's memories on a stroll down the old A.C. Boardwalk.
Atlantic City: Then and Now
History Lessons
The Lilt and Labor of Atlantic City’s Irish
‘Atlantic City Jackpot’
United Nations, Modern Economy Has Roots in Atlantic City
Then and Now Issue: The Interviews
Hunger for History?
Pinelands Evolution
The Movie Palaces of Old Atlantic City
The Great Migration to Atlantic City
Steel Pier Satisfaction
Waltz Through Time
‘Atlantic City’ — the 1944 Movie
Steeds ‘n’ Sharpshooters
Remembering and Revitalizing Historic Kentucky Avenue
The Inlet’s Boating Days
Our Boards are Tops
The Pipes and More Were Calling
Down by Chicken Bone Beach.jpg)
Inspiration for ‘The King of Marvin Gardens'
A Stroll Down the Atlantic City Boardwalk
Click here to read
A Stroll Down the Atlantic City Boardwalk Atlantic City historian Allen ‘Boo’ Pergament writes about the Atlantic City Boardwalk he sees when walking down the famed wooden way — Part 2.
Click here to read
Atlantic City Expressway Turns 47 We celebrate the history of the infamous route.
Click here to read
The Princess Brides Grace Kelly, originally claimed by both Philadelphia and Ocean City, set a glamorous standard for modern-day princesses.
Click here to read
Atlantic City’s Gambling Legacy Placing a bet with Atlantic City is as old as strolling the Boardwalk.
Click here to read
The Atlantic City Experience could cost anywhere from $14 million to $51 million. Profits, however, could easily reach $300-400K per year by the third year with the city aiming for more non-gaming attractions in the future.
Discovery of a 250-year-old deed sparked the idea for a special event to be hosted by the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office in Mays Landing on Thursday, Sept. 27.
After being away for a couple of weeks, I had to make a trip to our Boardwalk, for inevitably, this time of year brings a hint of sadness to those of us who love all things summer.
From Pop Lloyd to Pattie Harris to Nucky Johnson and the Northside, not to mention Nina Simone and Sam Cooke and other entertainers' connections to Atlantic City and region.
In the movie Atlantic City, the aging gangster played by Burt Lancaster laments the end of the golden age of Atlantic City, the Prohibition years, when AC provided all the vices being denied Americans elsewhere. "The town was floy-floy then," he explains. From the floy-floy era to the hubba-hubba 500 Club, Club Harlem years, to the modern bling-bling era ushered in with legalized gaming, Atlantic City has remained a resort destination where people come to have a good time. And a good time always included superior entertainment. By the 1880s, Atlantic City was a bustling resort town, a place where both the working class and the upper crust came to escape the heat of the big cities to the north, south and west. Early entertainment options included circuses and sideshows, vaudeville, ballrooms, amusement piers and minstrel shows. The "world's greatest comic juggler" at one of the minstrel shows was W.C. Fields. Al Jolsen was also a regular performer in town, and Harry Houdini presented his death defying feats of remarkable escapism at the Garden Pier. John Young was the P.T. Barnum of Atlantic City. The first pier he bought featured a huge ballroom, a hippodrome, an exhibit hall and an aquarium....
While the modern-day casino era has brought such big-name stars as David Bowie, Gnarls Barkley, Snoop Dogg, Pearl Jam, Eminem, the Who and Alicia Keys to town, shortly after Resorts opened its doors in 1978, Atlantic City casinos began filling their stages with some of the biggest names of the entertainment world. This week, we dive into the Atlantic City Weekly (formerly Whoot!) photo archives in order to provide a glimpse into the casino stage shows of yesteryear. While mammoth stars have always performed in Atlantic City - whether it was the Glenn Miller Orchestra at Steel Pier in 1938, the Beatles at Convention Hall in 1964 or Ray Charles numerous times at the former Club Harlem -- the town's casinos have certainly kept up the tradition - today, more than ever. The photos here were taken by the late Herb Steiner and Dan Posnak, as well as Lew Steiner and Lori Hoffman. When possible, the venue and date are listed along with the performer. (Thanks to David Spatz for his help on a few venue identifications.) Tom Jones, Resorts, 8/86 Howie Mandel, Sands, 1/93 Fats Domino, Tropicana, 6/83 Sammy Davis Jr., Harrah's, 8/84 Redd Foxx, Playboy/Atlantis, 2/83 Frank Sinatra, Golden...
THE ADDRESS WAS 32 North Kentucky Avenue, and it was a place where the music -- and the night -- never died. If the entire block, including the likes of Grace's Little Belmont and the Wonder Garden b...
Frank "Skip" Shaffer, a music teacher at Atlantic City's Sovereign Avenue Middle School says that during Black History Month, "the focus is on athletes, actors and great civil rights leaders as it sh...
"I copied all of that from Frank [Sinatra] and Dean [Martin] and Sammy [Davis, Jr.] and [Don] Rickles," he wistfully recalled. "Now, those guys really knew how to hang out."
I've had some pretty interesting moments in front of television cameras during the past 30 years: Trading a capella scat lines with Sammy Davis Jr. and Matt Lauer, ad-libbing unscripted New Year's Ev...
Ring-a-ding-ding. If the walls had ears at La Dolce Vita, they may have heard the smooth sounds of "Rat Pack" superstars Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and a host of other renowned enter...
By Sandra J. Warren * Photos courtesy of Paulajane D'Amato I'VE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT in my heart for the chubby Santa who flies down from the North Pole every year bearing gifts. But my all-time favorite Santa was the skinny one from the Ducktown neighborhood right here in Atlantic City. In the beginning, his name was Pasquale Emilio D'Amato. His dad, Emilio, had named the baby after his own best friend. When Emilio got mad at big Pasquale, he changed little Pasquale's name to Paul. It didn't matter much because by the time the kid was 13 everybody called him "Skinny." Skinny D'Amato grew up to preside over the 500 Club, one of the most famous nightclubs in the world during the '40s, '50s and '60s. It would be even more accurate to say he was the 500 Club. Nobody can picture the "Five" without Skinny. Frank Sinatra, one of his best friends, often referred to the place as "Skinny's Saloon." Inside the saloon and out, Skinny brought more cheer to the people of Atlantic City than anybody could imagine. This tall, elegant man bore no resemblance to Clement Moore's fictional character except for the smoke that circled over his...
EVEN IF YOU'VE NEVER heard of the band Fourplay, there's a good chance you've heard music by the individual members of the pop-jazz quartet. Consistently staying at the top of the contemporary jazz charts over the course of its 13-year existence, this supergroup of Los Angeles studio musician veterans has appeared, individually and together, with the best of the best in a variety of musical genres over the years. Pianist Bob James, who gave us the theme song to Taxi among many other notable crossover recordings, has teamed with almost every contemporary jazz giant imaginable over the past couple decades. The list includes the late Grover Washington Jr., David Sanborn, Earl Klugh and countless others. Anyone will recognize the playing of Fourplay's bassist Nathan East who has recorded with and backed a multitude of top-notch acts over the years including Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Elton John. Guitarist Larry Carlton, also a reputable session man, was a former member of The Crusaders and appears on more classic albums than can be listed here. Billy Joel's Piano Man, Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark and Steely Dan's Katy Lied come to mind. (Don't forget the theme song to Hill Street Blues!) Rounding out...
Skinny wanted a singer. The male vocalist onstage at the 500 Cafe was laboring, and owner Paul "Skinny" D'Amato had heard enough. He turned to the young comic sitting next to him at his corner table. "Know where I can get a singer?" The comic had just concluded his 15-minute routine in which he pantomimed well-known singers, but the one he had in mind to fill the bill at the Fives wasn't exactly a household name. "Yeah, I know a singer," said Jerry Lewis, born Joseph Levitch 20 years before in Newark. "Not only that ... we've worked together." Well, yes and no. Lewis had been playing the bistro Glass Hat in Manhattan in March that year when he'd been introduced by a mutual friend to balladeer Dean Martin, who'd been born Dino Crocetti 29 years earlier in Steubenville, Ohio. The crooner and the comic soon shared the bill but not the stage at the Havana-Madrid, a basement club on Times Square. Not until the regular show ended, that is. Then they began to horse around together onstage. They got to know each other during the brief New York run. Though very different onstage and off, they were kindred spirits, young performers with...
"Come in and enjoy yourself - Steak 38 / Yeah, from steaks to seafood and everything else - Steak 38 / Come in everybody, don't be late - no, no, no don't be late - Steak 38 / Where you deserve the very best - Steak 38." Since hearing the above jingle performed by chanteuse Teddy Fusco in the lounge at Steak 38 in Brigantine, the tricky tune keeps running through my mind. For that matter, I also keep thinking about the outstanding meals and service that my husband and I had at the steakhouse last week. When Steak 38 owner Joe D'Amore opened the restaurant in 2002, his goal was to provide diners with a fine, white cloth dining experience. However, being a veteran restaurateur, he also recognized that there are times when one wants to snack on sandwiches, salads and soups in a relaxed, casual environment. So, to please all whims, Joe opened two separate establishments in one large building. Mickey's Raw Bar is a very casual, nautically themed sports bar that stays open until the wee hours. The kitchen gets started at 11am for lunch, and dishes out everything from a freshly ground hamburger with the works, to a hot...
By Lori Hoffman and Jeff Schwachter PHILLY FAVORITES DAVID Brenner and Dom Irrera will tie their fans in knots with laughter when they team up at Tropicana July 16 and 17. Although neither has lived in the city for a while, their comedy is an extension of their Philly roots. The two stand-up giants checked in from the road. AC Weekly: You are now a true legend of comedy. Other comics put on their credits that they've appeared with you. Dom Irrera: That I'm somebody's credit, that's nice. I don't know when it happened; first I was a young comedian, now I'm a legend. I think Rodney Dangerfield's a legend (Dangerfield gave Irrera his first big break on his HBO comedy specials). I'm a good comic ... make that a very good comic. ACW: Did you know David Brenner back in the Philly years? DI: Not really. I've worked with him before, yes. We worked together in Florida a couple years ago and had a lot of fun. I just think it's a good idea to have a Philly show. David and I are two of the only comedians out there that are in that [Philly] circle. It's neat because we have similar...
ATLANTIC CITY'S FABLED past makes today's gambling mecca look almost tame by comparison. Long known as a city where the only things banned were inhibitions, the "Queen of Resorts" reached puberty under the rule of political boss Enoch "Nucky" Johnson who reigned as her king for more than two decades. During Prohibition (ratified in 1919), Atlantic City was a wide-open town, with Johnson in charge of many business activities -- both legal and not-so-legal. On the county payroll, Johnson was, at times, Undersheriff, Sheriff and Treasurer. Top mobsters liked visiting the city and admired Johnson for his control of the rackets, as well as the local government. The city became neutral ground for mobsters throughout the country as long as they paid tribute to Johnson for his protection. Johnson generally took a middle-of-the-road stance with the mob -- he just wanted his piece of the action. "It is impossible to overstate the role that Prohibition played in the shaping of the character of Atlantic City -- and the success of Nucky Johnson," states Jonathan Van Meter in his book The Last Good Time: Skinny D'Amato, the Notorious 500 Club, and the Rise and Fall of Atlantic City. "In fact, between 1926 and...
Unlike most people, Dan Fogel had already found his life's calling by the time he was 10 years old. Routinely sneaking out of the second-floor bedroom window of his parent's colonial house in Margate...
WHILE MY DISDAIN for the NBA grows, I still love the game of basketball. Since I haven't been to an Atlantic City High School vs. Holy Spirit football game in more than 10 years, the annual Battle by...
ATLANTIC CITY'S COLORFUL PAST, the subject of many recent books, got a new treatment from Temple University history professor Bryant Simon this year. Simon, who grew up in Vineland and whose parents now reside in Northfield (he once worked at Lou's Deli in Ventnor), believes gambling has neither saved the city nor returned it to its glory days. "I wrote the book (Boardwalk of Dreams, Atlantic City and the Fate of Urban America, Oxford University Press) because I was immediately fascinated by the city," says Simon. "And by the time I encountered Atlantic City, I was already in graduate school. So I was seeing it through the eyes of someone trained to study something, but I was immediately fascinated by the juxtaposition of what I saw [between 1986 and 1990] riding on the Boardwalk ... both what was being built and the big holes in the city." Simon recalls going into the Atlantic City Sub Shop in Ventnor Heights and seeing the photos of Atlantic City in its heyday. "I was fascinated by how you got from those glamorous pictures to what the present was like in the 1980s." Simon says he intended to detail the historic decline of the city...
Legend has it that the good doctor was out with his favorite horse one night when a country bridge collapsed, sending them both into the river. Horse and rider escaped in fine fettle, and Dr. William Frank Carver, a buddy of Buffalo Bill's and perhaps the world's finest rifle shot, had hit upon a business bull's-eye. Daughter Lorena was his first rider, as Deadeye Doc launched his "diving horses" at state and county fairs across the country. He died, however, before the act came to Atlantic City and its prime venue. Steel Pier owner Frank Gravatt built a tower and tank for the high-flying steeds in 1928, and an attraction that would become synonymous with the seashore for five decades wowed audiences over the ocean. The marquee diver was Sonora Webster, a Georgia native who interviewed for the job in 1923 when Carver brought his show to Savannah. She later married the boss's son, and dove in the act for 14 years - 11 without the benefit of eyesight. Completing a dive in 1931, Sonora sustained detached retinas that, left untreated, led to virtual blindness. Disney's 1991 movie Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken depicts a spooked horse causing the accident, but the reality...
Article:
A.C. Library, Stockton College Celebrate Black History Month
Article:
Tribute to Tony Mart’s
Article:
The Lilt and Labor of Atlantic City’s Irish
Article:
Absecon Lighthouse Presents: 'Lighthouse Empire - The Rum Runners'
Article:
An Educator’s Untimely End
Article:
Vince Giordano on 'Boardwalk Empire' Soundtrack Grammy Win
Article:
United Nations, Modern Economy Has Roots in Atlantic City
Article:
Then and Now Issue: The Interviews
Share this Story: