By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Paris Hilton is a businesswoman, author, TV star and creator of a successful fragrance line. But first and foremost, she’s a party girl. When the Simple Life siren turns up at Vegas nightclubs like Pure at Caesars Palace or Tao at the Venetian, it’s a virtual guarantee of buzz, publicity and standing-room-only crowds.

Hilton and her ilk have defined the current club experience: hip, fashionable and dominated by the Baby Bust crowd (also known as Generation X, with Gen Y right on its heels). They’ve inspired a whole new nightlife that’s spread from Vegas and New York to Miami, and in recent years has taken hold in Atlantic City.

It’s a crucial development. Atlantic City’s East Coast gaming monopoly is over, and as new gambling options crop up in Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware (with Maryland on line to expand gaming in the next few years), the city is working overtime to provide superior lodgings, more and better dining and retail, and top-flight entertainment. The goal: to offer a complete package that people can’t find elsewhere. Nightlife is an essential part of the strategy.

The shift started in Las Vegas first, when operators rethought the old notion that anytime visitors left the casino floor—to dine, to shop, to dance—it was money lost. By developing new options, Vegas built its customer base, and today, more than 50 percent of income for casinos on the Strip comes from non-gaming attractions. Atlantic City is following the archetype.

Star Treatment

By virtue of its name alone, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has set the standard for diversification. In 2007, the New York Times called Borgata “the model for the ‘newer’ new Atlantic City,” with 35 percent of revenue that year coming from non-gaming sources: hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, concerts, spas and shows. And with nightclubs MIXX and mur.mur, Borgata has defined after-hours in the city.

When it opened in 2003, Borgata and nightclub MIXX were hailed by Promo New York as “the best two things to ever happen to Atlantic City.” With the property’s 2006 expansion came mur.mur, targeting the desirable 25- to-30-year-old demographic—the fun-loving, free-spending young customers who willingly pay to play.

“At our nightclubs, we looked specifically at trends going on in cities like Miami or New York, where the scene is the show, and guests pay to indulge in premium access,” says Borgata spokeswoman Noel Stevenson. “We crafted our nightlife experience with a focus on bottle service, one of those trends that has really helped further Atlantic City’s evolution, as well as great music.”

Bottle service—buying libations by the bottle, along with ice, mixers and preferred seating—is de rigueur in high-end nightclubs, and the markups can be breathtaking. Fortune magazine reported that club-goers don’t flinch at $145 to $500 for a $30 bottle of Grey Goose vodka, or $1,000 for Cristal or Dom Perignon. The sense of exclusivity and privilege is as heady as the champagne.

“People who want to live the lifestyle they read about in Us Weekly don’t just live in New York City or L.A.,” Andrew Fox of clubplanet.com told Fortune. “And club owners have finally figured that out.”

At MIXX or mur.mur at Borgata, guests look for “their own party within the larger scene,” says Stevenson. Celebrities and VIPs like Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson, Gwen Stefani and yes, Paris Hilton are “part of the party, they aren’t closed off in some private room.”

These days, even DJs are heralded as celebrities. When DJ AM turns up at Borgata, “he can bring in several hundred more nightlife goers because of his fan base,” Stevenson says.

It all translates to a big bump in revenue elsewhere on the property.

“Because of Borgata’s overall destination offering, we have many customers that make a weekend out of the experience—stay at the Water Club, have dinner at Izakaya, see a concert, experience a spa treatment and also play in the casino,” Stevenson says. 

Pool Party

The Pool at Harrah’s Atlantic City is another success story. The centerpiece of a $550 million expansion, the 23,000-square-foot Pool has turned Harrah’s from a day-trip drop point with an emphasis on slots to one of the most compelling nightlife destinations in town.

That’s just what its planners envisioned—but even they are surprised by the Pool’s success.

“In hindsight, we look like geniuses,” says Scott Barber, president of Harrah’s Atlantic City. “When we first started the expansion in 2004, we knew the Pool had to be a pinnacle marquee entertainment venue, a nightlife venue we could program by day parts, so there’s a little something for everyone. We decided to recreate a Vegas experience, but indoors, because of the climate here.”

The result is a multi-functional, tropic-themed oasis under glass, with a 25,000-square-foot heated pool flanked by towering palms. On weekends, up to 2,500 patrons per night crowd the place to dance and mingle. They also come to see celebrities: reality TV stars like Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson (of Hugh Hefner’s Girls Next Door); gossipmonger Perez Hilton; DJ Victor Calderone; MTV curiosity Tila Tequila; and “celebutante” Kim Kardashian, recently seen on Dancing With the Stars.

As in Las Vegas, celebrities don’t just attract capacity crowds—they attract other celebrities, which lures even bigger crowds. Recent sightings at the Pool include actors Kevin Dillon and Kevin Connolly of Entourage, who gamely posed poolside with fans.

“For the younger generation, that’s the show—the show is seeing someone like Paris Hilton show up, just being a celebrity,” says Pat Merl, gaming expert, at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “It’s still that Studio 54 scenario, the prestige of going to a club and getting behind the velvet rope.”

From a revenue standpoint, the Pool has been a hands-down winner. When it’s busy, “food covers go up, more hotel rooms are sold, and there is (an increase) in gaming revenue,” Barber says.

That’s no accident, but the result of smart orchestration. When Hef’s girlfriends (now ex-girlfriends) showed up at the Pool last year, they made sure to stop by the gaming floor, and their fans followed. As a result, table game business saw “exponential growth” that night, says VP of Entertainment Danielle Mohn.

Happy Hours

The same dynamic is at play at Providence nightclub at the Quarter at Tropicana, where athletes, centerfolds, TV stars and trendy DJs have young patrons lining up at the door.

Cross-promotional events involving both the casino and the club benefit each venue, with the spillover boosting other businesses inside the Quarter. Case in point: the scheduled Alvarez-Kotani “War at the Shore” bout at Tropicana last month. It was to have been followed by an after-party at Providence, and the same night, Playboy’s Miss February, Jessica Burciaga, was going to split her time between the casino (playing celebrity dealer) and Providence (tending bar). To pack the place to the hilt, Providence promised bottle service and a signed photo of Burciaga to the first 100 guys through the door.

Alvarez was injured on New Year’s Eve, and the cage fight was tabled. But it’s a good example of reciprocal arrangements that provide value across the board.

Providence Director of Operations Arthur Giordano says his young customers are fun-loving and free-spending—and that’s why they’re so valued.

“Even in today’s economy, they’re careless,” Giordano says. “They have no worries. They live at home or with three friends. They’re not married and they have no mortgage. And on weekends, they like to go out and party. That’s the market you want.”

Gioirdano’s seen customers in this group who think nothing of dropping $150 on a T-shirt by Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier, whose “luxury streetwear” is favored by celebrity icons like Madonna, Britney Spears and Kanye West. The pricey attire was a big hit at a Providence fashion show in 2008; more such shows are planned for this year.

Music, lighting and architecture complete the nightclub experience at the Providence, with DJs and light directors working atop two circular towers, girls dancing on raised platforms, and smoke machines adding to the vibe. In winter, Giordano says, “We blow snow.” It’s just the scene 20- and 30-somethings look for: “a place to party and forget about life as you know it.”

Rock the Casbah

When it comes to nightlife, a club at Trump Taj Mahal put Atlantic City on the map, years before other casinos realized the value of the “careless” customer. In 2000, the Casbah opened its doors and caused a sensation. One review at the time began with just one word: “Finally!”

Today, with more and newer competition and more discerning customers, the trend-setting venue stays ahead of the curve, says Steve Gietka, vice president of entertainment for Trump Entertainment Resorts. 

“Great lighting, architecture, furniture, sound, talent, service—all are absolutes in a successful club operation,” Gietka says. “Club patrons are typically well traveled and have frequented clubs around the country, if not the world. Their club expectations are not met at the corner bar.”

In the face of all comers, the Casbah still rocks. It’s got the look: industrial chic with dancer cages and phenomenal light effects. It’s got the sound: seismic house and hip-hop. It’s got the numbers: according to Nightclub & Bar Magazine, up to 2,200 club-goers have been known to visit the Casbah in the winter, and twice that in the summer.

Now that the Taj’s new hotel tower is open, “there will be a renewed focus on the Casbah to drive more customers to the property,” Gietka says.
   
Mixed Media

How do the new nightclubs and ultra-lounges reach that desirable Gen X-and-Y demographic? More and more, the message is delivered via internet and text blasts, and nightclubs go the extra mile to add patrons to their database.

One way Providence captures e-mails is through introductory specials (free admission or a complimentary drink in exchange for contact info), and Giordano reports that only 5 percent of customers later ask to be removed from the list. The club also grabs customer data by using a computer program that lets club-goers text each other on-site, with the messages subsequently registering on giant video screens. When they text those all-important “Can I buy you a drink” messages, their contact information is registered.

Casbah, too, uses a mix of traditional media—print, broadcast, billboards—along with electronic communication.

“When it comes to marketing, we do it all,” says Gietka, “but the internet, texting, email and our website continue to grow as the most effective ways to reach the club demo.”

David Pena, the impresario who created Boogie Nights at Resorts and the karaoke bar Planet Rose at the Tropicana, says he relies on “vibrant print ads, radio, and the internet.

“But always the very best way to market is a strong word of mouth,” Pena says. “Having one person who’s had a great time at your place tell someone else about it still rules. And to have someone at the front desk of a hotel, a concierge or bartender recommend your place to a guest is priceless.”

Boogie Wonderland

When it comes to customer appeal, Boogie Nights at Resorts—unlike uber-cool clubs like MIXX and mur.mur at Borgata—casts its net wide.

Up to the eaves in kitschy memorabilia of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s—including video clips of vintage TV programs like The Brady Bunch and The Bionic Woman—the phenomenally popular disco club is a hit with kids and Baby Boomers alike. It’s not so much cool as hilariously campy, and that’s just how founder Pena likes it.   

“I’ve never tried to hone in on one demographic,” he says. “I believe it’s my job to show everyone a good time.”

Pena attributes the success of Planet Rose in part to American Idol: “We all have an inner superstar just busting to come out; sometimes all it takes is a martini.”

And Boogie Nights? “Boogie Nights is the club that I always wished existed—now it does. And thousands of other people apparently feel the same way. It’s the best feeling watching so many people under one roof dancing, smiling, kissing and truly having a great time.”

Resorts spokesman Brian Cahill says Boogie Nights is ideal for the city’s flagship casino, which eschews the prevailing hipper-than-thou vibe for plain old fun.

“With so many other techno clubs in town, Boogie Nights is the alternative,” Cahill says. The music—from the Bee Gees, the Village People, Donna Summer—grabs people from 21 to 55, and then some.

Open since Thanksgiving 2007, Boogie Nights has “brought a whole new energy to Resorts’ dining level,” says Cahill—an energy that stokes attendance at casino restaurants and bars, and brings concert-goers from the Superstar Theater in to dance after the show. The music is played in many parts of the casino, attracting gamblers and other visitors to the dance club.

“Our 25 Hours bar has become a meeting place for people on their way to Boogie Nights,” Cahill says. “Bachelorette parties start with a cocktail at the bar, head up to Boogie Nights for some dancing, and later on head to the casino floor. It’s enhanced the branding of the property and creates a buzz throughout the entire building.” So do the stars who drop by, like David Cassidy, and “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter.

Last Call

The Borgata may be the venue to beat for fabulous nightlife, but the direction is clear for every casino in town, and for casinos in the pipeline, like Revel and Pinnacle.

“We knew we had to change the business model here,” says Barber. “We can’t depend on the day-trip market anymore.”

Adds General Manager Daren Smith of Game On! at the Pier at Caesars, “If you want to build a better mouse trap, create entertainment that not only gets people to the tables, but gets them to enjoy all the amenities.

“Young people are the cornerstone of nightlife,” says Smith, “and the future life’s blood of casinos.”

By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Party and wedding expert David Tutera has planned big events for Jennifer Lopez, Elton John and Barbara Walters, supervised the nuptials of Star Jones and New York Giant Antonio Pierce, and dispensed advice on television shows from Oprah to E! He is the author of four books, including A Passion for Parties: Your Guide to Elegant Entertaining.

Named Life & Style Magazine’s “Best Celebrity Wedding Planner,” Tutera is host of WE TV’s My Fair Wedding and the Discovery Channel’s The Party Planner. His floral shop, Stem, is located on the Spice Road level of Trump Taj Mahal.

Casino Connection caught up with Tutera to find out about the hottest wedding trends of 2009.

Casino Connection: Every season brings new gowns. What’s up for 2009?

David Tutera: The look is more classic, with modern fabrics and intricate details. Fergie’s gown is a great example: a classic mermaid cut by Dolce and Gabbana, modernized with floral embellishments and crystal beading. But most importantly, as I always say, every bride knows “her” dress the moment she puts it on. She should never hesitate.

What seasonal flowers are easiest to come by?

Roses are year-round, they’re sturdy and they’re available in many shades, making them perfect for wedding floral designs. Other year-round flowers with a wide range of colors are orchids and mini-calla lilies. Peonies are perfect for June weddings, but are only available from mid-May to early June.

What silhouette do you like in bouquets?

A bouquet should always be viewed as a fashion accessory for the bride; the size and shape should match her style. I like perfect round pave-style bouquets with elegantly wrapped and accented handles. No matter the look, the bride’s bouquet should be held properly, facing forward to lead her down the aisle in style.

How about bridal veils and other headgear?

Many brides are forgoing the traditional veil and opting for either a stunning hair accessory or hairstyle. Although traditional veils will always be en vogue, this new trend allows for more perfect photo ops, and showcases the bride’s natural beauty and wedding glow. Brides who still wear veils tend to choose sleeker, more streamlined versions, which is the best of both worlds.

With so many details to oversee, how can brides relax and enjoy the coming nuptials? Is a planner worth the investment?

Absolutely. A planner is crucial to relaxing and enjoying your day, handling everything from picking up and delivering your dress to overseeing the entire design and installation of the décor. Coordinators and planners can handle both big and small details, and come on board from the very beginning or step in on the day of, depending on your needs and budget.

Is it crazy to plan an outdoor or beach wedding?

Nothing quite compares to photographs of the couple in front of a blossoming garden or a sunset on the beach. But you do run the risk of bad weather, and you won’t truly know what you’re dealing with until the last minute. I feel the benefits outweigh the risks, but I advise any bride to have a very solid backup/rain plan, one that she’s almost equally happy with, so she’s not disappointed on the big day and with the images afterwards.

With This Ring

When a man pops the question, it’s usually accompanied by that classic token of eternal love: the diamond ring. While couples these days usually choose the ring together (eliminating guesswork for the groom), there’s more to choosing a diamond than its outward appearance—or a salesperson’s pitch.

When you’re choosing the ring of a lifetime, there’s a lot to learn. Start with the 4 Cs: color, clarity, cut and carat weight. 

COLOR

Brides-to-be sometimes break with tradition by choosing colored diamonds (think JLo’s 6-carat pink diamond, or Tracey Edmond’s yellow stone). But for most brides, “the colorless diamond is still the first choice,” says Bob Rovinsky, of Serago Roberts Jewelers in Northfield. White gold or platinum top the list for the band.

Some brides opt for something other than a diamond. Princess Diana had a 16-carat deep blue sapphire; her successor, Camilla Parker-Bowles, wore an emerald. More recently, The Hills’ Heidi Montag chose a lemon amethyst surrounded by diamonds.

CLARITY
 
Clarity is determined by the size and number of inclusions, which interfere with the transmission of light and diminish a stone’s beauty and value.    

Here’s where your homework comes in. “It’s a bit of a jungle out there, and most people have to be guided through the process to make a wise decision; the trust factor is very important,” says Rovinsky. Because different grading agencies can offer different assessments, wise consumers will take their time, learn as much as they can before shopping, deal only with a reputable jeweler and stay away from online bargains. Remember, just because it’s a diamond doesn’t mean it’s a gem.

“The internet is a great place to be educated, but not a good place to buy,” Rovinsky says. “You’re buying a diamond, not a piece of paper. You have to see it, touch it, fall in love with it.”
   
CUT

As the name suggests, the brilliant-cut round diamond has the most brilliance and fire; no wonder it’s the most popular diamond shape. Following in popularity are the princess, radiant and cushion cuts (in the square/rectangular family) and ovals. These so-called “fancy” cuts maximize carat weight; for example, a rough diamond that might yield only a half carat in a brilliant cut might yield an extra 50 percent if cut into a pear or marquise.  

Speaking of pear-shaped and marquise-cut diamonds, they’re enjoying a slight resurgence after peaking in popularity during the 1990s. Jessica Simpson got a marquise-cut diamond from ex Nick Lachey.

CARAT

Carat refers to the measurement of a diamond’s weight, not its size. Most diamond engagement rings range from a quarter-carat to one carat in weight, so don’t be enticed by a large stone. Unless you spend a small fortune, your large stone could have numerous flaws, a lack of sparkle and other devaluing characteristics. As always, choose carefully and consult a respected jeweler.

COST

And how about the fifth C—cost? It’s been said a man should spend two months’ salary on an engagement ring, but that’s untrue, says Rovinsky.

“That was a wonderful ad campaign created by deBeers, one of the world’s major miners of diamonds,” he says. “Yes, this is an important purchase, and hopefully something that will be in the family forever. But you should spend what you’re comfortable spending. Don’t go into debt or mortgage the house to make the purchase.”

To which grooms everywhere will reply, “Whew!”

The New Bouquet

As a girl, Janet Markowitz spent many hours in her grandmother’s bridal shop. There she watched brides plan lavish events with chorus lines of bridesmaids, all decked out in pinks, pale blues and light greens. “There were even rainbow weddings,” she says.

That’s all changed. Markowitz, now proprietor of Chester’s Plants & Flowers in Atlantic City, says brides of today have all but abandoned pastels in favor of bold hues, sleek shapes and monochromatic palettes.

“Brides are more sophisticated,” she says. “Very few come in asking for pink, though they might add pink roses as an accent. Their bouquets are typically hand-tied and very simple, but with more and more bright colors. We’re even seeing a lot of black-and-white weddings, which are very elegant.” And vivid florals add to the drama.

For autumn brides, Markowitz suggests “zinnias, coxcomb, brown cimbidium orchids, and the deep, deep crocosmia, which almost glows orange.” But no matter the season, a bride can usually find the flower she loves—with help.“Remember, it’s always spring somewhere,” says Markowitz. “You can get tulips, lilies and hydrangeas all year.”    

Some requests are more daunting than others. When a young woman asked for peonies in the off-season, Markowitz went online and searched “from China to Israel to New Zealand” until she found a New York grower with dormant peony buds in his freezer. Another happy bride.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Resorts’ Dinner and A Disco

Gallagher’s Steakhouse at Resorts Atlantic City will offer a three-course, prix fixe Valentine’s menu for two that includes admission to Resorts’ hit ’70s and ’80s dance club, Boogie Nights.
   
The evening begins with a coconut shrimp appetizer and a choice of delectable entrees: baby lamb chops with a cherry pan sauce or salmon stuffed with lobster. Two splits of sparkling wine and dessert complete the experience.
   
Afterwards, dance the night away under the disco ball at Boogie Nights.

Love Connection: Available Friday and Saturday, February 13-14, $160. 609-340-6555.

Table for Two

The Quarter at Tropicana offers numerous fine dining, entertainment and hotel deals for you and your sweetie.
   
On February 6, 3 p.m. - 7 p.m., the sweet season gets under way with a Kissing Contest, with SoJO 104.9 in the Quarter. Participants can win a Valentine’s package with overnight stay, gourmet dinner for two, tickets to a revue show, breakfast in bed and a $100 gift certificate to Tropicana.
   
For all-out luxury, consider Red Square’s $500 Caviar Special, with four 1 oz. servings of the finest caviar paired with a bottle of select vodka. Red Square is also featuring a one-of-a-kind $1,000 dessert for Valentine’s Day.

The Palm offers an all-inclusive, three-course Lobster & Champagne Dinner for Two for $125, February 12-15.

For an atmosphere of fun and the flavors of the Pacific Rim, P.F. Chang’s has an exceptional $39.95 Dinner for Two menu on Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate lovers, come to Carmine’s for a dessert created especially for Valentine’s Day—a brownie with jumbo chocolate-dipped strawberries, fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream for $15.95.

The always-sizzling vibe at Cube Libre gets hotter than ever with a special $40 three-course prix fixe menu all Valentine’s Weekend (Friday through Sunday, February 13-15).  

Serenade your sweetheart at Planet Rose at the Quarter—you’ll get a bottle of champagne, two karaoke songs and a red rose for $50.
 
Passionate Nights

The Tropicana has a variety of room packages. A Romantic Getaway package includes a $75 gift card good throughout the resort (including the Quarter), continental breakfast in bed, revue show tickets, health club admission and late checkout for $187.50 (double occupancy).

Rev up the romance with Tropicana’s exclusive Valentine’s Package with one night’s stay, a $40 gift card good throughout the resort, breakfast for two at your choice of Fiesta Buffet or Seaside Café, two drinks at Tango’s Lounge or Rumba Lounge and two show tickets for $395.72.  

Sunday-Thursday until February 26  Tropicana offers a room package with an overnight stay, a bottle of wine delivered to your room, revue show tickets and a box of Godiva chocolates for $64.

Love Connection: 1-800-345-8767.

Sweetheart Package at the Hilton

The Atlantic City Hilton presents a Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Package for $375 that includes one night in a deluxe room with ocean view; a $100 gourmet dining credit (your choice of Oaks or Patsy’s); a flower, chocolates and a gift in your room; turndown service; spa access for two; continental breakfast for two and 2 p.m. checkout.

Customize your stay by adding a second night and/or 50-minute in-room massage for two (ask for the Romantic Weekender Gift Package).

Love Connection: 1-888-AC-Hilton.

Harrah’s Sweet Romance

Escape to Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City with someone you adore. Harrah’s Sweet Romance package covers all the bases, with a deluxe room, chocolate and champagne delivered to your room, breakfast in bed for two, turndown service and free admission to the fabulous Pool and Fitness Center.

For even more relaxation, take a look at the offerings at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa. It’s always a great time for pampering to the extreme, so indulge in a couple’s massage or spa treatment.

The Sweet Romance Package begins at $189, and is available starting at $289 on Valentine’s Day.

Love Connection: 609-441-5000.

My Fabulous Valentine at Trump Plaza

It’s one night of the year that demands romance, and Trump Plaza delivers. Your Fabulous Valentine begins with an intimate prix fixe dinner for two at Max’s Steakhouse or Roberto’s Ristorante.

Relax in a sumptuous room with turndown service. The next morning, enjoy continental breakfast in bed. Savor it all for just $479. Valid February 14 only.

Love Connection: 1-800-677-7378.  

Borgata’s Premier Getaways

A little bubbly, quality spa time, luxurious digs and intimate dining. Put them together and you’ve got an unforgettable romantic retreat. The Water Club and Borgata offer two new deluxe packages available only on Valentine’s Day.

The Bring Sexy Back package starts at $2,000 and includes champagne on arrival, a one-night stay in an Opus Suite at Borgata, VIP check-in at Tesoro Lounge, chocolate and strawberries at turndown, and a spa credit for two (worth $250) at Spa Toccare.

Love Connection: 1-866-MYBORGATA or visit www.theborgata.com.
   
The Immerse & Induldge package at the Water Club starts at $3,000 and includes VIP check-in, an in-room tasting trio of aphrodisiacs with champagne on arrival, a one-night stay in a Hideaway Suite at the Water Club, one Passion Kit, and a spa credit for two (worth $400) at Immersion.

Love Connection: 1-800-800-8817 or visit www.thewaterclubhotel.com.

The Chelsea’s Penthouse Serenade

The Chelsea in downtown Atlantic City offers a Valentine’s Day package that starts in your own Penthouse Suite with fireplace. Champagne, Sweet Tarts and Red Hots will be delivered on arrival, followed by a five-course dinner for two.

If you’re in the mood, enjoy a pint of Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream (with two spoons, of course); Courvoisier cognac with commemorative brandy snifters; and a two-course breakfast in bed. No need to rise with the sun—checkout is not until 3 p.m. Prices are $999 for Thursdays, $1,099 for Fridays and $1,299 for Saturdays including Valentine’s Day.

Chelsea Prime, the signature steakhouse from Stephen Starr, marks Valentine’s Day with a special four-course prix fixe menu. Choose from saddle of lamb with herb pan Madeira sauce, or halibut steak with hazelnut brown butter. Guests will also choose from a Valentine’s Day Pastry Chef Dessert Sampler. $70 per person.

Love Connection: 800-548-3030 or 609-428-4545, or visit www.thechelsea-ac.com.

Tastes of Heaven at the Taj

Valentine’s Day at Trump Taj Mahal will feature great gourmet dining choices. At Il Mulino, enjoy a special five-course menu with appetizer, salad, pasta, entrée and dessert for $150 per person. The renowned a la carte menu is also available, with amazing dishes like the double veal chop, Langostinos, rack of lamb and whole branzino. Top off the experience with divine desserts such as tiramisu, zabaglione, cheesecake, tartufo and more.

Trattoria Il Mulino will also be open Valentine’s Day with specials to make her heart sing.

Love Connection: 609-449-6006.

Safari Steakhouse will offer Chateaubriand for two and a champagne toast plus all the fixings—including lobster bisque and mini lobster pot pies—for $70 per person.

Love Connection: 609-449-1000.

Romance Meets Mardi Gras at Showboat

Need a little escape? The Showboat’s Romance Winter Getaway includes one night in a deluxe room (or upgrade to a one-of-a-kind House of Blues Studio Suite). Enjoy dinner for two, a box of chocolates delivered to your room and a $100 spa credit valid at Vive Day Spa & Salon. What’s not to love about this heart-stopping Valentine’s Day package?

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll enjoy at the Showboat’s fine restaurants. The Foundation Room’s Valentine’s Day Menu includes your choice of 14-oz. chateaubriand for two with roasted fennel; a 16-oz. lobster tail stuffed with shrimp and scallop mousse; brioche crusted sea bass; or grilled quail with roasted corn tamale. $65 per person.

To end your evening on a sweet note, the Lovers Sharing Plate features flourless chocolate cake served with chocolate sorbet and chocolate truffle raspberry crème brûlée with macerated berries, among other extraordinary desserts. Packages start at $289.

Love Connection: 1-800-277-5990.

Making Memories at Trump Marina
 
The chefs at Harborview Restaurant and DJ’s Steakhouse have created incredible prix fixe menus for the most romantic evening of the year. Choose Harborview for selections such as stuffed artichokes with jumbo lump crabmeat, grilled veal medallions and Mediterranean shrimp and a white chocolate tiramisu heart.

Or try DJ’s menu, featuring a Lobster Martini, Applewood Bacon-wrapped Filet Mignon and Godiva-Dipped Strawberries. That’s just a taste of what you can expect. Each dinner is priced at $110 per couple and includes a bottle of champagne.

The Marina’s Art of Romance hotel package is the perfect way to impress that special someone. You’ll enjoy an overnight stay in a Bayview room and a romantic three-course meal at Harborview Restaurant or DJ’s Steakhouse. Be pampered with turndown service, sweet treats on your pillow and room service breakfast for two the next morning. The Art of Romance package offers it all. Make your reservations today and enjoy yourself to your heart’s content. $399.

Love Connection: 609-441-2000.

By Michael Bruckler   Fri, Feb 20, 2009

Community Calendar: February 2009

February 1 Atlantic City Art Center’s Link’s African-American History Exhibit, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. New Jersey Ave. and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City • 609-347-5837 • www.acartcenter.org

February 1 Atlantic City Pan Asian Parade, 1 p.m. - 3p.m.
Connecticut Ave. to Michigan Ave., Atlantic City • www.betteratlanticcity.com

February 1 Chinese New Year with Andy Hui and William So, 1 a.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
www.ticketmaster.com

February 4-8 Atlantic City International Power Boat Show, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, 609-449-2000 • www.atlanticcityboatshow.com

February 6 Fundraiser for Katie’s Krusaders with Dave Schultz, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Game On!, The Pier at Caesars, Atlantic City • 609-646-0448

February 6 First Fridays @ The Gallery: Phil Minissale Concert, 8 p.m. Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org
 
February 6 Over The Rhine Concert, 8 p.m.
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org

February 7 Dancing with the Stars, 8 p.m.
Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 800-736-1420 • http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/16684/

February 8 Kids Play “Dr. Dolittle,” 3 p.m.
Cumberland County College, Vineland • 856-692-8499 • www.cccnj.edu/fpac

February 9 Guitar Blues featuring Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford and Ruthie Foster, 7:30 p.m.
Stockton Performing Arts Center, Pomona • 609-652-9000 • www.stockton.edu/pac

February 12 S.E.L.L.O.U.T Comedy Show, 7:30 p.m. Stockton Performing Arts Center, Pomona
609-652-9000 • www.stockton.edu/pac

February 13-14 Cape May Wine Weekend: Dinners, Tastings & Tours (Various locations), Cape May
800-275-4278 • www.capemaymac.org

February 14 2009 Group Wedding/Civil Union/Vow Renewal, 12 noon, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 609-449-7126 • www.boardwalkhall.com

February 14 An Evening of Romance and Renewal,
7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City • 609-449-1360 • www.abseconlighthouse.org

February 14 Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition,
8 a.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 888-737-2221 • www.spiritunlimited.com

February 14 Ocean City Theatre Company: “I  Luv  NY— Broadway Love Songs,” 7:30 p.m. Ocean City Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace & Boardwalk, Ocean City • 609-525-9300 • www.oceancitytheatrecompany.com

February 14 Polar Bear Plunge & Costume Contest, 2 p.m. JFK Blvd. and the Beach, Sea Isle City, 609-263-3756 www.seaislecity.org • www.lacosta-seaisle.com

February 14-15 Crafts and Antiques in Winter,
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Cape May Elementary School, Cape May • 609-884-5404 • www.capemaymac.org

February 20-22 9th Annual New Jersey Home & Garden Show, Fri. 2-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City • 609-449-2000 • www.showtechnology.com

February 21 Family Matinee “Dinosaurs!,” 2 p.m.
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org

February 21 Chocolate Fantasy Buffet, 2 p.m.
Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., Cape May • 800-275-4278 • www.capemaymac.org

Februrary 25 - FREE LA Boxing MMA Workout at 9:30am, 12 noon, 5:15, 6:30 & 7:45 pm Join LA Boxing on 2/25 for $0 Enrollment fee! LA Boxing Somers Point  609-653-9BOX (9269)

 
February 26 - March 1 Atlantic City Classic Car Show,
(hours TBA), Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City • 609-449-2000 • www.acclassiccars.com

February 28 2009 Mummers’ Show of Shows,
12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City 8 www.ticketmaster.com

March 1-7 Atlantic City Restaurant Week,
Participating Restaurants in the Atlantic City Region  • 609-348-7100 • www.acrestaurantweek.com

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Despite widespread indications that Revel Entertainment was still going full-steam ahead building Atlantic City’s next great casino resort, the economic slowdown has finally caught up with the company.

Contrary to a report in the February issue of Casino Connection, now available, Revel has made reluctant concessions to the ongoing recession.

Last week, the company laid off 400 of 1,100 workers and discontinued interior work on the $2 billion casino and hotel, located on the north end of the city’s Boardwalk. Exterior work continues, and the company remains committed to the completion of the project, though perhaps not as early as scheduled. The original opening date was slated for July 2010.

Revel had begun construction on the luxury resort at a brighter time in Atlantic City history, before the housing bubble burst and the recession kicked in. Other companies that considered entering the market around the same time—including MGM Mirage and Pinnacle—have backed off their original plans, perhaps for good.

In October 2007, Pinnacle razed the old Sands casino to make way for a $1.5 billion to $2 billion mega-resort, also on the Boardwalk. The land sits empty, and though the company has not announced a firm decision to pull out of town, it is understandably cautious about its future investment in the city, which has been broadsided not just by the failing economy but by new competition in Pennsylvania, New York and elsewhere.

MGM Mirage Inc. was to build a $5 billion casino-hotel complex near the Borgata, which would have been the city’s largest. Those plans have ground to a halt as MGM also cuts back expansion plans in Las Vegas.

In an Associated Press report, Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis expressed mingled optimism and reserve as he talked about the Boardwalk casino.

“Should we acquire the financing to complete the project, we'll restart the interior," DeSanctis said. "But in today's world, there's no guarantee of anything.”

By David Schwartz   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Atlantic City’s always been known for its entertainment, and for more than seven decades, one man helped the beat go on. From the Jazz Age to the 1990s, Joseph Chris Columbus Morris was one of the music industry’s top drummers.

Born in 1902, Morris usually performed under the name Chris Columbo. When he moved here at the age of 9, Atlantic City was filled with hardship as well as opportunity; rampant racial segregation and low wages made the town a “slave market,” Columbo said in a 1978 interview for the Atlantic City Free Public Library’s Living History Project.  

After attending local schools including the Indiana Avenue School, Columbo worked odd jobs before finding full-time work as a drummer. He played his first gig on Steel Pier in 1921 with swing bandleader Fletcher Henderson. After that job, he never looked back.

Those were heady years in Atlantic City. Prohibition was in force, but rumrunners flouted the law. For musicians, work was plentiful in the city’s speakeasies and theaters.

Initially, Chris Columbo went by the name Joseph Morris, but promoters thought it lacked pizzazz. When he formed his own band, he called it the Crazy Chris Columbo Combo. It was catchy, and other musicians soon learned to respect his chops. He worked regularly at Truckson’s Hollywood Grill at Tennessee and Arctic avenues and the Torch Club on Central Avenue before leaving for New York City.

In the mid-1930s, Columbo helmed a house band at the Savoy Ballroom, Harlem’s “Home of Happy Feet” memorialized in the song “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” There he crossed paths with some of the best-known musicians of his day: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, the Dorsey Brothers and Billie Holiday. Working with the top names in the business, he built a reputation as a spectacular drummer and bandleader.

Music took him around the world on a USO tour with pianist Eubie Blake. He performed with jazz superstars like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, saxophone legend Lester Young, and bop pioneers Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.    

But Columbo always came back home. For 30 years, from April to September, he lived in Atlantic City and played at the Club Harlem, then toured and recorded nationally the rest of the year. In 1968, he performed here with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and decided to stay for good.

Columbo continued to lead the Club Harlem house band until 1978, when it closed. For a time, he also hosted a radio show on WFBG, highlighting brilliant but underplayed artists like Woody Herman and Sarah Vaughan. He began each show by saying, “Good evening, ladies and gentleman. This is the captain of the swing ship, Chris Columbo. We’re here every afternoon at 5 o’clock with a cargo of my listeners’ requests.”

In the late 1980s, when the Showboat casino began offering live jazz in its New Orleans Square, Columbo signed on as drummer for the Dixieland band. In his 80s, he played six days a week and billed himself as the oldest working musician in town. Then a stroke left him partially paralyzed in 1993.

Columbo passed away in 2002 at the age of 100, having outlived all his contemporaries. In 2005, in recognition of his historic importance to the city, a section of Kentucky Avenue, home of Club Harlem, was renamed Chris Columbo Lane. His true memorial, though, might be in the dozens of recordings where music lovers can still hear Chris Columbo’s inspired drumming.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

It’s a bad month for investments, and not a wise time to buy or sell a home. You may be downsized and end up living in your car. (This horoscope is valid through July 2010.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

A personal deal will influence a business deal this month. But proceed carefully; don’t let greed get in the way of doing the right thing. (Wait a minute, how much are we talking about here?)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Don’t be afraid to show a little emotion. You have as much right as anyone to get caught up in a moment of joy or sadness. Sometimes it’s best to let it out. (Remember, bawling like a newborn is best done in private.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

You can network your way to the top. You will make an impact on the people you approach and will be inspired by the response you get, so don’t hold back promoting yourself. (But you might want to rethink that Myspace photo.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

This is an ideal time to reassess your lifestyle. Don’t let anyone drop responsibilities in your lap that don’t belong to you. Sometimes saying no works best. (But telling your boss to take a hike... not a good idea.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

You’ve already broken a few of those New Year’s resolutions, but your struggle to get in shape is still on track. This is one commitment that you must stick to. (If you fail, just remember, round is also a shape.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

You like to go all-out for Valentine’s Day: candy, flowers, the whole nine yards. Luckily, this year you have a very special someone. (After all, what else are moms for?)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Your friends are full of advice this month, so listen up. They may have a few pearls of wisdom, and can help you reap some unexpected benifits. (Unless your friend’s name is Bernie Madoff; in that case, never mind.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

A wardrobe overhall is in the stars this month. Your new look and cool threads will help you stand out, so don’t be surprised by those envious stares. (About time; you were beginning to look like a Klingon at a Trekkie convention.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

You are more of a risk-taker in 2009, so it’s time to take a step toward self-fulfillment. Just be sure the benefits outweigh the cost. (A drive-thru wedding seems like a bright idea, but then there’s the lifetime of marriage.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Relationships are difficult, so this month, a re-evaluation is in order. You must decide how well yours is working out. After all, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. (Just be sure not to pick someone who looks like a manatee.)

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

You have a reputation as a judicious planner who carefully investigates each step, and backs it up with hard facts. You will be rewarded for focusing on the job at hand. (Oops, someone’s watching! Hide this horoscope!)

By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Public area attendant Eglee Santiago of the Tropicana Casino Hotel says she treats her property as if it were her own home. With that work ethic, no wonder Santiago won the 2008 Host Award in her job category.  

“It was very exciting,” says the youthful grandmother of two. “I’ve been working here for 22 years, maintaining offices and bathrooms and being friendly with customers, but I didn’t expect an award.”

One of 13 brothers and sisters, Santiago came from Puerto Rico to Atlantic City at the age of 26. She found in this country what she couldn’t in her native land—the opportunity to support herself and her family. She now lives in Egg Harbor Township, and spends her free time with daughters Erika and Jesenia, and grandchildren Joseph and Brianna. Santiago is grateful to the casino industry. The fact that she is bilingual has actually been a plus in her job.

Though many think the job of a public area attendant is simply to keep house—a big job in itself—these hard-working employees do much more. They must be customer service experts and willing guides, friendly greeters and front-line hosts. In the vast Boardwalk casino, they make sure guests know where they’re going and how to get there. Most importantly, they make each customer feel welcome and valued.  

That’s Santiago to a T. She’s familiar with every niche and corner of the Tropicana, and takes personal pride in making sure it’s a great place to be. But the most important part of her job, she says, is “communication.”

“I like being around customers, talking, helping them. If they don’t speak the same language, I use signals. It works. It helps to like people and to be able to laugh.”

Someday, “when the family is raised,” Santiago hopes to return to the land of her birth. Until then, “I like my job very much,” she says. “It’s all about communication.”

By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

The title of this remarkable biography refers to the ruling principle of Warren Buffett’s life, which comes down to compounding. Be it money, expertise or insight, any commodity can be acquired and increased, and Buffett understood this concept early.

By age 6, he was selling chewing gum door-to-door. By 14, as a paper boy, he filed his first tax return (deducting his watch and bicycle as expenses). At 15, Buffett ran a working tenant farm, and by the time he left high school, had earned $5,000 ($53,000 today).

Numerous books have been written about the Oracle of Omaha, but this smart, intimate bio—a real armful at 976 pages—has got to be the most revealing. Shaped by both the Great Depression and a cruelly abusive mother, Buffett was also blessed with an uncanny gift for numbers and analysis, and he loved making money. When Harvard turned him down, he went to Columbia, and there met his greatest mentor, Benjamin Graham. Graham’s formula for value investing was such an influence on Buffett, the tycoon later remarked, “I’m 85 percent Benjamin Graham.”

It requires commitment to tackle a book this size, but its subject’s unpredictable personality (plus a string of memorable quips) keep it entertaining. Schroeder’s clear breakdown of fiscal complexities makes it smooth going even for the business-impaired, and these days, everyone will value Buffett’s take on deregulation, government bailouts and the dangers of derivatives.

When Warren Buffett handpicked his biographer, he demanded a warts-and-all portrait. So the personal side is here, too, including his lifelong reliance on maternal women, his affair with Washington Post chief Kay Graham, and his two “wives” (actually, Buffett had one wife but maintained two households, an arrangement accepted by both women until his first wife’s death).

This is a riveting book about a man as eccentric as he is successful.

By Joe Legato   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Hippie jumps, finger flips, and one-foots. While they may sound like happy hour appetizers at some restaurant chain, they’re actually just a few of the many new skater moves available in Electronic Arts’ Skate 2.

Similar its predecessor, Skate 2 allows you to pick from a plethora of skaters and go out into a fictional city to take on a world of skateboarding challenges and trials. The city is called New San Vanelona, and it is a rebuilt version of the original Skate’s San Francisco/Vancouver/Barcelona hybrid city which had since been devastated by some disaster.

Successfully completing the trials builds up your street credit and gets you sponsorship from real-life companies, but you have to keep your wits about you because the corporation that helped rebuild the city does not take kindly to skateboarding.

While Skate 2 contains many missions and challenges that allow the player to follow the game’s story line, it is also just really fun to explore the skateboarding-themed city to find cool spots to try tricks. One new feature that enhances this style of play is the ability to get off of the board and move objects around to create your own skate “line.”

You’ll find yourself jumping off roofs and grinding off dumpsters—just because you can. Additionally, exploring the urban landscape becomes more entertaining, as Skate 2 gives players the ability to grab onto the bumpers of moving cars to get around (called “skitching”).

Skate 2 can be a lot of fun even if you don’t know anything about skateboarding. New San Vanelona is a pretty cool city to see, and it’s just fun playing games where your goal is to do stunts. You even have the ability to shoot videos and record your skateboard moves. Just don’t waste all your video on your best tricks. Sometimes the coolest replays are the wipe-outs that defy physics.

By Greg Jones   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Franz Ferdinand is back with a new album showcasing the band’s artistic growth over the past couple of years. Instead of the Euro-pop-alterna-punk-dance-rock that brought the band to the top of the charts with songs like “Take Me Out,” Tonight—the Scottish quartet’s third album—shows a more mature band delving into less familiar sounds.

Unfortunately, a number of people will be asking one simple question: Why did we have to wait so long for this?

The foot-tap-happy beats aren’t gone, they just have a richer, more sophisticated sound layered over them—a combination of funk, disco, electronica, classic rock and even dub.

These influences can be heard starting with the first track on the album—and the first single released—“Ulysses.” While it has the pop feel that’s familiar to fans, the bass departs familiar rock waters for something that would be more at home in a U.K. nightclub. The same feeling carries throughout the album on songs like “No You Girls,” “Send Him Away” and “Twilight Omens.”

The most notable songs are “Live Alone” and “Can’t Stop Feeling,” both of which feel like they were written specifically for play in a dark dance club somewhere.

Franz Ferdinand has put together a perfectly serviceable album in Tonight. But while the album certainly is good, it is not three-years-in-the-making good. Had this come out on the heels of You Could Have It So Much Better, expectations would be a little lower and Tonight might stand out better as an excellent album.

By Robert Rossiello   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

As long as there have been movies there have been Westerns, a distinctly American genre that explores the life and lawlessness of the frontier. Though the heyday of the Western has passed, there are always new films—Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and last year’s 3:10 to Yuma come to mind—that infuse the genre with new life.         

Actor and director Ed Harris has now put his stamp on the Western with the excellent Appaloosa. Based on the 2005 novel by Robert B. Parker, the plot is relatively straightforward: murderous rancher Randall Bragg (played with vile panache by Jeremy Irons) allows his men to terrorize the town. The wealthy merchants of Appaloosa hire federal marshal Virgil Cole (Harris) and deputy Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) to enforce some frontier justice, but things get complicated when  Allison French (Renée Zellwegger), an attractive woman with a roving eye, comes to town. She turns Virgil into a lovesick pup and threatens to come between the marshal and his deputy.
   
At the center of this stately, well-crafted character study is the friendship between the lawmen. Cole and Hitch have an easy, laconic shorthand—they speak with actions more than words.
   
There’s plenty of exciting gunplay in Appaloosa, but it never seems gratuitous. This is one of the most realistic Westerns ever put on film. The movie has a dusty realism that gets all the period details right. Harris is especially good as a man of righteous honor whose inexperience with the opposite sex leaves him vulnerable.
   
Zellweger brings several shades to her character—she is not always likable but always compelling. And Mortensen is the moral center of the movie, a man who must compromise his principles to offer his friend a chance at happiness.      
    
Appaloosa proves that the American Western is still relevant and going strong.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Take the inimitable Neville Brothers, add irascible Night Tripper Dr. John, throw in his band, the Lower 911, along with the zydeco-influenced Crawdaddies, and what have you got? The recipe for a roof-raising pre-Mardi Gras party.

On Saturday, February 21, WXPN-FM brings this one-of-a-kind concert to the House of Blues at Showboat. Imagine the angelic voice of Aaron Neville juxtaposed with the rusty-nail delivery of Dr. John, backed by the passionate funk of the Neville Brothers band, punctuated by the Cajun-blues-ska sound of the Crawdaddies.      

Touring together for the first time, these giants of New Orleans are sure to perform hits like Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Iko Iko,” and the Neville Brothers’ “Tell It Like It Is,” “Fire On The Bayou” and “Fever.” Usher in the pre-Lenten season with this legendary lineup.

By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

The 1960s constituted a Golden Age of impressionists with comics like John Byner, Rich Little and Frank Gorshin. With the exception of Saturday Night Live, the art of the impersonation declined until Frank Caliendo revived the genre with spot-on versions of Clinton, Pacino, Seinfeld and even Charles Barkley.

When he appears this month at Borgata, the former star of FOX’s MADtv and TBS’ Frank TV is sure to impress with a grab bag of hilarious impressions: George Bush, Bill Cosby, Robert DeNiro, Sean Connery and William Shatner, just to name a few. We spoke to Caliendo about life in the age of Obama.

Are you sorry to see George W. go?

He’s not going anywhere, and people will still be laughing at him. In fact, people need a laugh, especially with this economy. I’ve been out there in Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and people are laughing like crazy. You can feel it in the room, this great release of tension.
 
How will you pull off Obama, who doesn’t have the quirks of his predecessor? 

Eight years ago, everybody said there was nothing funny about President Bush until Will Ferrell came up with his cowboy-frat boy thing. Then everybody saw it. So far we’ve seen Obama the candidate, the teleprompter Obama who’s a great speaker, but if you look at him online, there are lots of flubs. It’ll take a while to get Barack. Saturday Night Live has a great thing with him as the “cool president.” And if it comes down to it, I can always rely on my physical appearance.

You do a great Donald Trump. Is it the hair? The pink tie?

He’s a pretty smart, witty guy. Nobody enjoys Trump more than Trump; he’s a character. To me the funny thing is how everything about him is the most luxurious, amazing, incredible, phenomenal and every other four-syllable word. Everybody knows a version of that guy.

We hear John Madden hates your impression of him.

He doesn’t like me at all. The first time I did Madden on TV, Jimmy Kimmel took a pair of hedge clippers to these fake eyebrows I wore, and I think that caught him off-guard. But my comedy isn’t about beating people down, it’s about enjoying them, and most people I do get a charge out of it. In fact, once Karl Rove ran up and knocked on my windshield. I said, “What is this, the Patriot Act?” He just wanted to tell me George Bush is a big fan.

Does it strike you as funny that you make a living acting like the eighth grade wise guy?

You know, I grew up watching people like Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams doing characters and going from voice to voice. I never wanted to be an impressionist. I just happened to be good at it. Some comedians are amazing philosophers and teachers; I’m not one of those. I’m more like Steve Martin, who went out there during the Vietnam era and put an arrow through his head.

Frank Caliendo will appear Saturday, February 28 at the Borgata. Tickets are $40 and $45.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Jesse McCartney has been compared to another teen star who moved from featherweight pop to an edgier, more mature sound. It worked for Justin Timberlake, and despite initial resistance from his younger fans, it now seems to be working for McCartney.

His latest release, the R&B-flavored Departure, shows a depth and musicianship that belies McCartney’s baby face and Tiger Beat looks. He co-penned Leona Lewis’ No. 1 ballad, “Bleeding Love,” has toured with American Idol Jordin Sparks and is planning to record with both Toni Braxton and rapper T-Pain.

Though McCartney got his start singing love songs in the boy band Dream Street, the 22-year-old singer-songwriter-actor is showing the fruits of early influences like Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Michael Jackson. The most significant measure of his success may be that his audience has grown from predominantly female to include some guys.

“That never would have happened four years ago,” McCartney has said. “They’re curious.”

McCartney is known as much for his TV rolls on All My Children, Summerland and a slew of Disney Channel cameos as he is for his musical chops. Yet with three albums under his belt—all which include hit songs he either wrote or co-wrote—music remains his passion.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

It’s one of the area’s most time-honored traditions: watching men in makeup and fancy costumes play the banjo and dance. Though there’s nothing like seeing the Mummers Parade live on New Year’s Day, here’s another chance to swing along with the sequined sheiks from South Philly.

The Mummers String Band Association will give their regards to Broad Street at the Mummers Show of Shows, Saturday, February 28. It’s one fancy-dress ball you can’t miss.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Among the adjectives used to describe legendary ’70s band Cheap Trick: “blistering,” “raw,” “trashy,” “vicious,” and of course, “loud”—in other words, these guys can still rock!

Rockford, Illinois’ favorite musical sons straddle several genres: full-out rock and roll, alt-rock, metal, punk and pop, with a tunefulness that critics have compared to the Beatles. And despite three decades in the business, they play with the commitment and manic energy of a bunch of kids.

Their most memorable song, of course, is one of the earliest: the thumping, love-hungry anthem, “I Want You to Want Me.” At Harrah’s this month, they’re sure to play that one, along with other hits like “Surrender,” “Dream Police,” “The Flame,” and tunes from their latest CD, the favorably received Rockford.

With 40 gold and platinum recording awards, 29 movie soundtracks and over 20 million records sold, Cheap Trick deserves its longevity.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Can you pronounce Maksim Cherkovskiy, Edyta Sliwinska and Karina Smirnoff? If so, you've probably spent a few weeknights watching soap stars, athletes and country singers do the quick step or paso doble on Dancing with the Stars.

ABC’s terpsichorean talent show started out as a summer series (with “stars” like Trista Rehn of The Bachelor), then evolved into an entertainment juggernaut, inspiring a nationwide ballroom dancing craze and a host of copycats (So You Think You Can Dance, Your Mama Don’t Dance and Michael Flatley’s new Superstars of Dance).

But the original is still the best, and the fourth Dancing with the Stars tour promises lots of high-stepping entertainment. The stars are Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin, former N’Sync member Lance Bass, beautiful soul singer Toni Braxton, and Olympic track and field champ Maurice Green. Their brilliant professional counterparts include the above-mentioned Karina and Maksim, who just announced their engagement. (Take that, Mario Lopez!)

By   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Comedian Greg Behrendt is a former story consultant for HBO’s Sex and the City and co-author of a best-selling book inspired by the show. His Just Not That Into You has recently been adapted for the screen with an A-list cast (Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Ben Affleck).

Behrendt, who brings his act to Trump Plaza this month, spoke to Casino Connection Managing Editor Marjorie Preston about his role as an interpreter of male-female relationships.

He’s Just Not That Into You changed the way women think about relationships. Have they thanked you for the insight?

I get e-mails every day. But the reality is I would have said the same thing to guys: just be more honest about your relationships. We have a really tough time dealing with the fact that we are two different species. As my wife points out, women don’t “spark” like men do. Men find everyone attractive! But when a woman feels a connection, she may have a harder time letting go. That’s not saying, “Hurray for men.” Women are just more selective.

Now there’s a movie based on your book. How did that happen?

For me, this whole thing was like opening a gigantic gift bag. The book got white-hot around the time How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days was the big thing, so there was this excitement. I really didn’t understand it. To me, that advice was something I’d say to my sister. If I love you and believe you have potential, I’ll say, “Why suffer fools?” People should live their best lives and not stay in crappy situations. As for the movie, they did a great job mining the book. It’s a classy affair.
 
It must have been fun to work on Sex and the City . Which of the four stars is closest to her screen persona?

The show was written in Los Angeles and shot in New York, so I had very little contact with the cast. Kim Cattrall actually became Samantha over time, but Kristen Davis is certainly not a prude; the only one I got to know was Sarah (Jessica Parker), who is lovely. Well, they’re all lovely and smart, and kind of close to their characters. But I was a very small part of that show. I’d come in twice a week to consult as the straight guy, to say, “That guy shouldn’t cry in that scene.”

Tell us about your new TV show Wake-Up Call .

It’s an interesting experiment, getting two people to talk about things so they can figure it out on their own. So many of us are afraid to ask questions because we may not like the answer. I go in and say, “Why don’t you throw the javelin?”

Are you really equipped to do therapy, or do you just go with your gut?

No. 1, our guests are well aware that I am a stand-up comedian, and there’s always a therapist and psychologist involved to make sure nothing goes haywire. The show’s not a great work of art. It’s just a way for couples to see a way out of a situation or a way to solve it.

So what do you talk about in your act? Do you do a little couples counseling from the stage?

No, I talk about my life as it occurs to me—about sex, love, elephants and animal crackers. My message is, don’t blow this gift you’ve been given. Basically, if you like anything I’ve done—the talk show, the books, Sex and the City—that’s what I talk about, wearing a black cardigan sweater and good new hair.

Greg Behrendt will appear Saturday, February 7 at Trump Plaza. Tickets are $25. 

By Michael Bruckler   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

It’s February, and romance is in the air. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority will celebrate once again with a Group Wedding, Vow Renewal and Civil Union Ceremony in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall. The ceremony is free for all couples and their guests, and will include a wedding cake and photo opportunities.  

Executive director Jean Muchanic of the Absecon Lighthouse, who is also a wedding officiate, will perform the non-denominational ceremony. Couples must pre-register by February 11 at www.atlanticcitynj.com and obtain their own marriage or civil union license (contact local vital statistics departments for details). And remember, there’s a mandatory three-day waiting period in New Jersey for a marriage license. On the big day, check-in starts at 10:30 a.m.; the ceremony begins at noon. For information, call 609-449-7126 or visit ACWedding@accva.com.

Also on Valentine’s Day, the Absecon Lighthouse will host An Evening of Romance and Renewal from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Couples can renew their vows, climb the lighthouse and toast the special evening. Tickets are $100 per couple or $175 per couple with a room package at the Chelsea. For information, call 609-449-1360 or visit http://www.abseconlighthouse.com.

Lucy the Elephant will also offer a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day gourmet dinner—right inside the pachyderm! The dinner, to be prepared by award-winning chefs from Philadelphia and New Hope, will be accompanied by live music and, weather permitting, each couple will receive a complimentary champagne toast high atop Lucy’s howdah or riding carriage. Two seatings are limited to 20 couples each. The cost is $245 plus tax per couple and a $40 gratuity; a portion is tax-deductible. Reservations can be made at 609-823-6473 or http://www.lucytheelephant.org.   

Of course, it’s not all about romance this month. According to the Chinese calendar, 2009 is the Year of the Ox, and in celebration, the Better Atlantic City Association is holding an Atlantic City Pan Asian Parade February 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The parade will run from Connecticut Avenue along Atlantic Avenue and will conclude at Atlantic City Outlets, The Walk. The procession will feature non-stop entertainment, food, music, traditional lion and dragon dances, beautifully adorned floats, and art from different Asian cultures. Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo T. Langford will serve as Grand Marshal. For information, visit www.betteratlanticcity.com.

Chinese New Year with Andy Hui and William So will take place February 1 at 1 a.m. in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall. Tickets are $128, $88, $68 and $38 and are available through www.ticketmaster.com.

Over at the Atlantic City Convention Center, it’s the 29th Annual Atlantic City International Powerboat Show February 4-8. Presented by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the show will feature more than 700 boats by leading manufacturers and dealers. Adult admission is $15 (ages 16 and older), $8 for youth (13-15) and free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult. A two-day ticket is $25. For more information, call 212-984-7000 or visit www.atlanticcityboatshow.com.

On February 14 at 8 a.m., it’s the Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition with teams from the eastern U.S. from Connecticut to Florida. A spectator pass is $20 for ages 9 through adult. Admission for children 6-8 is $10. Admission is free for children 5 and under. For more information, call 888-737-2221 or visit www.spiritunlimited.com.

The 9th Annual New Jersey Home & Garden Show returns to the Convention Center February 20-22 with landscape displays, garden exhibits, pools, doors, windows, home improvement projects, décor, demonstrations and giveaways. Roger Cook (landscaper for PBS’s This Old House) and interior designer Chase Dakota (host of HGTV’s Get It Together) will be on hand to meet and greet fans and share expert advice. For more information, call 210-408-0998 or visit www.showtechnology.com.

Finishing out the month at the Convention Center is the 36th annual Atlantic City Classic Car Show, February 26-March 1. Presented by G. Potter King, Inc., the show will feature more than 1,000 classic, custom and collectible cars in a whirlwind weekend of some of the finest automotive buying and selling in the country. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12.  For more information, call 856-573-6969 or visit www.acclassiccars.com

Community Calendar: February 2009

February 1 Atlantic City Art Center’s Link’s African-American History Exhibit, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. New Jersey Ave. and the Boardwalk, Atlantic City • 609-347-5837 • www.acartcenter.org

February 1 Atlantic City Pan Asian Parade, 1 p.m. - 3p.m.
Connecticut Ave. to Michigan Ave., Atlantic City • www.betteratlanticcity.com

February 1 Chinese New Year with Andy Hui and William So, 1 a.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City
www.ticketmaster.com

February 4-8 Atlantic City International Power Boat Show, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, 609-449-2000 • www.atlanticcityboatshow.com

February 6 Fundraiser for Katie’s Krusaders with Dave Schultz, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Game On!, The Pier at Caesars, Atlantic City • 609-646-0448

February 6 First Fridays @ The Gallery: Phil Minissale Concert, 8 p.m. Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org
 
February 6 Over The Rhine Concert, 8 p.m.
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org

February 7 Dancing with the Stars, 8 p.m.
Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 800-736-1420 • http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/16684/

February 8 Kids Play “Dr. Dolittle,” 3 p.m.
Cumberland County College, Vineland • 856-692-8499 • www.cccnj.edu/fpac

February 9 Guitar Blues featuring Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford and Ruthie Foster, 7:30 p.m.
Stockton Performing Arts Center, Pomona • 609-652-9000 • www.stockton.edu/pac

February 12 S.E.L.L.O.U.T Comedy Show, 7:30 p.m. Stockton Performing Arts Center, Pomona
609-652-9000 • www.stockton.edu/pac

February 13-14 Cape May Wine Weekend: Dinners, Tastings & Tours (Various locations), Cape May
800-275-4278 • www.capemaymac.org

February 14 2009 Group Wedding/Civil Union/Vow Renewal, 12 noon, Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 609-449-7126 • www.boardwalkhall.com

February 14 An Evening of Romance and Renewal,
7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Absecon Lighthouse, Atlantic City • 609-449-1360 • www.abseconlighthouse.org

February 14 Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition,
8 a.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City • 888-737-2221 • www.spiritunlimited.com

February 14 Ocean City Theatre Company: “I  Luv  NY— Broadway Love Songs,” 7:30 p.m. Ocean City Music Pier, Moorlyn Terrace & Boardwalk, Ocean City • 609-525-9300 • www.oceancitytheatrecompany.com

February 14 Polar Bear Plunge & Costume Contest, 2 p.m. JFK Blvd. and the Beach, Sea Isle City, 609-263-3756 www.seaislecity.org • www.lacosta-seaisle.com

February 14-15 Crafts and Antiques in Winter,
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Cape May Elementary School, Cape May • 609-884-5404 • www.capemaymac.org

February 20-22 9th Annual New Jersey Home & Garden Show, Fri. 2-7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City • 609-449-2000 • www.showtechnology.com

February 21 Family Matinee “Dinosaurs!,” 2 p.m.
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, Elmer • 800-394-1211 • www.appelfarm.org

February 21 Chocolate Fantasy Buffet, 2 p.m.
Washington Inn, 801 Washington St., Cape May • 800-275-4278 • www.capemaymac.org

Februrary 25 - FREE LA Boxing MMA Workout at 9:30am, 12 noon, 5:15, 6:30 & 7:45 pm Join LA Boxing on 2/25 for $0 Enrollment fee! LA Boxing Somers Point  609-653-9BOX (9269)

February 26 - March 1 Atlantic City Classic Car Show,
(hours TBA), Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City • 609-449-2000 • www.acclassiccars.com

February 28 2009 Mummers’ Show of Shows,
12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City 8 www.ticketmaster.com

March 1-7 Atlantic City Restaurant Week,
Participating Restaurants in the Atlantic City Region  • 609-348-7100 • www.acrestaurantweek.com

By Dave Bontempo   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Willie Maples helped pioneer this area’s lucrative golf-gaming partnership. Now he does it in California, on a different basis.

The Pinehurst, North Carolina, native is a rare find—a 40-year PGA Class A professional and a 25-year veteran of Atlantic City, who worked in casino hosting, marketing and player development. Maples cultivated million-dollar credit-line players here and helped bring in the PGA Seniors and LPGA before leaving in 2006.

Now he’s director of golf for Eagle Falls, part of the Fantasy Springs Casino Resort in Palm Springs. After parlaying his job as a golf pro into a career at Resorts, the Sands and the Trump organization, Maples has come full circle.

“I couldn’t be happier—it’s like being back where it all began,” he says. “I feel fortunate to have picked the two best industries anybody can work in, golf and casinos. They really do go hand in hand, but it’s unusual to get to enjoy both. This has been a fantastic ride.”

Business and golf always fit him. Maples worked in pro shops “from the time I got out of diapers;” his immediate family includes superintendents, golf pros and architects. He gravitated to Philadelphia Country Club, an influential high-end establishment with substantial business contacts, then heard that Greate Bay Country Club, soon to be owned by the Sands, needed a golf director. He got the job in 1981.

“When I first walked into the casino, I had the plaid pants and the green jacket you would see from a golf professional, and they sure laughed at that,” Maples recalls. “Before long, I had the pin-striped suits and the tuxedo. I was a liaison between the playing public, the members of the club and casino customers.”

Maples, in fact, became a jet-setter.

“I would go over to Japan and meet with players to try to get them to come to AC,” Maples says. “They would always come to Vegas, but not here. I was able to change that by getting them into private clubs in the Northeast that they could not get into by themselves,” including famed Pine Valley in Clementon, the most prestigious golf course in the world. There was also Winged Foot in New York and Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey, golf courses that catered to deep-pocketed gamblers.

“Some of the gentlemen in Japan actually owned golf courses there,” Maples says. “This is where the golf background really paid off for me.

“What’s really good about golf is that when you have someone on a golf course, you have four hours to make your presentation. It’s not like a salesman who has to make his pitch in five minutes and get out. If you have all that time and you don’t make somebody a customer, you’re doing something wrong. After four hours of golf, someone will be your best friend or your worst enemy.”

Golf became the metaphor for his job. Maples’ real score occurred at the gaming tables, with par measured at seven figures. He recruited consistent players, who put a few million dollars into play each year. The hold percentage from their junkets justified his salary.

Maples brought people like Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller to local courses in high-roller outings, and celebrities from other sports, like coaching legend Vince Lombardi. Maples kept the serious business of gambling at the fun-and-games level.

“One great thing is that I never saw gambling wreck a guy’s career or his family,” Maples says. “These guys were well-heeled for the action.”

There’s a similar dynamic in play at Eagle Falls, which hosts a number of celebrity tournaments each year. Just like his Atlantic City ventures, Maples’ tournaments always attract top gamblers.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

In times like these, laughs can be hard to come by, but it’s more important than ever to have a little fun.    

According to Dr. Joel Goodman, founder of the Humor Project Inc. in Saratoga Springs, New York, laughter is not only the best medicine, it can be a sanity-saver when life throws you a curveball. Here’s more from Joel:

Why do people laugh?

Our sense of humor and ability to laugh are hard-wired into us, and act as survival tools to get us through tough times. Humor keeps us sane and humane in the face of insane and inhumane situations. As Erma Bombeck said, “When humor goes, there goes civilization.”

Do animals laugh?

I’m not sure there’s definitive research on that question, but we have a lot of anecdotal evidence. I’ve noticed that dogs seem to laugh with us—and cats laugh at us. I’ve also seen some squirrels chortling on bird feeders.

How come kids laugh more than grown-ups?

My humor mentors are my son and daughter, Adam and Alyssa. Early on, they taught dear old dad a lasting lesson: There’s an important difference between behaviors that are childish and perspectives that are childlike.

A childlike perspective is actually a very mature adult coping mechanism. It would be great if we could rewind our clocks and take back a bunch of sayings like, “Wipe that smile off your face!”, “Grow up!”, “Get serious!” and “Act your age!”

Humor and laughter are gifts for all ages and stages of life, and in the midst of challenging times, we need them more than ever to balance the seriousness that surrounds us. It’s no accident that during the Great Depression in the ’30s, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Burns and Allen and other comedians became so popular. People wanted and needed to laugh.

Joel Goodman is the author of eight books including Laffirmations: 1,001 Ways to Add Humor to Your Life and Work . For more information, visit www.humorproject.com.

8 Good Reasons to Laugh

1. The funny line and the bottom line intersect! In a survey of 737 CEOs, more than 98 percent said they would much rather hire somebody with a good sense of humor than somebody with a glum approach to life. So take your job seriously and yourself lightly!

2. Laughter enhances respiration and circulation, oxygenates the blood, suppresses stress-related hormones in the brain and activates the immune system. Laughter is the jest medicine!

3. As an antidote to stress, humor can help us to move from a “grim and bear it” mentality to a “grin and share it” orientation. By using humor, you can prevent a hardening of the attitudes, which can help add years to your life and life to your years.

4. Comedian Victor Borge said, “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” Humor is a magnet that attracts people, builds positive working relationships and improves morale and teamwork.

5. There’s definitely a connection between humor and creativity. Humor can jump-start your creativity and give you the energy to think (and laugh) outside the box!

6. The laughing-learning link: Humor can be a powerful (and delightful) way to capture and maintain attention and free up tension, which means an increase in retention.

7. Norman Cousins’ best-selling book, Anatomy of an Illness, opened many people’s eyes to the notion that “He who laughs, lasts.” With humor, you can build resilience and get more smileage out of life.

8. As our world gets smaller, humor could help build important bridges between countries and cultures.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

In 2007, 1.3 million American homeowners faced foreclosure, up 79 percent from 2006, and the bad news didn’t end there. In 2008, more than 2.3 million homeowners faced the loss of their properties—an additional 81 percent in just 12 months.

The burst bubble that is the national housing market has left scores of families with negative equity, or mortgage debts that are higher than the value of their property. It’s also left them with a decision. Should they cut their losses and move on, or try to save their homes?  

“For people who put no money down, the house is owed 100 percent,” says mortgage and tax consultant Nicolas Murcia. “If selling is not the answer and repaying is not working, foreclosure may be the next step.”

But it’s the choice of last resort, and distressed homeowners should explore every  alternative before they start packing.

“People going into foreclosure need to know what kind of helps are available to them,” says Murcia. “Why give up if there’s a solution?”

The crisis may be eased somewhat by the incoming administration. Last month, President Barack Obama earmarked the last $350 billion of the financial bailout fund to help stave off foreclosures, and the Senate agreed in a vote of 52-42. But as homeowners await details of the plan, they must advocate for themselves.

“Some banks are offering loan modifications, which is basically a refinancing,” Murcia says. “They’re reducing the interest rate dramatically, adjusting the payment in some cases, forgiving part of the debt in some cases, forgiving late payments and sometimes extending the term of the loan.”

The foreclosure crisis—unthinkable to most Americans at the height of the housing boom—was the result of negligent lending criteria, speculative investors, inflated home values and unrealistic or uneducated borrowers. While some blame consumers for buying homes they couldn’t afford, others say homeowners were gulled by deceptive lenders.

“I don’t want to point any fingers, but based on FHA guidelines, people making $40,000 to $50,000—the average income in this area—cannot afford $300,000 for a home,” says Murica. “They were approved anyway, and now the loans are ballooning; they can’t afford to pay, even though they have two incomes in the household. It’s a mess.”
 
Unfortunately, the sagging real estate market is making it tough for people to sell their way out of the problem. Some homes bought for $300,000 have lost 30 percent of their value, and nervousness among the buying public has resulted in a glut of inventory. According to Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius, so many unsold homes flood the market, prices could fall another 25 percent by 2010.

Foreclosure may actually be the best option for some. On a $400,000 home, initial payments on an interest-only loan can be about $1,500 per month. When those payments adjust to $2,500 or $2,700, a couple earning $50,000 a year will find it nearly impossible to keep up.  

“They get to the point where they can’t make the effort to keep the house,” Murcia says. “They have no equity, and the house isn’t going to sell. They would rather go back to renting at $1,000 to $1,200 instead of killing themselves working two or three jobs to keep the house. If their credit is already gone, well, credit can be fixed over a term of seven years. And they have some time before they have to move.”

The department of Housing and Urban Development offers these guidelines for homeowners facing foreclosure:

Don’t ignore the problem. The further behind your payments become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan.

Contact your lender and keep the lines of communication open. Open all mail from your lender, educate yourself about foreclosure prevention, and respond to notices of pending legal action.

Know your rights. Read your loan documents and learn your state’s foreclosure laws.

Contact a housing counselor. Counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender.

Prioritize your spending. After health care, keeping your house is your first priority. Cut spending and delay credit card payments to make your mortgage payment.
 
“The decision people make today will affect the future,” Murcia says. “They won’t make the same mistake again.”

Get Smart

Terms to know to help avoid the foreclosure process:

• Forbearance. The lender agrees to work out a repayment plan.

• Repayment plan. If you’ve missed a payment, the lender lets you increase your payment by a certain amount each month until you’re caught up.

• Note modification. The lender freezes or changes the interest rate, and may also extend the amortization period.

• Refinance. The lender increases your loan balance to include back payments, and re-amortizes the loan.

• Partial claim. A government loan lets borrowers who meet specific criteria apply for another loan to pay back the missed payments.

• Notice of default. The first step toward foreclosure. Avoid this notice by communicating with your lender, because once it’s filed, your options are limited.

• Reinstatement of loan. A grace period to bring payments current, pay the costs of filing the foreclosure and stop the foreclosure.

• Short sale. Selling your home for less than it’s worth. Not as hard on your credit as a foreclosure.

Is It Deductible?

It’s the national annual headache: income tax time. As you wade through W2 forms, receipts and other documents, be sure to get every deduction that’s coming your way. Nicolas Murcia of NM Office Business, LLC offers this list of legal deductions that will reduce your tax burden and (hopefully) add to your refund. Due to the economy, Uncle Sam has provided new allowable deductions, so take notes!

• Earned income credits and child tax credits will increase in 2009 to help struggling families.

• Environmental credits “are huge this year,” says Murcia, and will continue to be in the future, so it pays to go green. Taxpayers can get credits for adding home insulation or solar panels and installing fuel-efficient systems in their cars, among other improvements.

• Certain job expenses are deductible, but “be careful, because some people abuse them,” Murcia says; uniforms, work shoes, suits worn only on the job, some mileage or parking costs and even cosmetic treatments and procedures are deductible, depending on your profession.

• You can claim up to $500 in charitable giving without a receipt, so keep track of all those dimes and dollars you give to the Salvation Army Santa or the Girl Scout cookie drive.

• In this seesawing economy, it’s good to know that investment losses are deductible, and credits are also available for people who lose their homes.

• Unemployment and liability insurance premiums are deductible.

• Many medical expenses are deductible if the procedures were not “luxuries;” however, cocktail servers and others who must maintain certain physical standards for their jobs can deduct certain procedures, such as cosmetic dentistry.

• Gym memberships are deductible for truck loaders and others who must be in good shape to do their jobs.

• Educational expenses related to your job are deductible.

For more information, consult a tax professional or visit www.irs.gov.
 

By Dave Bontempo   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

With boxing and mixed martial arts fueling the local economy, it’s good that Atlantic City sports a one-two punch. Or a punch-kick.

Mixed martial arts gains more of a stage in February with two events here—February 6 at Boardwalk Hall and February 20 at the Tropicana—but an announced February 21 boxing event with Miguel Cotto has been relocated to New York.

New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Commissioner Aaron Davis sees the benefit of the boxing-mixed martial arts alliance. The tax dollars they generate justify the commission, which already walks a fine administrative line. As a regulatory yet sales-minded body, the commission must lure events here that it later oversees.

That hasn’t been lost on Davis, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board commissioner with a background primarily in MMA.

“They are two different animals,” he says. “Boxing would almost be considered the legitimate sport of combat; it was here first. MMA seems to be the crazy cousin. It’s part of the family, but doesn’t want to be. The sport goes its own way.

“They both have a strong following, and there’s no way one will take over another,” he says. “Look, we’ve gone through periods when country western music was king, then rock and roll, then rap. Like music, every sport has its staying power; every sport has its time.”

When he was a Kansas commissioner, primarily regulating mixed martial arts, Davis took a phone call from a fan who thought he was Aaron “Superman” Davis, a former welterweight boxing champion.

“He said, ‘Man, you were a hell of a fighter,’” Davis recalls, laughing. “I told him, ‘You must mean on Federal Street in Camden, where we had street fights. I’m not that guy.’”

His Jersey roots were important when Davis came back home. Appointed last fall by Governor Jon Corzine, he replaced the legendary Larry Hazzard, who helped New Jersey become a boxing state for two decades before being fired in a political squabble in 2007. Davis took a circuitous route back home. The Willingboro native was an all-South Jersey basketball player, honored alongside Atlantic City High School star Bobby Martin in the 1980s. He attended Wichita State on a basketball scholarship, stayed in Kansas and became head of the commission. When the commission job opened, he returned.

Look for mixed martial arts to average nearly one event per month for most of the year. On February 6, that means the debut of the World Cage Fighting Alliance, which formed a wing to feature the East Coast talent base.

LA Boxing and the WCA work together to support the fights and fighters; the WCA utilizes six Jersey-based LA Boxing gyms to promote the fights and draw from the gym’s pool of amateur and professional fighters. Robert Cunane of LA Boxing Somers Point and Rick Screeton from the Secaucus gym will both fight at Boardwalk Hall.      

The main event pits Rich Ashkar of Red Bank against USKBA champion Tom Gallicchio of Toms River. Vineland standout Al Buck faces Jose Rodriguez from Keansburg.

Thirteen fights are initially slated for the card. Weight classes range from 145 pounds to 265 pounds. In most sports, 13 events indicate a ridiculously long night. But in the MMA world, fights often end quickly via armbar, submission or strike.

The Tropicana jumps in with a mixed martial event February 20 and looks to be a premier player in the near term. Events are relatively inexpensive to produce, they’re not dependent on one or two individuals, and they’re supported by a young, fairly affluent fan base.

When the economy slides, mixed martial arts, unlike boxing, can reduce the size of its shows and purses without competitors feeling like they took a major hit.

Harrah’s Flexes Its Muscle

Former Bally’s President Ken Condon and Top Rank Inc. Chief Executive Bob Arum maintained Atlantic City’s place on the boxing map in 2008. Five events from Las Vegas-based Top Rank graced Boardwalk Hall last year. A number just shy of that is expected to materialize this year. Even after Cotto’s previously announced Atlantic City fight went to New York, Condon remains optimistic about the resort’s long-term boxing forecast.

“Last year was a good year for us, and we’re hoping to keep the momentum going in 2009,” Condon says. “We expect Cotto to be a major story, going after the championship belt again. We also believe Kelly Pavlik is still a tremendous boxer; there’s still a long way to go for him. Cotto and Pavlik will carry the banner for boxing in Atlantic City until someone else jumps up.”

Condon represents all four Harrah’s properties in negotiations. Promoters know a special event booked by Condon carries the support of Harrah’s, Bally’s, Caesars and Showboat. Guaranteed interest from a block of casinos gives Atlantic City a fighting chance to maintain market share.

“Thank God for all four of the properties—they drive the show,” Condon says. “That muscle creates a base that enables deals to be made. I make the deal, coordinate it with the Harrah’s folks and they make sure to go after the customer. They all attract a similar type of customer, but each has a different personality. Caesars has a really strong high-end customer base. Bally’s, like Caesars, has great proximity to Boardwalk Hall. Showboat can limo the people over and bring them back so they won’t lose the customers. Harrah’s knows that everybody can play at any of the properties and use their comp dollars and points on cards. It’s a real win-win situation.”

Even with that base of support, promoters need to avoid greed. It’s easy to believe a four-block casino buy will guarantee a big event at any price, but this economy has made entrepreneurs more modest. Stay tuned.

By Greg Jones   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

If you’re planning to stay in your house or condo for a couple of years, there are a number of energy-saving projects you may want to consider. Though few of these projects have a dramatic effect on home value, they’ll generate savings that add up over time.

A new central heating and cooling system can dramatically lower your monthly bills. Newer units are a great deal more efficient than older ones, and while they can be expensive, your monthly savings will add up. Additionally, when it does come time to sell, a modern system will be more attractive to potential buyers than a hulking, energy-sucking dinosaur.

Along the same lines, insulation and high-quality windows will further help to lower monthly bills. High-quality insulation may be nothing more than a functional improvement, but it is a relatively easy DIY project, and it’s not overly expensive.

When it comes to energy loss, windows are the No. 1 culprit. Old windows are not only unattractive, they allow for temperature exchanges so dramatic, it’s almost like not having windows at all. Sure, they block the wind, but they’re not helping control the climate inside your house.

When it comes to windows, you have two options. The first—insulating film—is cheaper and less effective, but it’s better than nothing. The film comes in a number of different R-values and tints. Mirrored films reflect sunlight and help keep a home cooler in summer. They also provide a certain level of privacy.

New windows are expensive, but they provide the greatest insulation. Stay away from custom designs that cost more and do little to increase the value of your home.

If you plan to stay in your house for five to 10 years, here are three projects that will save money and increase the attractiveness of your home.

Add a deck. It’s the only addition that increases the value of your home and recoups some of its own expenses when you sell. A $15,000 deck can recoup about 75 percent of the installation costs.

Nothing adds value like a new bathroom. You can come close to recouping the whole cost of the renovation, and having the extra bathroom may be enough to hook a buyer.

But don’t put in a pool or a hot tub thinking it will pay for itself later. It won’t. Pools are expensive to maintain. They also create liability issues that may scare away some buyers.

Concentrate on improvements that will make your house function better and cost less to maintain. If you increase the home’s value in the process, consider that an added bonus. And be forewarned: just because you like something doesn’t mean anyone else will. If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, in many cases the opposite is also true.

Finally, don’t do it yourself if you don’t have the tools or skills to do it right. In other words, if you think of a screwdriver as a cocktail, leave home improvements to a professional. It’s better to hire professionals at the outset than call them later to fix your mistakes.

By Design

Here’s a smart idea for homeowners who want to create a stylish new garden walkway or replace an old one made of brick, stone or gravel. Do the shore thing and install your own mini-boardwalk. This idea from HGTV’s Don’t Sweat It is made for do-it-yourselfers, but call a pro if you’re all thumbs.

The project calls for cellular PVC decking and pressure-treated decking, plus solar lamps to light the way. Everything else should be in your toolbox: circular saw, electric miter saw, drill, jig saw, etc.

The end result is a striking, sturdy and environmentally appropriate walkway you’ll be proud to show your friends. For more details and instructions, go to www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/wooden-walkway-to-home-gym.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

In the advertising world, it’s a time-honored axiom: “Sell the sizzle, not the steak.”

With its first annual Restaurant Week, March 1-7, Atlantic City will do both. Joining a trend of restaurant weeks in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston and San Diego, Atlantic City’s gala promises plentiful eats with a purpose: showcasing the resort as an all-purpose destination, with sensational dining and other entertainment as well as gaming.

“It will be hard to choose where you want to eat,” says coordinator Doreen Prinzo of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. “The menus are all very enticing, and it’s a great way to try out places you’ve never been to.”

Each participating restaurant will offer multi-course meals for the fixed price of $15.09 for lunch and $33.09 for dinner (not including beverage, tax and gratuity). The standard price for these meals is $50 to $75.

Of course, Atlantic City casino restaurants will be well represented during Restaurant Week, with world-renowned names like Patsy’s, Mia, Roberto’s and McCormick’s and Schmick’s among many
others.

The bill of fare covers the map, with something for every palate. There’s great American food (the Inlet in Somers Point, Wolfgang Puck’s American Grille at the Borgata, the Ram’s Head in Absecon); bella Italian food (Trattoria Il Mulino, Casa di Napoli, Carmine’s); continental cuisine (Red Square); and a host of other culinary traditions, including Asian, Latin, Irish, and Japanese.

Restaurant Week 2009 begins Sunday, March 1 and continues through Saturday, March 7. Come one, come all, bring your appetites, and enjoy.

For a list of participating restaurants visit www.acrestaurantweek.com.

Now You're Cooking!

Want to cook up a storm, right in the comfort of your own home? In celebration of Atlantic City’s first-ever Restaurant Week, some of the region’s premiere restaurants offered up these signature recipes. Better be hungry—these are straight from the Clean Plate Club!

Carmine’s Country Style Rigatoni

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped garlic
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions
8 oz. fennel sausage, casing removed
8 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 18-oz. can cannellini beans, drained
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated romano cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. thinly sliced prosciutto
12 oz. dried rigatoni
8-10 spears broccoli, 3 inches long
 
1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic and stir for 1 minute or until golden brown. Add onions and cook mixture for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally or until onions are golden brown.

2. Add sausage, basil and parsley. Break up sausage using a wooden spoon or long-handled fork and cook mixture for 2-3 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add beans, chicken stock and butter, raise heat to high and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat slightly. Simmer 5-8 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in 1/4 cup of grated cheese and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add prosciutto and 1/2 cup of cheese. Let mixture simmer for 2 minutes before removing from heat.

3. Meanwhile, in a large pot filled with boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes. Add broccoli and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

4. Drain pasta. Bring sauce to a boil. Add pasta and broccoli and mix well. Stir in 1/4 cup of grated cheese, if desired. Serves 2-4.

The Café’s Mediterranean Chicken

8 oz. chicken breast
1/2 tsp. chopped garlic
1 oz. sliced domestic mushrooms
4 artichoke hearts, quartered
1 plum tomato, quartered
1 tsp. capers
2 oz. white wine
3 oz. chicken stock
Fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 oz. butter
1 oz. olive oil

1. Lightly flour the chicken breast, then sauté in a hot pan with olive oil.

2. Add garlic and mushrooms while stirring; add salt and pepper.

3. Add plum tomato, artichoke and capers.

4. Deglaze with white wine, reduce.

5. Add chicken stock, reduce and then finish with basil, parsley and butter.

Roberto’s Aqua Pazza

4-4 oz pieces grouper, Chilean bass or halibut
4 large prawns
16 mussels
8 large scallops
16 top-neck clams
12 oz. canned plum tomatoes
1/2 cup fine chopped onions
8 oz. water
1/4 tsp. hot peppers
4 oz. olive oil
Salt to taste
Sprig thyme
1 tsp. chopped parsley
4 sprigs parsley for garnish

1. Sautee onions in olive oil; add hot peppers, chopped parsley, tomatoes, water, thyme and salt; simmer for 15-20 minutes at low heat.

2. Remove thyme and puree all ingredients to form a spicy, loose broth.

3. In a small amount of olive oil, sauté the fish and prawn; add the scallops, clams and mussels and pour the broth over it.

4. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes; once shellfish open, taste the broth and add salt if needed.

5. Serve in 4 deep dishes by laying the clams and mussels in a circle, adding the scallops in the center and topping with fish and prawns. Serves 4.

The Palm’s Amaretto Crème Brulee

11/2 quarts heavy cream
6 oz. Amaretto
2 tsp. ground coffee
11/2 cups granulated sugar
18 egg yolks
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. almond extract
Pinch of salt
12 tsp. granulated sugar (1 for each at time of service-torch)
12 tsp. toasted almond slivers

1. Steep ground coffee, amaretto and heavy cream in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling simmer.

2. In a large bowl, mix (not beat) the egg yolk and sugar.

3. Temper the cream mixture into the egg mixture.

4. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pinch of salt and mix until smooth.

5. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer, dividing equally into 12 white ramekins.

6. Pour water around the ramekins to create a water bath and cover with foil, leaving ends open. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 40-50 minutes, remove from water bath and let cool. Refrigerate for at least three hours.

7. Before serving, coat top of brulee with a thin layer of sugar and heat with a torch until sugar is caramelized. Garnish with toasted almonds and mint leaves.

By Frank Legato   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Michael Anderson knows hotels. The former VP of hotel operations at Harrah’s Rincon in San Diego relocated in 2003 to Atlantic City, where he served in the same capacity at Showboat and Harrah’s.

Since 2006, Anderson has been based at Bally’s Atlantic City. There, he oversaw the renovation of one of the few remnants of the city’s Victorian splendor, the historic Dennis Hotel. He also serves as president of the Atlantic City Hotel & Lodging Association.

Anderson spoke with Casino Connection Editor Frank Legato about the city’s changing hotel business, and how the industry has responded to both recession and increased competition.

Casino Connection: How has the economy affected hotel occupancy rates here in Atlantic City?

Anderson: We’re a touch softer than we’ve been historically, but the casinos have the advantage of marketing to our customers and inviting them to stay at discount rates or, based on their play, on a complimentary basis, so occupancy has been quite strong. Players at the higher levels continue to come; it’s our mid-market customers who are more challenged. 
 
There’s an effort to bring more commercial air service to Atlantic City. Will that bring in more hotel business?

Anything that makes it easier for our customers to fly directly into town will make the city an easier sell. Conventions are part of the answer for soft mid-week business, and we have the infrastructure—the hotel rooms, convention space, shops and restaurants—to attract conferences and meetings. That’s a noted difference between our market and the jurisdictions around us.

You’ve said that happy customers will remain loyal even in hard times. Has that proven true at Bally’s? 

It’s always important to take care of the customers, and here at Bally’s, we’re continually talking about ways to help them have a special stay.    

One great thing we have in this electronic age is the ability to communicate with customers almost immediately. We get surveys back in a week to 10 days to tell us how we did. It’s important for our customers to tell us how we’re doing rather than our own observations, because their viewpoint is the most important.

Do you exert yourself more in a bad economy to win and retain patrons?

When you’re not so busy, you really need to stay on your game and avoid that ‘poor-me’ syndrome. The loyal customers who love Bally’s and love the team choose us again and again, and they deserve upbeat employees taking care of them. We’re just trying to remind everyone to keep smiling, have fun, stay loose and not let everything that’s going on put us in the doldrums.

Bally’s has just revamped the old Dennis Hotel, inside and out. How has that affected operations?

The Dennis, with 340 rooms and suites and an open courtyard to the ocean and Boardwalk, was due for a renovation, and we went through it from soup to nuts. We invested $50,000 a key, and the end result is beautiful. What’s exciting about the Dennis is that it’s an old-style hotel, not cookie-cutter with everything looking alike. There are more than 40 different room configurations; we designed each with the appropriate furniture, so it all fits and feels good.

We modernized when it made sense, with flat-screen TVs, credenzas holding refrigerators, safes in the closets—the bathrooms were upgraded, too, because the hotel was built at a time when most people were shorter. The sinks and counter tops were raised about four inches, because we got complaints that they were too short. Now the rooms are among our guests’ most sought-after. So many customers who are old enough to have come here as children or young adults say, “Oh, it’s like it used to be.”

Atlantic City has more rooms and dining options, and great shopping and entertainment. Do we have everything we need to succeed in the long term?

Everything you mentioned—shopping at the Walk and the Pier, the renovations and the new towers—all make Atlantic City a great place to come and visit. Customers who haven’t been here for some time come back and marvel at the difference.

But we’ll never be done. Atlantic City needs to always remember that this wonderful ocean, beach and Boardwalk make us so unique, then continue to improve the product and services for customers who want to do more than just game.

Talk about your work with the Atlantic City Hotel and Lodging Association.

Our membership is made up of hotel executives, both casino and non-casino, and various vendors that support our industry. Our No. 1 function is to raise money for scholarships for culinary and hospitality students in the surrounding area, and in 2008 we raised $28,000—an all-time high.

For 2009, when people are being very careful, we ask all who have participated in the past to remember that coming to that luncheon or coming to a golf tournament in the summer is how we raise the money and build awareness about our industry.

When do you think we’ll be back on all cylinders?

From everything I hear, all of 2009 is going to be tough. Being optimistic, everything I read and hear points toward the third quarter being the first time, year-over-year, that we might enjoy some growth. I hope it’s soon.

Long-term, is the city solid?

Gotta be solid. We’ll get through this, and Atlantic City will do just fine in the future.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

"Pennsylvania is a little different from everyone else."
—Former New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director Frank Catania on the procedure that allowed the state’s regulatory agency to grant a license to Mashantucket Pequot Chairman Michael Thomas, despite a felony conviction

"It is possible Atlantic City is past its peak. It could never go back to its past glory."
— Rutgers gaming analyst James Hughes, on the 17 percent revenue drop at Atlantic City’s casinos in December
   
"We’re going to take it to a whole new level."
— Tony Rodio, general manager of the Argosy casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, on the property’s $300 million expansion plan, which may use a new name including “Hollywood” as its sister Penn National property in Pennsylvania uses

'I told them, ‘You made a mistake. You’ve lost $800 million. Walk away.’"
— Steve Wynn in the Sunday Times on his plan to buy the site of the New Frontier across from his new Encore in Las Vegas from Israel’s Elad Group, which plans to build a replica of New York’s Plaza Hotel

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Penn National Gaming Inc. wants Ohio legislators to turn the state’s seven racetracks into racinos and allow casinos in four cities.

A draft of the plan says each racino site would pay a $50 million licensing fee, while the casinos would pay $100 million each. Each property would pay a 30 percent tax to be divided among the state, the counties and a college fund.

Supporters claim the state could realize $700 million in taxes annually, much-needed funds in a state looking at a $7.3 billion budget deficit. One senator said, “You either raise taxes, cut spending or expand gambling in Ohio. For me, it’s an easy choice.”

Representatives of the Penn National have reached out to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland as well as House and Senate leaders. A supermajority of each chamber could vote to put the proposal on the November ballot, which would save Penn National from gathering 400,000 signatures on a petition.

A spokesman for Strickland says he wants to hear the proposal but is not ready to endorse it. Strickland has said he thinks gambling is bad for the state, but he will look at all revenue proposals.

In Kentucky, where the state is staring at a $456 million deficit, General Assembly Speaker Greg Stumbo  leads the effort to authorize video lottery terminals at seven of the state’s eight racetracks—and at any new racetracks.

Stumbo wants the bill on the fast track when the legislature convenes this month. He also wants to ensure that he has 60 votes, a supermajority, before bringing it to a vote.

Besides generating $700 million in taxes, Stumbo says the bill would help preserve one of the Bluegrass State’s most beloved institutions, and its reputation as the Horse Capital of the World. It would also allow some property taxes to be cut.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

Earlier in 2008, MGM Mirage admitted that construction problems at CityCenter resulted in at least one tower being of questionable structural integrity. But at the time, the “Veer” tower was implicated.

Following an investigation by Clark County, it was revealed that there were problems with the Harmon Hotel. The rebar—metal rods that give strength and flexibility to concrete foundations—was not spaced properly, and a major retrofitting project would be necessary if construction on the tower was going to continue. At the time, MGM Mirage made all indications it would make the proper changes and build the Harmon as it was designed.

Last month, however, the company announced that it will drop the condo component of the project and top the building at its current height. Company officials said it was an economic decision that was reached because a redesign or retrofitting project would be too expensive. They did not mention the fact that only 88 of the proposed 200 units are under contract to be sold, and that properties throughout Las Vegas are finding it extremely difficult to close sales on condo units in the current economy.

As it stands, the exterior of the project will be completed by the time the complex opens at the end of the year, but work on the interior will continue and it won’t open until 2010.

The move is expected to save the company as much as $600 million.

At Caesars Palace, a new hotel tower scheduled to open this summer is now on hold. The Octavius Tower, part of a $1 billion expansion project, will not be opened until, according to Harrah’s Entertainment CFO Jonathan Halkyard, “a period of stronger demand.”

While the tower is in mothballs, the rest of the expansion—110,000 additional square feet of meeting and convention space, three 10,000-square-foot villas and an expansion of the Garden of the Gods pool and garden area—will open on schedule.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

The Illinois Gaming Board last month chose Des Plaines and Midwest Gaming for the state’s 10th and final casino license, picking it over Rosemont and Waukegan. The 3-1 vote ended four years of agonizing by the state board, which passed over a much higher bid from a developer who wanted to build in Rosemont, still seen as having too much “mob influence.” A second bidder also suffered from problem relationships.

The winner was Chicago developer Neil Bluhm, who heads Midwest Gaming. Bluhm, always well-connected in Illinois, has recently become a true force in gaming. He won a license for the Philadelphia casino SugarHouse, and indirectly controls the sole license in Pittsburgh originally awarded to Majestic Gaming’s Don Barden. Midwest Gaming won the bid even though it may cannibalize the market for Grand Victoria in Elgin and Hollywood Casino in Aurora.

Bluhm plans a 50,000-square-foot riverboat casino, four restaurants and two hotels. Construction will start when the state background checks are done. Then it will be about a year and a half before the riverboat opens. Bluhm will be redeveloping 20 acres of existing office buildings in the southeast corner of the city, which, ironically, borders the village of Rosemont.

Rosemont’s seamy past kept it from being chosen. A board member said the city is “tainted by reputation.” Another said, “Organized crime still controls much of the life of the village.”

Four years ago, then-mayor of Rosemont Don Stephens was investigated by the state attorney general for alleged organized crime ties. The city later lost out on a casino, although not
for that reason. The casino license was un-awarded during the interim.

Isle of Capri had bid over $500 million for the rights to the Rosemont casino, but was not implicated in any way in the alleged corruption.

Ironically, the board’s decision may not be popular with the citizens of Des Plaines itself, who in a 1994 referendum voted against a casino. The city will reap $25 million annually from taxes, and promised to give $10 million of that to the state.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

To mark American Heart Month, the Heart Institute at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center will be on hand Friday, February 6 with free blood pressure screenings, 2p.m.-6 p.m., in the Quarter and Crystal Court at Tropicana.

To add to the awareness, the fountain in the Quarter and the cupola outside the Havana Tower will be colored red this month. And throughout February, guests wearing red who present their Diamond Club Cards at the promotions booth will generate a $1 donation from the Tropicana to the Heart Institute at ARMC.

By Casino Connection Staff   Mon, Feb 02, 2009

With attendance at Jersey racetracks in decline, some of the state’s breeders and trainers may set out for fairer fields—in Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware, where track slots have kept purses high and attendance steady.

Responding to the possible loss of a $1.1 billion industry, Gov. Jon Corzine will appoint a panel to study “what it will take to sustain racing as a viable industry.”

For now, slots are not an option, as the casino industry pays $30 million a year in purse supplements in exchange for a moratorium on expanded gaming.

But without slots, says Senate President Richard Codey, “the future for racing in New Jersey is very gloomy at best.”            

Adding 6,300 video slots at New Jersey racetracks could bring the state as much as $433.5 million a year, according to the state Treasury Department. But the move would cut profits in Atlantic City casinos by $80.5 million, or 2 percent.

With casinos suffering too, subsidies could be even harder to justify when the current agreement expires in less than three years.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Gaming’s 28-year winning streak in Atlantic City came to an end in 2007, and few expected it to get worse in ’08. But it did. Much worse.

While the 2007 decrease was blamed on new competition from Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware, last year’s decline was exacerbated by the uncertainty of the partial smoking ban.

The partial ban, imposed by City Council in April 2007, was scheduled
to become permanent in 2008. And though the permanent ban was rescinded, the full smoking ban was enforced for
a month, alienating patrons and further hurting revenues.

But the big reason revenue declined so steeply in 2008 was the recession, which impacted almost every area of the economy. The gaming industry has taken a huge hit, not only in Atlantic City, but in virtually every other gaming jurisdiction.

Moreover, the valuation of gaming company shares also plunged, bring-
ing some companies to the brink of
bankruptcy.

Revenues in 2008 were $4.5 billion, a 7.6 percent decrease from 2007. That was 5.7 percent lower than 2006, when revenues passed $5 billion for the first time.

Still, all is not doom and gloom for 2009. The new Harrah’s/Borgata train debuts in May, along with new restaurants and retail in several casinos. And Revel Entertainment continues construction toward what may be an opening of Atlantic City’s 12th casino in 2010. Here’s to brighter days.

Atlantic City Gross Gaming Revenues, December 2008

CASINO                            Dec. ’07       Dec. ’08     % Change
Borgata                              $61.7               $55.3           -10.4%
Harrah’s Atlantic City       $41.5               $38.9           -6.2%
Bally’s Atlantic City         $44.9               $36.9           -18.0%
Caesars Atlantic City        $46.0               $34.7           -24.8%
Trump Taj Mahal              $38.2               $32.6           -14.6%
Tropicana                          $30.2               $24.0           -20.4%
Showboat                          $27.9               $22.3           -20.2%
Trump Plaza                      $21.7               $16.0           -26.2%
Atlantic City Hilton          $22.1               $14.1           -36.0%
Resorts                              $18.5               $13.8           -25.4%
Trump Marina                   $18.5               $13.4           -27.2%
TOTAL                              $371.2              $302.0           -18.7%

Atlantic City Gross Gaming Revenues 2008

CASINO                            Dec. ’07          Dec. ’08     % Change
Borgata                              $751.0               $738.8           -1.6%
Bally’s Atlantic City          $641.4               $568.1           -11.4%
Caesars Atlantic City         $583.3               $543.8           -6.8%
Harrah’s Atlantic City        $519.5               $519.5            4.9% 
Trump Taj Mahal                $508.6               $482.4           -5.1%
Showboat                            $407.4               $362.2           -11.1%
Tropicana                            $403.7               $357.0           -11.6%
Trump Plaza                        $280.3               $262.3           -6.4%
Atlantic City Hilton             $304.9               $249.1           -18.3%
Resorts                                 $278.7               $233.2           -16.3%
Trump Marina                      $241.9               $203.6           -15.8%
TOTAL                                 $4,921              $4,454.6            -7.6%

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Trump Marina will celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Beatles’ arrival in America by presenting the award-winning Long Live the Beatles show in the Shell, Thursday through Sunday, February 5-8. (The real moptops were first featured on The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday, February 7, 1964.)

Starring the Mahoney Brothers, Long Live the Beatles is a live musical tribute to the music, careers and legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo. By seamlessly combining note-for-note renditions of classic Fab Four songs, the show returns audiences to the exciting 1960s, from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “Hey Jude.”

The renditions are so true, former Beatles manager Alan Williams has said, “If you want to know what the Beatles were all about, see Long Live the Beatles.”

Tickets are $25. For more information, visit www.trumpmarina.com or
www.longlivethebeatles.com

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Wanna a have a drink with a wise guy? There’s no better place than a launch party for the Sopranos Signature Wine Collection at Resorts, Sunday, February 15.

High rollers as well as five lucky Destination Club card-holders will attend the VIP event, when they can meet cast members Frank Vincent (Phil Leotardo), Steve Schirripa (Bobby Bacala), Vinny Pastore (“Big Pussy” Bonpensiero) and Dan Grimaldi (Patsy and Philly Parisi).

The wine collection, inspired by the award-winning HBO mob series, hit the shelves last fall. You don’t have to rob a bank to afford these vintages—they range
in price from $9.99 to $30 for a nice Chianti. For more information, visit
www.thesopranoswines.com.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Billboard and Venues Today have named Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall as 2008’s top moneymaker among mid-sized arenas.

According to Billboard, the 14,770-seat arena grossed $26 million and attracted almost 300,000 people for 38 shows with 11 sellouts. The Hall beat the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore for the top spot.

Venues Today named Boardwalk Hall No. 1 in North America and second in the world, tallying a box office gross of $23.5 million for 38 shows. International competitors Brisbane (Australia) Entertainment Centre and the Vector Arena in New Zealand were listed first and third.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Here’s a break from the corner coffee shop: Temptations Fine Coffee & Chocolate, scheduled to open Presidents’ Weekend at Harrah’s Waterfront Tower.

The deluxe coffee shop will feature coffee from Italian coffeemaker Illy and chocolates from famed French confectioner Jacques Torres.  

Harrah’s President Scott Barber promises a “New York-kind of experience” at Temptations, which will offer not just coffee and chocolate but pastries and a retail line (gotta have that $1,000 espresso machine).

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

In 2003, a four-year-old girl named Katie Anne Duffin died of cancer. On Friday, February 6, 7p.m.-10 p.m., Game On! at the Pier at Caesars will host a fundraiser to honor Katie, raise awareness about childhood cancers, and raise funds to help families coping with the disease.

Katie’s Krusaders, founded by the Duffin family, will welcome the legendary Dave “The Hammer” Schultz of the Philadelphia Flyers and other sports celebrities, and serve hors d’oeuvres and glasses of Dave Schultz Chardonnay for a $3 donation.

The event will also include a silent auction, a Chinese auction, and special prizes and giveaways. For more information, call
609-345-6800.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

As the economy worsens in Atlantic City, several casinos teeter on the brink of insolvency.
Resorts Atlantic City, which saw gross gaming revenues plunge by 16 percent in 2008, has not paid its $360 million mortgage since October, according to creditor Column Financial, a subsidiary of Credit Suisse. Column has petitioned the Casino Control Commission to turn the casino over to a management company. A spokesman said the CCC has never considered this option in the past and will put the proposal on the agenda at a future meeting.       

Resorts, Atlantic City’s first casino, has fewer than 1,000 rooms; more than half are in the original building, formerly Haddon Hall, built in 1929. The property’s successful debut as a casino in 1978 lasted a few years until newer casinos overtook the art-deco dowager. A new tower, open since 2002, could not reverse the decline. The commission has been eyeing the financials of the property for the past three years.

But Donald Trump has made a new deal that could save him from another trip to bankruptcy court. Last month, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that lenders and bondholders have given the company until the first week of February to restructure $1.25 billion in debt.

The company, which owns three Atlantic City casinos, missed a $53.1 million bond payment on December 1. Citing the need to “maintain sufficient liquidity,” it asked for a 30-day extension, but failed again to make the payment within that time frame.

If no agreement is reached by February 4, it could be back to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for Trump, owner of the Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza and Trump Marina.

All three properties reported revenue declines in 2008 compared with the year before. The Taj Mahal was down 5.1 percent, Trump Plaza 6.4 percent, and Trump Marina 15.8 percent.

The company is still hoping to sell its weakest performer, Trump Marina. Coastal Development of New York has agreed to buy the property for $270 million with the plan of turning it into a Margaritaville casino. The sale is expected to close in May, but weak credit markets could delay it.

Meanwhile, plans to sell the Tropicana in a bankruptcy auction to Baltimore’s Cordish Company are in doubt after lawyers representing several sets of creditors asked the commission to return the property to the original owner, now known as Tropicana Entertainment.

Cordish has reduced its original bid of $750 million due to the economy and declining revenues at the Trop. The exact amount of the bid will not be revealed until the commission meets in mid-February to evaluate the offer.

Patrick Madamba, an attorney for Tropicana vendors and other unsecured creditors, criticized the commission for the timing of the sale.

“You’re selling it in a market that is just horrendous,” he told the members.

Another lawyer for a secured creditor with a $1.3 billion mortgage on the property said his client also opposes the Cordish sale. The consensus was that the property should be returned to Tropicana Entertainment to operate and a sale could be considered when the economy recovers.

For its part, Tropicana Entertainment wants the property back. It has purged the people to whom the commission objected—principally Chairman Bill Yung—and last month revealed a restructuring plan that would split the company into two entities. One would hold the Tropicana Las Vegas; the other would hold 10 other casinos in Nevada, the South and the Midwest. It’s unclear which entity would include the Atlantic City property, but the company is clearly counting on its return.

The casino has been operated by the CCC since December 2007, when former owner Columbia Sussex, parent of Tropicana Entertainment, lost its license amid charges of sub-par management.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Jan 29, 2009

As Atlantic City’s casinos grapple with historic declines, New Jersey lawmakers plan to help with increased attention to the impact of the downturn, and possible changes in the regulatory framework.

Working with state Senator James Whelan, the Richard Stockton College has developed a “Gaming Impact Dashboard” to track changes in casino jobs and the Casino Revenue Fund, and measure how they affect the rest of the regional economy.

Every dip in jobs and revenue causes a parallel drop in jobs in ancillary industries such as equipment and construction. Likewise, every dip in the Casino Revenue Fund lowers funding for medical prescription programs, the Food Bank and the United Way.

At a January press conference, Whelan and Stockton President Herman J. Saatkamp Jr. explained how lawmakers will use the Dashboard, which displays current casino revenue and jobs on the website of the Stockton Institute for Gaming Management.

Whelan pledged to study the Dashboard and to go public “in weeks, rather than months” with action proposals that are “realistic and achievable.”

While a tax cut for casinos is unlikely given the recession, the state could change the regulations of the Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Community Affairs to jump-start construction projects, he said.

Stockton Professor Brian Tyrrell added, “When the Atlantic City casino industry catches a cold, the entire region catches a cold.”

Thu, Jan 29, 2009

The inauguration in January of the first African-American president began a new chapter in the country’s history. Each February, Black History Month celebrates those who have made this momentous occasion possible.

The Civil Rights Garden at the Carnegie Library in Atlantic City honors the Civil Rights movement and includes 11 black granite columns etched with quotes from famous Americans.  
Together the columns present a narrative on the meaning of civil rights and human dignity in the United States. At the center of the garden is the bronze bell. It hovers over a reflecting pool and is encircled by two excerpts from the speeches and writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
At the far end of the garden is an upraised hand atop the central column. It symbolizes one of the movement’s most important objectives: enabling all Americans to participate in the electoral process. A brick path connects the various symbols and represents the march toward civil rights.

While I can describe the meaning behind the Civil Rights Garden, it’s no substitute to experiencing it firsthand. February is the perfect time to do just that. It is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is free.

While you’re at the Carnegie Library, the African-American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey will display various artifacts, photos and other items during the month of February in honor of Black History Month. For more information, contact the museum at 609-704-5495.

Many more special events and attractions will take place during Black History Month. The Atlantic City Art Center, on the Boardwalk at Garden Pier, has its annual February Art Show courtesy of Atlantic City Links, Inc., celebrating its 60th anniversary. The show takes place on Sunday, February 1 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Featured artists will be Cal Massie, an icon in the art world who has been painting for almost 50 years; Atlantic City native Todd Johnson, who has a large local following; and Leonard Wilkinson, an accomplished area artist. For more information, call 609-347-5837 or visit www.acartcenter.org. Admission and parking are free.

The Atlantic City Free Public Library will present the month-long exhibit “Gene Hudgins and the Yard,” featuring the saga of the Pennsylvania Avenue School Yard and its impact on Atlantic City. Hudgins was a former Harlem Globetrotter who grew up playing basketball at the legendary playground and went on to mentor future business, civic, political and educational leaders.         

On February 4 at 5 p.m. at the library, a performance of “Evolution of Black Dance in America” will take the audience on a journey of dance styles from 1615 to the present day. And at noon on February 14, see the documentary “The Black Candle.” The film uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. After the screening, meet filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr.

The Stockton College Performing Arts Center will present the show S.E.L.L.O.U.T. (Serious, Educated, Laughing, Learning, Outrageous, Unique and Talented) on Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m. with comedians Vince Morris, BT, Billy D. Washington and Louis Johnson. Each performer has been accused of being untrue to his heritage, culture and profession by being either too black or not black enough by others. Funny and enlightening, the show will include audience participation with a frank, often hilarious discussion on race relations. For more information, call 609-652-9000 or visit www.stockton.edu/pac.

On Saturday, February 28 at 2 p.m., economics professor Melaku Lakew of Richard Stockton College will examine the financial challenges facing President Barack Obama. For more information, call 609-345-2269, ext. 3115, or visit www.acfpl.org. All events are free and open to the public.

Thu, Jan 29, 2009

New Jersey and Atlantic City’s casinos have worked for three decades bringing jobs, economic growth, income and sales tax revenues to the state. In 1977, lawmakers and voters ensured that this industry would also protect our seniors and disabled through the Casino Revenue Fund, which funds programs for our most vulnerable citizens.

Unfortunately, recognition for the industry’s positive impacts seems to decrease with distance from the Boardwalk. The contributions that are taken for granted during good times only become noticeable when industry growth subsides.

This phenomenon first became apparent during the state government shutdown in 2006, when casinos were forced to close. Our revenue streams and positive economic returns took a perceptible hit.  

It’s even more apparent now. After 28 years of growth, we have experienced two consecutive years of decline. And with the recession, there’s a groundswell of concern from those who directly and indirectly benefit from the success of our casinos.

The senior and disabled residents of New Jersey are the most affected. The 8 percent gaming tax funds programs like Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled; PAAD’s prescription drug program allows eligible New Jerseyans to purchase their medicines for only $6, regardless of the cost of the medication.

The Casino Revenue Fund also supports reductions in property taxes, telephone and utility expenses and transportation services. The decline in our revenues has created a commensurate drop in the funding of these worthy programs.

A Star Ledger editorial stated, “For every dollar drop in casino winnings, the state loses 8 cents for the PAAD program and others designed to help seniors and people with disabilities. In 2006, casinos paid $417 million in taxes to support those programs. Last year, when casinos registered their first year-to-year drop in winnings since they opened in 1977, the state saw less money flowing from the A.C. spigot.”

Late last year, the Casino Revenue Fund Advisory Commission heard testimony from seniors, disabled citizens and caregivers from each of the state’s 21 counties. Here’s what they said:

• A mother from Salem County said the Casino Revenue Fund paid for her quadriplegic 26-year-old son’s transportation to and from physical therapy. She could not have afforded to pay for it on her own.

• A volunteer from Essex County thanked the area Meals on Wheels program for delivering meals to hundreds of home-bound seniors.

• A retired teacher from Bergen County urged the commission and the legislature to  keep the PAAD program intact for its 200,000 low-income seniors.
 
The commission recommends more casino revenue funds for Meals on Wheels; transportation services; safe housing and escorted transportation; adult protective services; the respite program and congregate housing.

Since 1978, when our industry was born, approximately $6 billion has been paid into the constitutionally dedicated fund to support these varied services for seniors. It’s no exaggeration to say that without a thriving casino industry, those billions would not have been available, and New Jersey’s individual and corporate taxpayers would have been asked to provide the money—either that, or the programs would simply not exist. In effect, the casino industry has relieved taxpayers of the need to produce nearly $400 million annually for these laudable programs.

We can keep the promise to our seniors and the disabled only if Trenton and Atlantic City keep casinos economically and competitively strong. It’s the only way to sustain a strong and vibrant Casino Revenue Fund that, in turn, will provide essential services for those in need.

Thu, Jan 29, 2009

When I came to Atlantic City in 1977, I could barely make ends meet to support my family. By day, I ran a gas dock on Clam Creek. At night, I played music with my friends (for very little pay) at Atlantic City bars. It wasn’t until I started dealers’ school at Caesars that my financial outlook brightened.

Back then, the region and the nation also found it tough going. Fuel prices had become a permanent headache. Interest rates were unbelievably high. If not for casinos, the last person over the bridge could have shut the lights out on Atlantic City.

That’s why I firmly believe we’ll emerge from the current financial downturn. Economic situations are cyclical. This will turn around. The only question is “when.”

That doesn’t help people who have been laid off. It doesn’t bring solace to executives who must make difficult decisions about who to let go. And it won’t change the fortunes of companies who can’t meet their financial obligations because of the fall-off in business.

What it can to is inspire us to do our best to serve our customers and make each other more comfortable as we move through this difficult period.

Some casinos in Atlantic City have lost as much as 20 percent of their business. Yes, this is a terrible state of affairs, and risks the very viability of those casinos. But 80 percent of the business is still there. The people who come to Atlantic City have made a conscious choice to visit our city rather than go elsewhere. They chose Atlantic City because they’ve had good times and fun experiences here.

It’s imperative that we thank them with the smiles, the good service and the chipper outlook that allows them to escape their own troubles. This is an opportunity to show them that in Atlantic City, everyone enjoys an experience that’s out of the ordinary. If they get that experience, they’ll go home with great stories to tell their friends and families. And when their financial fortunes turn around, Atlantic City will be at the top of their minds.

And we need to consider our fellow employees, as well. It’s tough going to work not knowing what each day will bring. There’s more pressure on the job. So let’s band together and suppor of each other. We’re all in this together, and we’ll come out of it the same way.

That goes for my business too. I sincerely appreciate the support of our advertisers, who themselves are enduring hard times. They could put their marketing dollars anywhere, but they chose Casino Connection. Please join me in thanking our advertisers by supporting their businesses. They really do care about you.

Last month, I discussed the bill that relaxes the prohibition against casino employees participating in Atlantic City politics. My problem is that the prohibition was not completely removed. Without going into the reasons why—you can read that in last month’s column—I suggested that the continued prohibition on running for certain offices—governor, Atlantic City mayor, and positions in the Assembly or Senate—continues to demean casino workers.

And I implied that our local assemblyman and senators didn’t take the lead in this. In this, I was mistaken. While a Cumberland County legislator, Assemblyman John J. Burzichelli, introduced the bill in the Assembly, local Senators Jim Whelan and Jeff Van Drew introduced it in the Senate. And I’m told that and Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina support the bill.

Nonetheless, I still feel the bill is not good enough. Until all prohibitions are removed, I will continue to oppose the measure.

By   Fri, Sep 19, 2008

By Frank Legato   Thu, Jun 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 12, 2008

By Roger Gros   Tue, Mar 11, 2008

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Frank Legato   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Roger Gros   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Frank Legato   Thu, Mar 01, 2007

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Feb 02, 2010

Convention Center:  Feb 3-7 is the International Power Boat Show. Feb. 20 Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition. February 26th to 28th is the Atlantic City Classic Car Show & Auction.

Boardwalk Hall: February 27 Show of Shows, featuring the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. in Boardwalk Halls arena. 

February 25 9th Annual Men R Cookin at Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club to benefit Boys & Girls Club

It's the Second Annual Atlantic City Restaurant Week from February 28th to March 6th.  70 restaurants with prefix menu's at prefix prices... mark your calendar NOW!

For more information go to http://www.acrestaurantweek.com/

January 30 2010 Casino Connection Magazine update with Lisa Johnson on NBC 40

By NBC 40 WMGM   Fri, Jan 29, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Jan 23, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Thu, Jan 21, 2010

Late last month the founder  of Beal Bank, who is also known as a high-stakes poker player, made a surprise move by joining billionaire Carl Icahn in a new bid for Trump Entertainment. Beal hopes to convert his multimillion-dollar loan into equity in the company.

“Trump jumped ship at the last minute,” Icahn attorney Edward Weisfelner said in court, “and left Mr. Beal standing at the altar.”

see entire article here:  http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/january-2010/article/games-the-same-but-players-have-changed

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Dec 02, 2009

http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/november-2009/article/ac-outlets-the-walk-your-holiday-headquarters

 

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Sep 30, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

Atlantic City bids goodbye to a favorite adopted son, the late Arturo Gatti, September 19 at Bally’s. A professional card has been established, with fights being sandwiched around highlight presentations, speeches and tributes to the most prolific fighter in Atlantic City history.

Gatti, based first in Montreal and then in Jersey City, became the only sure thing in a town known for gambling. Twice a year, he’d fill up Boardwalk Hall against any opponent, and his loyal fan base substantially spiked the drop in nearby casinos. Gatti was responsible for nine consecutive sellouts here, including the second and third bout of his famed trilogy against Micky Ward, and a matchup with Floyd Mayweather that established a non-heavyweight record for gross sales receipts in Atlantic City.

Gatti’s appearance was the brainchild of Bally’s then-President Ken Condon.

“We should have a special day for Arturo,” Condon said while Gatti was still alive. “I’d be the first to put that together.”

The tribute is appropriate. While earning about $20 million for himself, Gatti performed some other memorable deeds. He stayed with one promoter, Main Events, for his entire 16-year career. That’s now unheard of. He waged several Fights of the Year in boxing and created high paydays for Ward, Ivan Robinson, Mayweather, the gaming industry and HBO.

Gatti died under mysterious circumstances July 11 in Brazil (authorities first believed he was murdered by his wife, then changed the determination to suicide, which the boxing community does not believe).

He is sorely missed, not only for the exciting boxing, but for his effervescent, approachable personality. Gatti could laugh at himself, display respect for his opponent and make good copy for the media. He reminded those around him why they loved boxing.

Casino Connection salutes the athlete who symbolized the boxing-gaming marriage and carried a presence we may never see again.

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Mon, Sep 21, 2009

Here is a link to the written article "Colony's Atlantic City Headache" on casinoconnectionac.com.

 

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Sep 12, 2009

Don Marrandino named president of Harrah's Eastern Division Tides Story