By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

John Amodeo and Vince Polistina  -  Lisa Johnson  -  Rosalind Krause  -  Dennis Gomes  -  Elisa Monroe  -  Pete Ciarrocchi  -  Drew Schlesinger  -  Margaret Belfield  -  Mike Bowman  -  Tom Meehan  -  Carmen E. Gonzales

Last year may have been an important transitional year for Atlantic City, but 2008 will be a year that sets the industry up for a bright future.

In the coming year, the nature of the city for the coming decade will become clear. We will find out details about three major new mega-resorts, while welcoming a new hotel product at the Borgata and a new boutique-style hotel on the Boardwalk. We will discover the fate of the Tropicana, presumably under a new owner with a different direction.

On the political side, recently elected assemblymen and state senators will provide new direction on the state level as they take office. The city will elect yet another mayor.

New additions will continue at the Walk as the city’s retail and entertainment attractions continue to grow. It will become clear that additions to the city’s package of resort amenities are going to be an effective hedge to the increased competition from Pennsylvania.

The future is bright, and there is a special collection of people who will serve as catalysts for that bright future. Here is our view on who those people will be.

Minority Rule - Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina

As Republicans in a largely Democratic state assembly, John Amodeo and Vince Polistina might feel outnumbered. But the newly elected assemblymen are both optimistic they can work effectively with their peers in Trenton.

“We have to form working relationships in a nonpartisan way to get things accomplished,” says Amodeo. “I was able to do that on the Linwood City Council, and that’s my goal for the state.”

“I haven’t really thought about being in the minority too much,” says Polistina. “Generally, I think people are Republican or Democrat based on national issues. I don’t believe a lot of the issues at the district or state level are going to be affected. I’m looking forward to working with everyone in Trenton, trying to address some of the issues that will keep Atlantic City moving forward.”

Amodeo and Polistina are both newcomers at the state level. Lifelong residents of Atlantic County, each brings his own unique background to the table.

Amodeo was born in Camden and raised on Absecon Island. He attended Margate City schools, played Little League, and was a competitive swimmer for the Margate City Beach Patrol. After graduating from St. Augustine's Prep, he earned a BA in political science at Mount St. Mary's College in Maryland before going to work as a licensed crane operator. He’s currently operating one of the cranes for the new Revel casino project.

“I’m a blue-collar worker,” he says. “And as an hourly wage employee, I think I can bring some of those concerns to Trenton. I’m going to work diligently, for example, to prevent another government casino shutdown from ever happening. That income is too important to hourly wage-earners.”

Polistina agrees. “We’re looking to keep the casinos open, and we want to make sure to have a plan in place.”

Polistina is owner of his own business, Polistina & Associates in Egg Harbor Township, where he also lives. The firm serves as the official engineer for several towns and municipal boards and authorities in South Jersey.

Raised in Galloway, Polistina graduated from Rutgers. He has specialized in the design and construction management of water and wastewater systems throughout his career, working as the township planner for Galloway Township, Egg Harbor Township and Hamilton Township.

“My background is perfectly suited for the job,” he says. “Being an engineer serving local governments, I see firsthand the stress the state puts on them. Working together, we can develop better processes, improve schools, manage traffic and work on all the issues to improve our quality of life.”

One issue agreed on by both men is the role of the casinos. “The casinos are the economic engine that has transformed us from a four-month resort to a year-round one,” says Amodeo. He points to the construction at the Revel site. “This is just the beginning. After the building’s up and opened, it’s a lifelong opportunity for jobs for service people. Naturally I would support anything the casinos would do to benefit the economy and the state.”

“Casinos enjoy one of the lowest tax rates, and we’ll fight to keep those taxes low,” says Polistina. “They paid a total of $482 million—$417 million in taxes and $65 million to the CRDA. That’s a tremendous fiscal impact to the state. This money funds a lot of senior programs. But I also think we can invest more of that money locally. Maybe we can change the formula so this region gets a bigger share of the money spent by the CRDA.”

“We don’t want to take away from programs or projects that are deserving,” adds Amodeo. “We just want to make sure we address the issues affecting the districts with casinos—for example, traffic congestion as more properties open.”

They’re also concerned about state spending. Both campaigned against part-time politicians receiving healthcare, and both have declined their rightful share.

“You don’t do this for the healthcare benefits,” says Amodeo. “You do it to make a difference.”

— Felicia Lowenstein Niven

Media Mogul - Lisa Johnson, Owner, Lisa Johnson Communications

2 008 will be the year Lisa Johnson decides if it was a good idea to become her own boss.

The former TV 40 anchor launched her own business in 2007—Lisa Johnson Communications—offering public relations and media consulting for casinos, restaurants, retail, real estate and entertainment businesses, including corporate identity, brand strategy, crisis communications, executive media training and more.

So far, the decision has paid off for the Mainland Regional High School and University of Pennsylvania grad. Her clients already include tenants of the Tropicana’s Quarter, Lyons Group restaurants including Sonsie, Game On! and Trinity at the Pier Shops at Caesars, and more, including the Greater Atlantic City Chamber.

Of course, public relations isn’t new for Johnson, who left her Las Vegas morning TV anchor position to join the Venetian’s executive board as director of brand communications.

“While overseeing PR at the Venetian, I worked closely with some of the owners of PR firms and saw how much they loved leading their own business and creating campaigns for clients,” says Johnson, who returned home after a family illness. “I decided to move home, gain some experience in a small firm, and then make the jump into being the captain of my own entrepreneurship.”

Realizing that PR isn’t a “one-size fits all” proposition, Johnson enjoys catering to each client’s unique demands as she grows her company.

“But I want to keep it small enough to offer a personal touch while providing exceptional public relations and media services,” she says. “I do hope to provide public and community relations for one of the new mega-resorts. I believe my experience overseeing the development and openings of entertainment productions, restaurants, retail outlets and some of Las Vegas’ highest-profile special events is invaluable to Atlantic City resorts.”

In the cutthroat world of public relations, Johnson believes her company will not only survive, but thrive.

“My media experience will set Lisa Johnson Communications apart from the competition,” she says. “As a former news anchor and reporter, I know what it takes to attract media coverage. I know what journalists want and need, and have maintained close relationships with local regional and national media.”

— Joseph Harrison

There’s No Place Like Home - Rosalind Krause, General Manager, Trump Taj Mahal

For Rosalind Krause, 2008 will be a landmark year in more ways than one.

Personally, Krause will celebrate 30 years in the casino industry. Professionally, the general manager of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City will see the opening and completion of the casino’s new 800-room tower.

Krause, known for her amiable personality as much as her great business sense, started as a cocktail server at Resorts in Atlantic City. She worked while putting herself through school and moved through the ranks at different casinos. She later relocated to Las Vegas, where she served as a senior vice president of casino services for Caesars Palace and assistant general manager for Bally’s Paris.

But she couldn’t resist returning to Atlantic City, which she did in 2005.

“It’s such a dynamic industry,” says the 47-year-old Krause, an Atlantic City High School graduate. “My roots are here, and I love Atlantic City. It’s very rewarding to be able to run a property that is full of very qualified people, in an organization with such an abundance of talent.”

As big as 2008 should be, 2007 was anything but shabby. The casino opened Spice Road, a promenade that features new restaurants and retail outlets, and debuted renovated penthouse suites that rank among the best in the city.

In December, the Taj also opened its new $5 million baccarat and high-end gaming pit. Sixty percent of the casino floor was renovated—the other 40 percent will be completed in 2008—and $11 million has been invested in new slots over the last two years.

In addition to the new $255 million tower, which is expected to open 380 rooms in late summer with more following monthly, as well as more casino floor renovations, the Taj will announce a branded restaurant that will open in the former Bombay Café location in 2008.

“2008 should be an amazing year for us,” Krause says. “The new rooms will help increase our convention business while accommodating a segment of the casino market that we haven’t been able to with just 1,250 rooms. There are so many customers who want to stay here, but couldn’t. Now they can. We also believe that our loyalty program with the Trump One Card will really pay off in 2008. Our cross-property play has doubled, and we’re excited about where that will take us.”

— Joseph Harrison

Back in the Game - Dennis Gomes, President, Gomes+Cordish Gaming

A few years ago, Dennis Gomes was the man in Atlantic City. Directing the design, construction and operation of the Quarter at the Tropicana, he was deep in the midst of the revitalization of the city.

Then came a change in leadership at Aztar and the subsequent buyout by Columbia Sussex, and Gomes was on the outside looking in. But not for long, if he has his way.

In late 2007, Gomes announced a partnership with the Cordish Group of Baltimore, Maryland, the developers of that city’s Inner Harbor and the Walk in Atlantic City. He says he truly connected with the company’s president, David Cordish, his partner in Gomes+Cordish Gaming.

“He’s a tremendous guy and a very smart businessman,” says Gomes. “He cares about his family above all, and I think we have a real desire to do something special.”

To start, the company will develop a slot parlor at an Indiana racetrack. But Gomes still has his eyes on his first love: Atlantic City.

“I just believe it’s the most dynamic jurisdiction in gaming today,” he says. “We all love the demographics—30

million people within one tank full of gas—but to me, it’s the way the Jersey Shore was the top vacation destination in the East during the 1930s and ’40s. I believe it can be that way again. We’ve got everything here, even more than Las Vegas: the demographics, the natural beauty. And soon we’ll have just what Las Vegas has: more rooms, retail, dining and entertainment. It’s an exciting time to be developing here.”

Gomes won’t say if he’s involved in negotiations to take over the Trop now that Columbia Sussex has been booted. It’s a natural fit, but Gomes says it’s just one of several options.

“I want to get back in the game in Atlantic City,” he says.

For his former employees at both the Trop and Trump Taj Mahal, that’s good news. Because Gomes has a philosophy unlike any other casino operator when it comes to employees.

“I know it sounds silly coming from a businessman,” he says, “but I believe love is the most powerful force in the universe. And if you apply that force to the people who work with you, and you truly care about them, you can succeed in any venture you attempt.”

Gomes explains why he depends so much on the people who work for him.

“No matter what kind of property you’re running,” he says, “whether it’s the most amazing casino in the world or just a slot parlor, the people should come first. If you put your people first, the customers will be taken care of very well.

“I always try to show my employees how to get the most out of themselves. Sometimes that costs me employees when they leave for better and more lucrative situations, but it’s the only way I know to do business. I care about the people.”

— Roger Gros

Defending Your Life - James J. Leonard Jr., Defense Attorney

Talking with criminal defense attorney James Leonard, it’s hard not to watch the watch.

That gleaming timepiece, with a face as big as a half-orange, bristles with gems that do not resemble cubic zirconia. Asked about it, Leonard is offhand. It’s just a bauble from one of his clients, rapper Lil’ Kim, who also gave Leonard a jewel-encrusted pinky ring. He represented Kim in 2005, when she was charged with perjury.

It’s not just bling by association. At 33, Jim Leonard has only been in Atlantic City a year, but he is already making a name—and headlines—as a criminal defense attorney on the rise.

Most people know him as the lawyer for Terry Oleson, questioned in the murders of four women found last year near the Black Horse Pike. (Oleson is no longer the primary focus of the investigation; Leonard ended up taping a segment about the case for America’s Most Wanted.) The attorney is currently representing one of the defendants in the alleged sports betting ring at Borgata.

Though he hails from a staunch law enforcement family (his brother’s an Atlantic City cop, his dad’s a retired cop, and his wife is a former prosecutor), Leonard was drawn to the defense table by two things: the chance to earn a great living, and the opportunity to ensure due process for the accused.

“Most of the people I represent are low-income, from broken families,” he says. “Sometimes I’m the first person in their lives who has ever tried to give them counsel... And nine times out of 10, they’re only doing what they’re doing to provide for their families.”

If a defendant is innocent—as he believes Oleson is—Leonard is a tireless advocate. If a defendant is guilty—as some undoubtedly are—he works just as hard to “navigate them through the process, and give them the best possible result.”

That altruism doesn’t stop his wife Rebecca from joking that her husband has gone over to “the dark side.”

Both studied law at Villanova and started as interns for Philadelphia DA Lynne Abraham. But Leonard cut his teeth on two capital murder cases in the office of a Camden County defense attorney. He started his own firm in 2004, at the tender age of 28.

There are some cases he won’t touch. For example, approached last year by the family of Robert Shaver, accused in the murder of an 87-year-old woman, Leonard took his father’s advice and passed on the case. But he’s hardly reluctant to work with high-profile clients.

“I enjoy it,” Leonard says. “I think it’s fun, and it’s certainly a good vehicle to promote yourself and your business. But you should never go too far to be a hot dog… You always have to be mindful that you’re talking about people’s lives.”

Leonard also advised City Council President William “Speedy” Marsh when Marsh became the city’s latest interim mayor (he believes Marsh will be a front-runner in the next election).

But his best work, Leonard says, is the work no one hears about, like defending casino employees with problems on the job. With a new office just blocks from the Boardwalk, he expects to be busy.

“One of the reasons I moved from Camden to Atlantic City was that my practice here was taking off,” he says. “I recognized that Atlantic City is on the cusp of a significant boom, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

—Marjorie Preston

Taking Flight - Elisa Monroe, Director, Member Events, Greater Atlantic City Chamber

Next time you see a formation of fighter jets soaring over the Boardwalk, think of Elisa Monroe.

The petite Monroe—who prefers to shine a spotlight on her city, not herself—is the powerhouse behind the phenomenally successful Atlantic City Air Show. Since its inception in 2002, the event has drawn an estimated half million people annually to South Jersey, who gather from Brigantine to Ocean City for high-flying maneuvers by the Air Force Thunderbirds, the 177th Fighter Wing, and the New Jersey Air National Guard among others. Economically, that Wednesday afternoon in August has become the equivalent of a Saturday night for local merchants and other businesses.

And Elisa Monroe is behind the whole shebang. With characteristic energy and effervescence, the onetime Chamber bookkeeper assembles all the working parts that make a special event truly special.

Her ascent was rapid. After working at several casino gift shops, the Sands, and Tiffany & Co. at Trump Taj Mahal, she went to Showboat, and was a team member when that company won its bid to develop a casino in Sydney, Australia.

Then she was hired as an administrative assistant at the Chamber of Commerce. It was a good fit.

“I took a leap of faith,” says Monroe, “and changed careers.”

Within a year, she was director of member events.

“I have held the position—with a couple of detours as director of member development and communications—for 10 years,” she says.

Yet Monroe is modest, and initially balked at being named a Person to Watch. She gives all the credit for her success to Chamber President Joe Kelly, the chamber board, and particularly the growing number of chamber members, whose support of community activities she calls “an investment in Atlantic City’s future growth.”

As the city grows in importance, so does Monroe’s visibility. At a recent tribute to Senator Bill Gormley, more than 1,000 people showed up, including Governor Jon Corzine, former Governor Brendan Byrne, federal prosecutor Chris Christie and former FBI investigator James Kallstrom.

And there, presiding over it all, was Elisa Monroe, as relaxed as if she was hosting a nice little dinner party at home.

— Sharon Harris-Zlotnik

Menu for Success - Pete Ciarrocchi, CEO and Owner Chickie’s and Pete’s Crab House and Sports Bar

Pete Ciarrocchi didn’t know much about the business when he acquired his first bar. But, as he told his father, “I know how to drink.”

In 1977, the young entrepreneur joined his mother Henrietta (aka “Chickie”) to buy the corner bar at Robbins and Frankfurt in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. His father, Peter, supported the venture while managing the family’s neighborhood grocery.

“It was a stand-up bar with a separate ladies’ entrance in the back—the first thing we did was bring in barstools,” the younger Ciarrocchi remembers. “It was an uphill battle to take a corner bar and make it into what it is today, with several locations and our own product line. It was all done by hard work and not by plan.”

As it turned out, Pete—who refers to himself as the “re-Pete” after his father—knew more than how to drink. He knew how to cook, too.

He developed a menu that took bar fare to a higher level. Along with sandwiches and pizzas, Chickie’s and Pete’s offers crabs, clams, shrimp, mussels and lobsters. The sports bar is well-known for its Crabfries—generous baskets of crab-seasoned fries served with cheese dip. Rumor has it that you can’t eat just one.

“We have limited items on the menu, and they are all excellent,” says Ciarrocchi. “No one does them better than we do.”

Loyal patrons at each of his locations appear to agree. In addition to the original bar, Ciarrocchi now has four others: in the Stadium district in South Philly, in Northeast Philly on the Boulevard Plaza, in Bordentown, and the newest location in Egg Harbor Township. He also has 14 licensed concession stands at locations including Philadelphia International Airport and the Wachovia Center.

His reputation has also grown along the way. ESPN has rated Chickie’s and Pete’s as the third best sports bar in the country and number one on the East Coast, according to Ciarrocchi. His venues are also a great draw for the sports teams themselves.

“After an Eagles game, we’ll have 30 to 40 players in here,” he says. “People are used to seeing them. They come with their families. They’re here for the great food, the inexpensive prices and the warm, friendly atmosphere. There’s no phoniness here.”

Ciarrocchi says his is “the ultimate business.”

“I love what I do. It’s like having a party at my house everyday. If I had to work 20 hours a day, it’s fine with me.”

— Felicia Lowenstein Niven

Design Master - Drew Schlesinger, Vice President and General Manager, The Water Club at Borgata

“ People laugh at me. I go into meeting rooms and straighten the furniture; I walk around and pull the tags off chairs. I’m not a micro-manager, but I certainly set standards for what we want to deliver, and say, ‘This is what it should look like.’”

Such picky attention to detail might be annoying in, say, a visiting mother-in-law. But in a hotel general manager, perfectionism is an asset. It’s taken Drew Schlesinger—alumnus of soignée hotels like the Paramount in New York, and the Mondrian in LA—to the top of his field.

In his latest role as vice president and GM of the upcoming Water Club at Borgata, Schlesinger applies the same strict principles. He’s been known to audition bathrobe hangers, take opinion polls about window treatments, and sleep on 50 pillows to find one with just the right heft and firmness.

“Anything and everything a guest touches, you really have to think about,” says Schlesinger. His goal for the Water Club is to provide “authentic service. Not stuffy service, but service with soul.”

His résumé is suitably impressive. From humble beginnings as a pot washer and short order cook, the Philadelphia-born Schlesinger worked his way through college, then went on to manage Kimpton hotels and restaurants in both Manhattan and Miami. He launched Kimpton’s first New York City hotel, four-star luxury digs that were one of just 12 U.S. hotels on Condé Nast’s 2005 “Hot List.” He worked alongside famed club owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager (founders of Studio 54 and Palladium) as well as designer Philippe Starck, all of whom helped originate the boutique hotel concept.

But his first and most important influence, he says, was his mother.

“It sounds so corny,” he says. “It was really my parents, especially my mom. She entertained a lot, and of the three kids, I was always the one who was in the kitchen cooking with her. I just loved the idea of creating stuff, whatever it was, and watching people enjoy it.”

Born in Philadelphia, young Drew spent many summers at the Jersey Shore, and though he’s lived and worked around the country and traveled around the world, he’s right at home here, and happy to be at the Water Club. He describes the new hotel (to open in the summer) as “contemporary, very sleek and classic but comfortable, with materials that are beyond reproach.”

Under his direction, service will be “very pampered and very sophisticated,” with a staff-guest ratio of one to one.

“It will absolutely set a standard that has not been seen” in hotels in Atlantic City, he says.

That’s not surprising. These are Drew Schlesinger’s standards.

— Marjorie Preston

Many Hands, One Vision - Margaret Belfield, Vice President and Administrator, AtlantiCare’s Atlantic City Campus

When AtlantiCare cuts the ribbon on its new state-of-the-art seven-story tower and renovation project in Atlantic City this June, Margaret Belfield will be beaming with pride. With her background as a critical care nurse, and her belief that “patients have to come first,” Belfield made it her mission to give Atlantic City a hospital to be proud of. And she did it by getting the community involved, every step of the way.

Three community groups helped design, build and decorate the facility. Because art is soothing for both patients and their families, a committee commissioned local artists to create pieces that represent the hospital’s theme of harmony through nature.

“We have over 500 pieces of art in the building and it’s absolutely breathtaking,” says Belfield.

A second group addressed complaints that the old facility looked out-dated and tired. “We put together a group of ex-patients and family members who gave us input on the design, the furniture, the colors used and the features of the room,” she says.

The third community group Belfield organized was an oversight committee to ensure that there was inclusiveness in hiring for the construction of the tower.

“We set out some goals to make sure we had a percentage of Atlantic City residents working on the building, as well as women, disabled and minority workers,” she says. “We also worked with the trades to get a few new local people into trade unions.”

The new building has been opening in stages. The new heliport at the top of the tower opened in May 2007. The new emergency department opened in October 2007, and a new imaging suite followed in November. In 2008, the ICUs and medical/surgical units on floors three through seven will begin to open.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” says Belfield. “That’s what we promised city council and everyone else that worked on it with us. This is the community’s hospital.”

— Heidi Heath Tony

Golf and Gaming - Mike Bowman, Vice President Food & Beverage, Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City; General Manager, Atlantic City Country Club

It was a historic landmark, but without a liquor license, the Atlantic City Country Club was hardly a casino amenity. When the country club was acquired by Harrah’s in 2005, it fell to food and beverage VP Mike Bowman to turn things around.

“They said, ‘Let’s give it to Mike,’” Bowman remembers. “We had one of the best golf courses in New Jersey, and you couldn’t get a beer! So I got involved, got the liquor license and we opened to the public. It’s been a home run ever since.”

Bowman carries dual titles as a result. In addition to his responsibilities at Harrah’s, he is general manager of the country club. It’s a fitting role for a man who dreamed of a career in the culinary business since the age of 14.

A Philadelphian and self-professed “crazy Eagles fan,” Bowman got his start washing dishes in a Chinese restaurant. That led to positions as a waiter, cook and chef, and ultimately study at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

Then it was off to the Caribbean for a few years, working for the Philadelphia-based Wyndham International Hotel and Resorts. Bowman joined Harrah’s in May 1999 after stints as executive chef in some of the finest restaurants and high-end catering operations in Philadelphia and Boston.

As vice president of food and beverage for Harrah’s, Bowman is responsible for more than 60 restaurants and bars at Showboat, Harrah’s, Bally’s and Caesars. He’s also involved in development of new projects for Harrah’s Entertainment, including the Baha Mar mega-resort in the Bahamas. In addition, he maintains an office at the country club, where he oversees operations.

“We’re serving dinners on the weekends and staying open year-round,” Bowman says. “We’re doing great group and meeting business. We’ve put a lot of capital reinvestment back into the club and are committed to the club and the community.”

Toward that end, the Atlantic City Country Club just introduced Sunday brunches featuring talent from local schools, including Mainland Regional High School and Charter Tech High School for the Performing Arts.

“Brunch is back,” says Bowman. “People like to go out on Sunday afternoons and relax. And this is community-driven—we’re going to donate instruments to the schools.

“This is a great amenity. We have our casino players, the retail play and the members. You can’t have too much of any of these, but balance all three together, and you’ve got a successful model.”

— Felicia Lowenstein Niven

CRDA’s Go-to Guy - Tom Meehan, Director of Development, CRDA

Whether you’re driving into town via the Atlantic City Expressway or strolling along the city’s famous Boardwalk, Tom Meehan has made his mark on your surroundings.

A former banker, Meehan was hired by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority 12 years ago to do financial analysis—or so he thought.

“My first day on the job, I was asked to go to a meeting on the corridor road-widening project and report back to my boss,” Meehan says. “After I explained what went on at the meeting, she said, ‘That’s your new job; you’re in charge of the corridor project. We’re going to redevelop the entrance to the city.’ And I haven’t looked back since.”

Meehan’s most recent project has been the façade improvements on the Boardwalk. Funded in 2005 with a $99 million bond issue ($50 million went to the casinos for their façade improvements), the project is at the halfway mark.

“This winter, we’ll have three blocks under way, and the 1500 and 2500 blocks are already done,” Meehan says. “I think the first two blocks went a long way towards saying ‘Hey, things are going to be better here on the Boardwalk,’ and this spring people will see that it’s really coming together.”

For 2008, Meehan’s goal is to finish up the Boardwalk, start construction on a proposed mixed-use parking garage in Ducktown, and replace the bulkheads in Venice Park.

Beyond that, Atlantic City’s anticipated growth spurt has Meehan looking for proactive solutions to the potential housing and traffic problems.

“You’re talking about three new casinos opening up in the next few years," he says. “Where are they going to get their employees? There’s a shortage of residential apartments here in Atlantic City, which needs to be looked at. And traffic needs be addressed.”

A few months ago, Meehan’s son asked him to come to school for career day. He told the kids that his job involves building things and creating jobs. As if to prove his point, a little girl in the class told him her dad was a carpenter in Atlantic City.

“I said, ‘I happen to know your dad, he’s a great guy and you should be proud of him,’” says Meehan. “So it makes you feel good. I think we’ve been doing a lot of great things here.”

— Heidi Heath Tony

In with the New - Carmen E. Gonzales, Communications Director Pinnacle Entertainment Atlantic City

Carmen Gonzales’ first job with Pinnacle Entertainment involved blowing up a building. It was the building in which she happened to work.

The veteran Atlantic City publicist—she spent 10 years at Golden Nugget and Resorts, then became the national press representative for ABC in 1994—was director of communications for the South Jersey Tourism Corporation in 2006, when she got the chance to return to Atlantic City.

That call came from the Sands, where Gonzales became manager of mass marketing and public relations last May. But by July, the casino hotel had been sold.

After several months of uncertainty, she got welcome news: an offer to stay on as PR manager for Pinnacle Entertainment Atlantic City, which bought her old property and will replace it with a major mega-resort. Gonzales moved into Pinnacle's new offices in the historic Madison House Hotel, and hit the ground running.

She hasn’t slowed down since. Her first order of business: close the Sands and prepare it for implosion. Though closing a property and tearing it down is not a publicist’s job, it is the publicist’s job to get as much PR mileage as possible from the big bang.

For Gonzales, it’s been a series of PR home runs for her new employer.

First came an unexpected treasure. As Gonzales promoted a major liquidation sale (it would eventually clear out every piece of furniture and fixture in the casino, hotel and restaurant), she learned that thousands of dollars worth of coins were found when workers moved the slot machines—not an unusual occurrence, but not one that had ever been publicized. Out went a press release noting that more than $17,000 in change had been found underneath the Sands’ slots.

“I thought it was kind of a quirky, fun column item—you know, filler,” says Gonzales. When the Associated Press ran with it, “It took on a life of its own. We received international press. I was receiving breaks from China, Germany, Sweden, Tokyo… people were fascinated.”

She was just getting started. In rapid-fire succession came a successful liquidation of the Sands’ contents, billboards promoting Pinnacle (“Until we open, you'll just have to play somewhere less fun”), the destruction of $62 million in gaming chips (which also garnered widespread press), and the beginning of the process that would lead to Gonzales’ PR home run: the first implosion in Atlantic City casino history.

That implosion created a media circus that drew more attention to the property at Brighton Park than it ever enjoyed as an operating casino. Orchestrated with fireworks and much-publicized fanfare (thanks to Gonzales), the Sands implosion garnered an estimated $22 million worth of international broadcast news coverage alone. Pinnacle was on the map, not only nationally but in every corner of the globe.

The coming year will offer many more events leading to the creation of Pinnacle's Boardwalk mega-resort, and plenty more opportunities for national and international publicity. The parking garage and other buildings will come down. The name of Pinnacle’s new resort will be revealed, along with possible plans and renderings. Finally, there will be a groundbreaking.

Gonzales—who was recently promoted to communicatons director—has proven she will make the most of every opportunity to turn Pinnacle Entertainment into a household name.

Surely, more fireworks are in store.

— Frank Legato

By Alissa Wolf   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

When it comes to chilling out in the winter, hitting the slopes is a favorite choice. But you don’t have to travel to Vail or Killington for superior schussing. There are terrific ski resorts within a half-day’s drive of Atlantic City, many with spa facilities, fine dining, even activities for the kids. Ready for some winter R&R? Read on.

Not a snow bunny or a tube dude? There are plenty of relatively close getaways where you can enjoy a hot drink by a cozy fire, as well as the other activities that make for a perfect mini-vacation: fabulous dining, dazzling nightlife and spa services. And many destinations feature special mid-week packages, perfect for casino workers who are often working on the weekend.

The nearby Pocono Mountains—roughly three hours from Atlantic City—offer skiing, snow tubing, ice skating, snowmobiling, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snow shoeing, ice fishing and much more. And there also are some great accommodations that will let you unwind in style.

Among them is the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania. The former Mount Airy Lodge, which closed in 2001, reopened in November as a $412 million, 188-room luxury destination resort.

The resort boasts 2,523 slot machines (denominations range from a penny to $25) and the latest high-tech video poker and progressive jackpots. Dining options include Red Steakhouse, with high-quality steaks and seafood, Le Sorelle Cucina, specializing in fine Italian cuisine; Betty’s Diner, with retro all-American fare; and the 24-hour Buffet at Mount Airy.

The posh Gypsies Lounge with live bands, DJ and comedy acts was scheduled to open this month. A high-end spa and salon is also scheduled to open soon, offering facials, massages and other relaxing treatments.

As for skiing, the resort is close to Camelback and the Crossings areas. The resort offers different packages, depending on days of the week and time of year. For more information, call 877-MTAIRY1, or visit www.mountairycasino.com.

For those specifically interested in mid-week packages, the Pocono Mountains Visitor’s Bureau in Stroudsburg lists a number of options.

One is “Learn to Turn,” a collection of packages that offers three mid-week lift tickets and three nights of accommodations.

More than two dozen lodges and resorts participate in this promotion. One is the popular Caesars Pocono Resorts, which includes Cove Haven in Lakeville, Pocono Palace in Marshalls Creek, Paradise Stream in Mount Pocono (all couples-only resorts specializing in honeymoon getaways), and the family-friendly Brookdale in Scotrun.

Depending on where you stay, the accommodations include bi-level suites, your own private swimming pool, heart-shaped whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, and those kitschy seven-foot whirlpool baths shaped like giant champagne glasses. These four-level suites also include a heart-shaped, heated swimming pool, dry sauna, steam shower, fireplace, king-sized round bed, Bose Wave radio and in-suite movie rentals.

All these resorts offer a wide array of dining and nightlife options. Other winter activities include wine tasting, cooking classes and cocktail parties, and on-site options like ice skating, cross-country skiing, snow tubing and snowmobiling. Indoor activities include basketball, racquetball, billiards, miniature golf, and swimming in indoor pools.

Packages may include ski passes to Tanglewood Ski Resort, Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain, Alpine Mountain, Camelback Resort or Shawnee Ski Resort. For more information, call 877-822-3333, or visit www.caesarspoconoresorts.com.

For a full list of resorts that participate in the "Learn to Turn" promotion, visit www.poconoski.com and click on the “Learn to Turn” link, or call 800-POCONOS.

I f you take your winter sports seriously, then Jack Frost and Big Boulder mountains are great for skiing, tubing and snowboarding.

Visit between Monday and Friday and you can take advantage of the JFBB 5 Finger Discount Card, which gives cardholders 50 percent off regular snow pass prices, valid for one snow pass per day. (This discount is not valid during holiday periods and cannot be applied to discounted snow passes.) The cost is $99.

Want to unwind after a day in the snow? Big Boulder has the Alpine Lounge and the Main Stage in the Glass House, and Jack Frost boasts the legendary E-2000 Lounge and the Cantina. Enjoy everything from acoustic duos to tribute bands by the fireplace.

For general information about these areas, call 570-443-8425, or visit www.jfbb.com/home.asp.

For those with kids, the ideal Poconos option is the Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, a year-round family resort that includes the 78,000-square-foot indoor water park Bear Track Landing.

The enormous park, which utilizes nearly 380,000 gallons of water, features 11 waterslides, six pools and all kinds of high-tech fun. Among the highlights: the Slaptail Pond wave pool, where you can enjoy a simulated river rafting experience, the Coyote Canyon tube slide, and Fort Mackenzie, a four-story tree house-cum-water fort with suspension bridges, cargo nets and web crawls. Fort McKenzie also features two body slides that twist and turn all the way to the bottom and end with a splash. A 48-foot tall water tower bucket dumps 1,000 gallons of water every few minutes.

For grownups who really want to be pampered, there’s Elements Spa Salon, with services ranging from massages and facials to nail treatments. Even the kids can get in on the pampering. Scoops, an ice cream-themed spa for kids 12 and under, offers Mommy and Me Ice Cream pedicures. Budding glamour pusses are treated to a sundae during the procedure. There are also other kid treatments, such as facials and manicures.

The dining options are decidedly kid-friendly, ranging from Pizza Hut to the Loose Moose Cottage Buffet. (Not to worry, there are also a couple of bars, such as Grizzly Bob’s, for frazzled moms and dads.)

The lodge’s accommodations include rustic suites with log cabin bunk beds to amuse the kids. All accommodations include free water park passes for the entire duration of your stay.

There are different packages depending on time of year. From January 2 to February 7, check out Wiley’s Winterfest (prices start at $229). For more information, call 800-768-9653, or visit www.greatwolf.com.

For those willing to travel, the Catskill Mountains in New York are another getaway option. For terrific mid-week specials, start in Windham, New York, less than three hours away. The cozy Winwood Inn has a special mid-week package at $79.50 per person per night based on double occupancy that includes your room, a lift ticket, continental breakfast and free shuttle to and from the mountain. (This offer is based on availability, is not in effect during holidays and is subject to change.)

In addition to three trails, four lifts and some serious snowmaking equipment, there’s also the Windham Mountain Adventure Park. This family attraction offers indoor ice skating, bungee trampolines and a rock climbing wall.

Après-ski, wind down at the Trail’s End Tavern & Grill, formerly Vines Bistro, which has been completely renovated. In addition to its sparkling new décor, there’s a revamped menu with nouvelle comfort foods, as well as a bar with flat-screen TVs to take in sports action.

On the slopes, there’s a hearty waffle eatery, and in the base lodge there’s a new sushi bar and organic juice drinks at Refresh Cafe. Call 518-734-3000 to reserve, or visit www.windhammountain.com.

Another popular Catskill Mountains retreat is Hunter Resort at Hunter Mountain, just eight miles from Windham. The "Midweek Play & Stay" package includes a stay in a luxuriously rustic suite at the Kaatskill Mountain Club or Liftside Condominiums that also includes a day of skiing/riding starting at $89 per person per night. (This offer is valid now through April 15, except during holiday periods.)

There is much to see and do in this charmingly funky town, a prime party spot with a collection of colorful shops. One popular option is the legendary Slopes in Tannersville, with some of the best bands around, as well as a DJ. Every day is a holiday at Slopes, which prides itself on its great bar staff and huge dance floor.

Dining choices include the popular Van Winkle’s at the Kaatskill Mountain Club, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner (from sandwiches and pizzas to full-course meals), as well as the Summit Lodge, a "café in the sky" nestled right on the slopes.

And don’t miss the luxury Mountain Club Spa, also at Kaatskill Mountain Club. Spa products are made from flora and fauna indigenous to the region. For more information, call 800-HUNTERMTN, or visit www.huntermtn.com.

Pocono Destinations

Be sure to inquire before you travel, and check the forecast. Some activities are guests-only, and most outdoor amusements are weather permitting.

Major Ski/Snowboard Areas

• Alpine Mountain Ski & Ride Center, Analomink. 800-233-8240

• Big Boulder Ski Area, Lake Harmony. 570-722-0100

• Blue Mountain Ski Area, Palmerton. 877-SKI-BLUE

• Camelback, Tannersville. 800-233-8100

• Jack Frost Mountain, Blakeslee. 570-443-8425

• Shawnee Mountain, Shawnee on Delaware. 800-233-4218

• Ski Big Bear at Masthope Mountain, Lackawaxen. 570-685-1400

• Tanglewood Ski Area, Tafton. 888-226-SNOW Snowmobiling

• Caesars Brookdale Resort, Scotrun. 800-233-4141

• Caesars Cove Haven, Lakeville. 800-233-4141

• Caesars Paradise Stream, Mount Pocono. 800-233-4141

• Caesars Pocono Palace, Marshalls Creek. 800-233-4141

• Delaware State Forest. 570-895-4000

• Hickory Run State Park, White Haven. 570-443-0400

• Lackawanna State Forest, Lackawanna. 570-963-4561

• Lehigh Gorge State Park, White Haven. 570-443-0400

• Pocmont Resort & Conference Center, Bushkill. 570-588-6671

• Pocono Snowmobile Rentals, Mount Pocono. 570-645-1515

• Promised Land State Park, Greentown. 570-676-3428

• Tobyhanna State Park, Tobyhanna. 570-894-8336

• Woodloch Pines Resort, Hawley. 570-685-7121 Horse-Drawn Sleigh Rides

• The French Manor, South Sterling. 570-676-3244

• Mountain Creek Riding Stables, Cresco. 570-839-8725

• Pocono Manor Golf Resort and Spa, Pocono Manor. 800-233-8150

• The Sterling Inn, South Sterling. 800-523-8200

• Sugar Mountain Carriages, Bushkill. 570-588-3063

• Triple W Riding Stable, Honesdale. 800-540-2620

By   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

In the comedy Groundhog Day, hapless weatherman Phil Conners endures the same dreary winter’s day, over and over, presumably for years. Some see in his story a metaphor for spiritual awakening; until Phil learns to treasure and live each day as it comes, he is doomed to endlessly repeat it.

With the New Year—as millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, stop smoking, get out of debt and be more fabulous and fulfilled in every aspect of their lives—you may feel a little like Phil. You’ve made the same promises to change, year after year, maybe even decade after decade. In essence, you too are living the same day, over and over. And over.

Now you’re starting again. It will last a few weeks. Then you’ll jokingly pretend that you never really expected to change. You’ll pretend it doesn’t matter. And next year, you’ll repeat the same discouraging cycle.

You’re not alone. Without a real plan, a firm commitment and enough grit to get you through the rough patches, most New Year’s resolutions will be forgotten by Groundhog Day.

So what’s the secret to sticking with your resolutions? It starts with one simple realization: There is no secret.

Seriously, who doesn’t know that losing weight requires eating less and moving around more? Who is really stumped about how to save more money, or spend more time with their kids?

Lasting change first requires a decision. But we’re talking real decisions now, not the kind of hasty or wishful declarations so many of us make on January 1.

And once you decide, you must plow through, relentlessly, despite every temptation and obstacle. Want to drop 40 pounds or quit that pack-a-day habit? Half-hearted efforts won’t get you there. Though you’ll stumble and fall many times along the way (anticipate setbacks and plan for them), your initial decision must be based on genuine commitment.

Ready to make it great in ’08? Here are 10 tips to get you going—this time for good.

1. Assess your willingness. Tell the truth: Are you really prepared to change? If not, hold off on the big resolutions. Making and breaking the same promise year after year—like vowing every Monday to start a diet, then not doing it—is hazardous to your all-important sense of self-trust. Never kid yourself. It can lead to self-doubt that seeps into every area of your life.

2. Don’t start now. Want to lose weight? Success coach Doug Price, author of the upcoming License to Change, says January may be the worst time to start. “Health club memberships spike about now, and most regular members know to stay away until Valentine’s Day. Why not make yours a birthday or first-of-spring resolution instead?” As you plan, remind yourself—like a mantra—that you’re in it for the long haul, not a quick fix.

3. Change something else first. Put that monster goal on the back burner and make smaller changes. This gets you used to the idea of change, and also gives you a sense of self-mastery. One self-confessed “slob” launched a series of major life changes simply by resolving to tidy her apartment before she left for work. She took so much pleasure in her newly pristine place—and so much pride in herself for making the change—that she got excited about phasing in other changes.

4. Plan to fail. The road to success includes countless speed bumps. You fall off the wagon, sneak a smoke, wolf down a half-gallon of chocolate chip Haagen-Dazs. Decide in advance how to handle those inevitable setbacks. When you slip up, be as forgiving with yourself as you’d be with a friend, or your child. Says Evie C. Tomasello, of Tomorrow’s Wellness Center in Hammonton, “Many people feel that a setback means they blew it. They need to remember a setback is only a setup for a comeback.”

5. Don’t let yourself off the hook. Yes, cut yourself some slack when you don’t adhere to your plan. But don’t be flabby in your resolve. Exercise your resistance. Like a muscle, it will grow stronger with use. Experts say you have to stick with change long enough to get the payback. If you’re working out, for example, you’ll be encouraged by the improvement in your health, the changes in your clothing and your newfound energy. All people have slips and regressions, but if you recognize your health is improving, you have the foundation for lasting change.

6. To make it last, take it slow. Mark Twain said, “Habits are not to be thrown out the window, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.” If you set the bar too high—declaring you’ll work out an hour a day when you’re already overscheduled—you’re doomed from the outset. Set a more attainable goal, say, to fit in a 20-minute walk at lunchtime. Says Tomasello, “Spartan regimens are counter-productive. But you can do anything in moderation.”

7. Don’t eliminate bad habits—replace them. You’ve vowed to stop smoking this year. Great! But know that your body and mind will fight you all the way. You’re not just chemically dependent, you’re dependent on a whole set of physical actions (lighting up, repeatedly moving hand to mouth), and you associate smoking with specific situations (you have a cigarette after breakfast). You’ve got to create new rituals. Knit. Chew gum. Walk. Brush your teeth. Take up the five-string banjo. Again, hang in there until your new action becomes habitual. Tomasello says it only takes three days to get rid of a craving; experts suggest it takes about seven weeks to install and internalize a lifestyle change.

8. Share the vision, and include incentives. Are there three people in your office or circle of friends who want to lose weight? Start a Biggest Loser club that includes a cash prize. (For 10 weeks, everybody throws $5 into the kitty. Winner—make that loser—takes all.) This adds two strong motivators to your plan: the support of others, and a built-in reward. Maybe you can even get your company to sponsor the effort. “You’ve got to hold yourself accountable with someone other than yourself in order to see it through,” says Doug Price. “Get others involved with helping you change.”

9. Factor in some self-indulgence. Some diet experts now advocate a weekly “day off,” when dieters eat anything they want, guilt-free. Tomasello has a novel suggestion: dieting (or practicing any other positive behavior) three days a week to start. “Try dieting Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and keep adding on,” she says. You’ll feel less deprivation, and you may even start to look forward to your “on” days.

10. Learn to love it! Don’t face your resolutions with a sense of dread or duty. Reframe your thinking, and change the language you use to describe your plan. Instead of whining, “How come I have to do this? It’s no fair! I don’t wanna!” say, “I don’t ‘have to’ do anything. Today, I ‘get to’ run my own life and make it better! Aren’t I the greatest?”

Scared Straight

Motivational guru Zig Ziglar once asked, “If you had a million-dollar race horse, would you let it stay up all night, smoking, drinking and overeating?” The answer, of course, is a resounding no; most of us wouldn’t treat a potted palm the way we treat our own irreplaceable bodies. If you wouldn’t abuse a horse or a houseplant, how can you habitually burden yourself with excess fat, toxins and inertia?

You’ll often see Dr. Mehmet Oz on the Oprah show, displaying the actual organs of people who died of heart disease, lung cancer and other largely preventable ailments. If we could only see what poor diet and other bad habits do to our insides, we might think twice about polluting them.

Educate yourself about the risks associated with inactivity, excess weight and smoking, including the risk of heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, early signs of aging and a shorter lifespan.

If you can slow the progression of chronic disease, you can slow the aging process in a way. Lifestyle changes don’t constitute a fountain of youth, and you can’t turn back the clock. But you can slow it down by eating more healthfully, adding activity to your routine, and cutting out nicotine.

The Dog on the Porch: A Fable about Change

A man was sitting on his front porch, the family dog on the floor at his side. A neighbor stopped by to chat, and noticed that the dog was moaning in its sleep.

“What’s wrong with old Rover there?” asked the neighbor.

“He’s sleeping on a nail,” replied the man.

“Why doesn’t he just get up and move?” asked the surprised neighbor.

The man looked at his dog, who moaned again, and said, “I guess it doesn’t hurt enough yet.” Moral of the story:

Most change occurs when you’ve had enough of the pain.

You say you want a resolution?

Here are the top 10 New Year’s pledges.

1. Lose weight.

2. Start exercising.

3. Stop smoking.

4. Stop drinking.

5. Find romance.

6. Spend more time with family.

7. Spend less time online.

8. Become more organized.

9. Pay down debt.

10. Be a better person.

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   Mon, Mar 10, 2008

By David Schwartz   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Atlantic City was originally settled by a single family—the illustrious Leeds clan. Though today there are few signs of this enterprising bunch, the city might not be what it is today without several generations of Leeds promotion and perseverance.

The first residents of Absecon Island, the Lenni-Lenape Indians, only dwelled on the island seasonally, coming “down the shore” in the summer to enjoy the cool ocean breezes and gather shellfish and other seaside treats.

Absentee landlords had owned parcels on Absecon Island since 1695, but it wasn’t until 1783 that anyone actually lived there full-time. In that year, Jeremiah Leeds moved his family to a log cabin he had built himself.

Leeds was a descendant of Daniel Leeds, who had come to America from England in 1678 and published a notable almanac; Benjamin Franklin later recognized it as the first such publication south of New York. After his death, his sons continued publishing the work, and his family spread throughout Gloucester, Burlington and Atlantic counties.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jeremiah had fought for the Continental Army as a lieutenant in the Gloucester County Militia. His wife, Judith Steelman, was a granddaughter of one of Absecon Island’s first land-owners, and undoubtedly was familiar with the area. So, when the young family decided to move away from Leeds Point on the mainland, it wasn’t a completely new environment.

The cabin stood approximately at the intersection of Arkansas and Arctic Avenues, and after building it Leeds immediately set to work, planting grain crops in adjacent fields. With a healthy supply of wild game found on the island, Leeds and his family didn’t have to worry about going hungry.

Leeds continued buying land until he owned more than 1,000 acres of prime beachfront real estate. He wasn’t interested in subdividing it, though, and took pains to keep others from moving in. He did let mainland residents graze their cattle on his grasslands, and eventually rented a plot of land to be used for a salt-making operation.

Jeremiah had a large family. He had six children with Judith (the eldest, James, might be the influence behind Pomona’s Jimmy Leeds Road), and after she died he married Millicent Steelman Ingersoll, a 24-year-old widow who was a relative of Judith. The 62-year-old Jeremiah fathered four more children with Millicent after their 1816 marriage.

When Jeremiah died in 1838, his widow Millicent remained on the island, running a tavern and inn called Aunt Millie’s Boarding House. Business was slow but began to pick up in 1852, when Dr. Jonathan Pitney (the only island resident who was not a Leeds) and Philadelphia engineer Richard Osborne interested the Camden and Atlantic Company in buying much of the Leeds’ land and developing a seaside resort, linked to Philadelphia by rail.

But the Leeds family was not done with Absecon Island, and would play an influential role in the settlement that Osborne named Atlantic City. Chalkley Leeds, the oldest surviving son of Jeremiah and Millicent, became the city’s first mayor in 1854, a year after incorporation, and served until 1857. His mayoral campaign was a very personal affair: there were only 21 registered voters, many of them members of the extended Leeds clan.

Chalkley owned a large farm that encompassed a large swatch of the Inlet—it stretched from what is today Massachusetts Avenue to the Inlet between Baltic and Atlantic avenues. With a large number of cows and chickens, Leeds was a major dairy supplier to the earliest cottages and boarding houses in the developing resort.

The mayor’s younger brother Robert was the town’s first postmaster (then the most high-profile federal position in the area). Chalkley lived long enough to march in a parade commemorating the city’s Golden Jubilee in 1904, a full half-century after his swearing-in.

Though the family’s power would wane as the new hotels and amusement piers grew, the Leeds name is one that should not be forgotten. Without Jeremiah Leeds’ pioneering spirit or Millicent’s hospitality, it is possible that Atlantic City might never have been.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

AQUARIUS • Jan. 21-Feb. 19

Aquarians invest so much time fighting for lofty principles (truth, justice, world peace) they sometimes neglect their personal relationships. This month, hunker down with your honey (before your honey hunkers elsewhere).

PISCES • Feb. 20-Mar. 20

People are drawn to your kindness and gentle spirit. But there’s always a wolf on the prowl. Trust actions, not words. Make people earn your friendship. That’s not cynical. It’s sensible. (So is carrying a tire iron.)

ARIES • Mar. 21-Apr. 20

You’re fun, friendly, and darn it, people like you—especially now, when you’re at your vivacious best. In January, expect plenty of invitations, and RSVP in the affirmative. Let others radiate in your glow! (Just bring the bourbon.)

TAURUS • Apr. 21-May 21

Wait a while before asking for that annual raise. Those around you—including the high muckety-mucks—don’t value your staunch work ethic. But fear not. Soon, they’ll recognize the star that you are! (Then, you’ll be fired.)

GEMINI • May 22-June 21

Gemini, you launched the New Year with ambitions and dreams that reach to the stratosphere. Keep in mind that dreams need a plan, a plan B, and a deadline. Once you have those elements in place, there’s no place in the universe you can’t soar. (Even Newark.)

CANCER • June 22-July 23

How you react to the negative behavior of others says a lot about your maturity. You’ve learned to manage others without being influenced by them. Now people look to you for cues on how to respond to conflict. (That’s right, by freaking out.)

LEO • July 24-Aug. 23

Leos are known for their passion, charisma and talent. But there is someone close to you who resides in your shadow. Just once, hide your light under a bushel and let a lesser beacon shine. (Then send them back to the dark side.)

VIRGO • Aug. 24-Sept. 23

Your contradictory nature is in play this month—so much so, you feel downright schizophrenic. Who should you heed, the angel on your right shoulder, or the devil on your left? Even sensible Virgo can benefit from going a little crazy. (Watch out for the guys in the white coats.)

LIBRA • Sept. 24-Oct. 23

You’re feeling creatively frustrated, so why not embark on a new hobby or pastime? Learn to speak French. Take a flying lesson. Try a belly dancing class. Sing in a jazz club. Anything that shakes up your world is the remedy for you. (Rob a bank. Stalk someone.)

SCORPIO • Oct. 24-Nov.22

Beware of participating in office gossip. Though it’s fun and often harmless to dish the dirt, assume a more professional demeanor, and you’ll win the respect of your colleagues. (After you tell everyone what the boss is doing.)

SAGITTARIUS • Nov. 23-Dec. 21

Someone in your circle finds you suddenly irresistible. Though you’re flattered by the attention, make sure you carefully weigh the consequences of an extracurricular romance. Passion is an explosive. Handle with care. (You hunk of studliness, you.)

CAPRICORN • Dec. 22-Jan. 20

Your practical side may be working against you in matters of the heart. Though you’re smart to be prudent about love and romance—the source of much pain in your past—the time has come to fly without a net. So take a deep breath and jump! (And wait for the splat.)

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

McDonald’s has company. The corporation famous for “billions of customers served” inspired Bally’s Virginia City buffet officials to check their unofficial records. Those records revealed that grill chef Bertha Stewart has served more than 2.5 million New York Strip Steaks, by herself, in the last decade.

Can the Guinness World Record be far off?

“You cook thousands and thousands of them and you never keep track,” says Stewart. “But then somebody told me that I had served a couple million or so. To me, that was funny; I could hardly believe it.”

The Camden native and mother of two has been a Bally’s employee since day one (Bally’s is approaching its 30th anniversary). Her remarkable numbers accrued shift by shift, steak by steak, year after year—approximately 1,000 steaks a day and 5,000 per week.

Stewart has seen between 200 and 300 people standing in line for steaks that cook 100 at a time on a massive grill. She enjoys meeting new people, and savors her friendships with senior citizens, many who have become familiar faces. She also appreciates the effect food has on business.

“When people have a full stomach, it’s not growling anymore and they will be happy to stay longer and play,” says Stewart, smiling. “When they see their food cooked right in front of their face, they enjoy the experience even more. Some of them said it was better than their wife’s cooking, or that they can’t chew other steaks as easily as they can chew these.”

Stewart juggles a full lineup. Anticipating the crunch of customers, she starts putting steaks on just before they arrive. Orders pour in, especially during the summer or on double-coupon nights.

Customers don’t have to wait long. A rare steak may take only three minutes to prepare, and a well-done version requires but six minutes. It’s a culinary assembly line. Stewart is a sought-after commodity, with customers choosing her station from the buffet’s abundant offerings.

“We deal more with the public than the restaurant business does,” says Stewart, who worked in a restaurant for more than 20 years before coming here. “We’re dealing in thousands and thousands of steaks. Whatever the customers want and whatever keeps them happy will keep them coming here, and that will keep us open.”

Stewart’s effervescent demeanor caught the eye of superiors. She gained high marks in a customer spotlight program—the casino equivalent of a secret shopper program. One customer noted Stewart’s friendly manner and evaluated her strongly. Fortunately for Stewart, that observation went all the way to the top.

“One of the rewards was getting to have lunch with (outgoing top executive) Ken Condon,” Stewart says. “It was great, but I was so nervous the night before, I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t know what to wear or what to expect. It was wonderful. A group of us had lunch at his office, with him. Ken wanted to know what we needed, if there was anything he could do to help us serve our customers.”

In this case, the best strategy is simply to let Bertha Stewart carry on.

By Joe Legato   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

If you’ve ever owned a dirt bike, there is a good chance you’ve been tempted to race it against much bigger vehicles, but have been too afraid of getting seriously injured in the process.

Well, now you can get your chance to wipe out without actually threatening your life, as Rainbow Studios unleashes MX vs. ATV: Untamed. This off-road racing game lets you race vehicles ranging from motocross bikes to all-terrain vehicles in different environments around the world. The variety of match-ups alone in MX vs. ATV can be extremely entertaining as players have the choice of picking an assortment of engine sizes for different two- and four-wheel vehicles.

You don’t even have to pick a dirt bike or ATV for some races; a juiced-up golf cart or classic monster truck are also available choices. MX vs. ATV also includes a diverse set of terrains, allowing gamers to compete on tracks anywhere from a nice country meadow to a barren desert.

MX vs. ATV offers many different racing series to accommodate the different types of gamers who might play. There are the classic racing series such as Opencross and Supercross for players who are familiar with typical off-road settings, and there are also series that focus less on the racing and more on surviving the tracks and doing stunts, such as Enduromode or freestyle.

There are even a few online exclusive modes that don’t have much to do with racing at all, but are just addicting and fun to play. You may pick up the game to check out some cool bikes and end up playing Snake mode the whole time as you just go around in circles trying to box in your opponent.

In any case, MX vs. ATV is one of those games that you can just jump into without thinking much. It’s fun to race around in all the toys that the game offers, and you’ll soon find your own vehicle preference. Whether it’s the maneuverable little bikes or the powerful giant four-wheelers, you’ll definitely find some way to tumble around in the dirt.

By Chris Borino   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Alicia Keys’ third studio album, As I Am, was released in November and debuted at number one. It’s a testament to Keys’ growing reputation as the world’s premier soul and R&B singer.

Like her first two albums, As I Am offers Keys in delightful voice backed up by solid beats, interesting lyrics and a soulfulness that parallels the other legends of her genre. It would be unfair to label her a modern Nina Simone or female Marvin Gaye, because that implies some sort of replication, and Keys is definitively original. She’s even departed from the hip-hop producers who helped her achieve so much previous success (notably Kanye West and Timbaland), so this album is original even in comparison to her own earlier work.

Frequent co-producer and rumored boyfriend Kerry “Krucial” Brothers produced five of the album’s 14 songs, but the best contributor to the album is Linda Perry (who still isn’t blond). Perry co-wrote and co-produced “Superwoman,” a song so good it should be encrusted in diamonds and protected by the Coldstream Guards.

The raw vocals and sincere emotional immersion on As I Am could only come from a singer-songwriter who feels what she sings. Other vocalists, while gifted, can be compared to great actors. Keys isn’t acting; she’s revealing a part of her soul.

Her vocal talents are never more apparent than on the first single, “No One.” Keys exploits a basic drumbeat, simple melody and repetitive lyrics to create something beautiful: “People keep talking/ they can say what they like/ but all I know is/ everything’s gonna be all right… No one, No one, No one, can get in the way of what I feel for you.”

I’m not sure who inspired the song, but this superstar’s ode to a friend in need betrays an emotional depth as big as her talent.

By Maria Legato   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

The deadpan host of The Colbert Report has finally written a book. Unfortunately, even with a team of writers to help, Stephen Colbert cannot recreate his hit TV show in hardback form. Colbert’s Comedy Central persona may be a bit too much for words.

I Am America (And So Can You!) is a litany of the Colbert character’s views on everything from immigration to terrorism, sports to old people, religion to the environment. For fans, his musings may be entertaining. For those less familiar with the punny political pundit, first seen on Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, the humor may seem a bit forced, even over the top.

Better see a few episodes of the show first to understand the character’s mannerisms, his egotism and self-righteousness (Colbert believes everyone should automatically accept every word he writes with great fervor).

Notes in the margins of I Am America give the impression that Colbert is stopping to make commentary in his own book. Many of the tables and figures—and lists like “Things That Are Trying to Turn Me Gay”—add extra laughs. The book even comes with stickers such as “I Think It, Stephen Says It.”

So I Am America (And So Can You!) has its moments, and Colbert’s almost cult-like status guarantees that his book, like Stewart’s America, will stay on the bestseller list. Too bad it doesn’t live up to the television personality Stephen Colbert has invented for himself.

By Roger Gros   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

As a parent, I suppose I was expected to keep my kids from watching the animated cartoon The Simpsons when it came out 18 years ago. (Even founder Matt Groening now says he wouldn’t let his kids watch it!) But I found it so funny that I was addicted from day one, and so were my kids. Now, with a second group of kids who are also Simpsons fans, we waited anxiously for the first film and now the DVD to be released.

Without going through the mindless plot—which is about equal to a typical Simpsons TV show—the movie was very entertaining. While the TV show often misfires these days, the time spent on the movie (five-plus years) shows, and keeps you interested for the full 80 minutes (and even though Homer calls you a dope for paying to see what you can get for free on television).

Even a pseudo-environmental disaster tale can’t ruin the sight gags and star cameos in the movie. Homer adopts a pig (later christened Harry Plopper) who turns out to be the catalyst for the environment-gone-wild theme of the movie. The arrival of Tom Hanks and Green Day (which transforms into a string quartet as the barge on which they are playing sinks) are the high points of the cameos (and Albert Brooks is great as the head of the EPA).

For those paying attention, there are high-brow references to some of the calamitous issues of our time—the human condition, the sad state of the earth and Big Brother government—but who’s paying attention anyway? The funniest parts of any Simpsons episodes are the anatomical humor—and this time we get full-frontal nudity from Bart and a huge-breasted Eskimo woman who Homer falls for.

So yes, I bundled up my young children and headed to the first video store I could find the day after Christmas to get this soon-to-be classic and we sat down as a loving family unit to enjoy the adventures of America’s first family, the Simpsons.

By Robert Rossiello   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

January 5

Miley Cyrus with Jonas Bros., Boardwalk Hall

Kid Rock, Borgata

Boxing: Paulie Malignaggi vs. Herman Ngoudjo, Bally’s

January 6-7; January 9-11

Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge, Hilton

The Duprees, Resorts

January 11

Celebrity Roast of ESPN’s Mike & Mike, House of Blues

January 11-13

Don Rickles, Tropicana

January 12

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Trump Marina

Earthquake, House of Blues

Chris Botti, Harrah’s

R. Kelly, J. Holiday, Keyshia Cole, Boardwalk Hall

January 13

Diana Ross, Borgata

January 18

Midget Auto Races, Boardwalk Hall

January 18-19

Four Tops, Resorts

January 18-20

Jim Norton, Borgata

January 19

Bill Cosby, Caesars

Wyclef Jean, House of Blues

The Drifters, The Coasters and the Platters: The Real Deal, Harrah’s

The Sound of Philly featuring Russell Tompkins & His Stylistics, Tropicana

January 20-21, 23-25

Sal Richards, Resorts

January 25

Ani Difranco, House of Blues

January 26

Trace Atkins, Taj Mahal

February 1

Dennis Miller, Borgata

February 2

Dancing With the Stars Tour, Boardwalk Hall

Chippendales Live, Harrah’s

February 3-23

Clint Holmes, Harrah’s

February 8

Gilberto Santa Rosa, House of Blues

Soulive, House of Blues

February 8-9

Aaron Lewis, Borgata

February 9

Queensryche, Tropicana

New Breed Fighters, House of Blues

February 15

Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Boardwalk Hall

Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, Borgata

February 15-16

The Commodores, Trump Plaza

February 16

The Village People, Resorts

Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Seether, Taj Mahal

February 23

Mummers 2008, Boardwalk Hall

Gypsy Kings, Caesars

Puddle of Mudd, House of Blues

February 29

Flogging Molly, House of Blues

Henry Rollins, An Evening of Spoken Word, House of Blues

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Lately it seems Bill Cosby gets more attention for his views on the black community than for his comedy. But rest assured, Cosby still can bring on the funny. The legendary comic and TV personality returns to Atlantic City with a show at Caesars January 19.

The Cos doesn’t hit the road often, so if you’ve never seen the film and television star, take advantage of the Caesars appearance. Whether entertaining millions on the Emmy-winning The Cosby Show (1984-1992), giving humorous advice in his books, Fatherhood and Time Flies, or educating children in an entertaining way in his animated projects Little Bill and Fat Albert, Cosby is an American institution.

With his comedic focus on family and relationships, Cosby touches lives in a funny way without ever resorting to gimmickry, lowbrow humor or vulgarity. A five-time Grammy winner for his comedy albums, Cosby has also released a number of jazz recordings including 1997’s Hello Friend – To Ennis With Love (dedicated to his murdered son). But you won’t be hearing any music at Caesars. Cosby plans to roll out the classic comedy material along with some fresh stuff and improvisational observations. Though he’s become a little preachy in recent years, Cosby remains relevant and entertaining.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Wyclef Jean comes to the House of Blues January 19, just in time to show off tunes from his new album, The Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant. The formidable release shows the Haitian-born Grammy winner entering a new phase of his career brought on by the death of his father, which prompted Jean to reflect spiritually.

Jean made his mark as the lead rapper in the Fugees, and was the first member to embark on a successful solo career. The high-profile activist’s political views are infused into his tracks, which often are rooted in Caribbean and reggae sounds.

Often serving as a producer for top stars including Whitney Houston, Santana and Destiny’s Child, Jean hit it big with the Fugees and hit songs like “Killing Me Softly” and “Fu-Gee-La.” He has been equally impressive as a solo artist, selling more than three million copies of his debut album. Jean enlists the aid of his siblings, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Neville Brothers and others to score hits like “We Trying to Stay Alive” and the Grammy-nominated “Gone Till November.”

Jean continues to be an innovative artist, reworking songs by everyone from Frankie Valli to Bob Dylan and working with unusual collaborators like Tom Jones. Not afraid to cross genres, he proved he could go at it solo on his latest CD’s prequel, Wyclef Jean Presents The Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars, which hit No. 4 on the hip-hop charts when it was released 10 years ago.

He continued to build his solo career, and really made people notice when he released “Hips Don’t Lie,” a chart-topping Grammy-nominated international smash hit duet with Shakira, which was based on his own song, “Dance Like This.” The song ended a dry spell for Jean, and he hopes to ride that wave on Carnival II, which receives some help from Paul Simon, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, Akon, Serj Tankian from System of a Down and Shakira. Expect to hear Jean’s biggest hits and songs from his new album, including the hit single “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)."

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

In the 1990s, superstar Garth Brooks led the country crossover phenomenon. But it was Trace Adkins who kept the traditional country torch lit. And he hasn’t changed a bit.

Adkins, who performs at Trump Taj Mahal’s Arena on January 26, is country music’s Alpha male: a larger-than-life personality known for his recognizable baritone and dynamic stage shows. He is on the road to promote American Man, Greatest Hits Volume II, which shows off Adkins’ uncompromising love of country music.

The centerpiece of the new album—and the tour—is the song “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk,” a hip-hop-influenced, across-the-board smash that catapulted the musician to new heights in 2005.

But if you check out the Taj show, you’ll also see many other sides of Adkins, including the emotional “Songs About Me,” the veteran tribute “Arlington,” the flirty “Swing,” and the blue-collar, funny “Rough & Ready.” You’ll also hear at least a couple of the four new songs on the compilation, including the first single, “I Got My Game On,” a pure testosterone-fueled ditty, and the heart-tugging “You’re Gonna Miss This.”

The CD release comes in conjunction with his first book: A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck, which has really received some notice for his off-the-cuff commentary. Mixing honky-tonk, blues and rock ’n’ roll, a Trace Adkins concert is a must-see for country fans.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

It’s not often that a trumpeter reaches headline status. But Chris Botti, who wisely struts his good looks on the daytime talk show circuit, has done just that. The Botti tour comes to Harrah’s Atlantic City January 12 to support his latest CD, Italia.

If you’re expecting an upbeat night of dance music, you might want to look elsewhere. Italia is a melancholy, sophisticated album. “For me, music that breaks your heart is the music that stays with you forever,” says the best-selling jazz artist.

Capturing the beauty of Italy, the romantic concept album is inspired by Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain and Kind of Blue, straying from improvisation and concentrating on elaborate arrangements. The album features Andrea Bocelli, Paula Cole, a recording with vocals from the late Dean Martin and Botti’s interpretation of “Ave Maria.”

Since releasing his 1995 debut solo record, the trumpeter, instrumentalist and composer is that rare artist who has crossed over from jazz to pop without compromising his integrity. He is the former trumpeter for Sting, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, and won a Grammy with Sting for “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” He produced a successful DVD/PBS special, Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests, in 2005. He also recently appeared on Bocelli’s PBS special.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Ani DiFranco never caved to record company pressure. She stayed true to her musical sensibilities and always does things her way, earning a staunchly loyal fan base.

One of the most influential and inspirational artists of the modern era, DiFranco comes to the House of Blues January 25. With an innovative guitar style, percussive finger-picking and insightful lyrics, the critically acclaimed artist isn’t afraid to tackle subjects from political barbed wire to sexual issues.

She is touring to support Canon, her first studio career retrospective. The double-CD set features 36 songs spanning her career from 1990 to 2006, along with five re-recorded tracks. So if you’re a DiFranco fan, this is a great chance to see her perform, since she will undoubtedly cover her entire career catalog.

DiFranco’s come a long way. As a struggling artist, she single-handedly pressed 500 cassettes to sell at her shows, and released all her recordings through her own indie label, Righteous Babe. She has released 10 albums that sold more than four million copies—unheard of in the indie biz. And she’s done it one fan at a time, through word of mouth and charisma, rather than radio play and marketing campaigns.

She has collaborated with Prince, Cyndi Lauper, Janis Ian and many others; her songs have been covered by Dave Matthews and Chuck D. Named one of CMJ magazine’s 25 most influential artists of the last 25 years, the 37-year-old DiFranco’s latest musical collection was released in conjunction with Verse, her first book of poetry. She also illustrated the book.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Whether he’s rapping, wanting to be a cowboy, getting in fistfights with Tommy Lee or singing duets with Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock is a superstar—whether you like it or not.

The Detroit native is the white rock rapper everyone said wouldn’t last. But 17 years after his debut album, Kid Rock, who performs January 5 at Borgata, is still going strong. His latest album, Rock N Roll Jesus, has not only sold well but has also been reviewed very favorably by critics.

With a trademark mix of Southern rock, hip-hop and a little bit of country, Rock’s latest album doesn’t stray too far away from what he knows best: gritty guitars, nasty lyrics and some solid raps.

Rock first emerged in 1990, but it wasn’t until his fourth album, 1998’s Devil Without a Cause, that he shot to stardom. With rap-metal at its peak, his personality and fun tunes were irresistible to the mainstream. “Bawitdaba” and “Cowboy” put him on the map, helping the album sell seven million copies.

Although he never really topped that success, later albums produced a few hits including “Forever” and a cover of Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” Though his latest album won’t top Devil Without a Cause, it could be his second most successful album ever.

On his latest tour, dubbed the Rock and Roll Revival Tour, Rock says going to his show will be like “going to church drunk on a Saturday night.” Since he will be mostly playing arenas, seeing Kid Rock at Borgata will be a nice treat for fans.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Think things slow down around here during the winter? Not so. When winter rolls around, the Atlantic City Convention Center keeps things hotter than ever. Motorsports 2008 comes to the Atlantic City Convention Center Friday through Sunday, January 18-20.

Motorsports offers a popular mix of hard-core manufacturer booths and speedway, race car, collectibles and interactive displays. Free seminars are offered throughout the event. Topics include race car restoration, race car photography, “reading” a dirt track, and getting your child started in racing.

Motorsports hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for a one-day pass or $32 for a three-day pass for adults, $5 for a one-day pass or $14 for a three-day pass for children ages 6 to 12. Children 5 and under are free. For more information, visit www.aarn.com.

Motorsports coincides with the Sixth Annual Gamblers Classic at Boardwalk Hall. The Classic brings indoor auto racing roaring in on Friday and Saturday, January 18-19. It’s presented by Len Sammons Motorsports Productions.

Advance general admission tickets for Friday are $17 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Advance general admission seats for Saturday are $20. Reserved seats are additional. Tickets purchased at the door cost $2 more. For more information, visit www.aarn.com or call (609) 888-3618.

The fastest-growing boat show in the country, the 29th annual Atlantic City International Powerboat Show, will cruise into the convention center Wednesday through Sunday, February 6-10. Presented by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the show typically draws boat enthusiasts from throughout the East Coast.

The show features more than 750 crafts by leading manufacturers and dealers. It will showcase all-new 2008 models of motor and sailing yachts, sport fishers, performance boats and personal watercraft. A marine marketplace will feature accessories, information and marine-related services with the latest navigational devices, engines, financial/insurance services, nautical gifts and apparel. Attendees can take advantage of free daily fishing and boating seminars sponsored by The Fisherman Magazine and Boater’s Digest.

Show hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 for adults (16 and older), $8 for youth (13-15) and free for children under 12 when accompanied by an adult. For more information, call 212-984-7000 or visit www.atlanticcityboatshow.com.

Get ideas for your home and garden at the New Jersey Home Design & Landscape Show Friday through Sunday, February 22-24. The show features landscape displays, garden exhibits, pools, doors, windows and a variety of home improvement and decor products. There are also home improvement celebrities, exhibits and demonstrations and giveaways.

Hours for the event are 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 210-408-0998 or visit www.showtechnology.com.

America’s largest indoor collectible car event, the 35th annual Atlantic City Classic Car Show, comes to the Atlantic City Convention Center Thursday through Sunday, February 28 through March 2. The show is presented by G. Potter King, Inc.

More than 1,100 classic, custom and collectible cars will be on display in a whirlwind weekend of some of the finest automotive buying and selling in the country. Select cars will be displayed in the “Car Corral,” and street and hot rods will be exhibited in a special section.

The show will also feature an automotive market with hard-to-find special car parts and more. There will be an antiques display of jewelry, art and furniture and collectibles for attendees who prefer to browse there.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $20 for adults and $5 for children under 12. For more information, call 1-800-227-3868 outside New Jersey or 856-573-6969 within New Jersey, or visit www.acclassiccars.com.

So warm up your winter with these fun events found at the Atlantic City Convention Center. For a complete list of entertainment offered during the winter months throughout the region, visit www.atlanticcitynj.com and click on the calendar of events.

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Bob Halloran helped sports change the face of gaming, and gaming change the face of sports. The Robert Redford look-alike, a one-time New York sportscaster, Miami Dolphins announcer and TV personality, used sports to create a gaming niche. Caesars hired him for its Nevada interests in 1978 and asked him to export its customer cultivation brand to Atlantic City. Halloran thrived as a sporting events specialist (to this day a rare commodity in the casino industry, where most companies don’t even have a sports department). He spiked business by tapping the lucrative New York market, where he was well-connected among network execs.

“We pretty much used the same formula in Atlantic City that we had in Las Vegas,” says Halloran, now director of sports for MGM Mirage, one of the world’s leading hotel and gaming companies. “We could build a customer base with sporting events. But we didn’t want to do it unless the event was televised. That’s a marketing tool for us. That’s why we brought in many nationally televised fights.”

Halloran recently helped deliver two blockbusters to the Strip: Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather last May, and Ricky Hatton versus Mayweather in December. He reports to MGM chief executive Terry Lanni, another Atlantic City alumnus and a member of the Gaming Hall of Fame.

Halloran helped Atlantic City become a sports heavyweight without affecting Caesars in Las Vegas. He made sure Atlantic City did not overbid Las Vegas for major fights, and monitored the best interests of both cities. While Las Vegas boasted the Grand Prix, golf tournaments and basketball, Atlantic City focused on boxing. The New York networks were glad to get in on the Jersey Shore action.

“It was an easy run down to Atlantic City for them,” says Halloran. “We weren’t doing sellouts; the hope was just to break even, and anything more would be great. We did a lot of fights like Vinny Pazienza and Greg Haugen—guys with followings. We always found the events that would bring us a lot of exposure.”

One nationally televised event brought Halloran his best heavyweight “encounter.” Randall “Tex” Cobb was boxing’s lovable bad boy, famous for a fight that drove sportcaster Howard Cosell from ringside. Cobb’s 1982 bout with heavyweight champ Larry Holmes was so bloody, Cosell vowed he would never cover another fight. Cobb joked that he would gladly take another pummeling if Cosell would quit covering football.

At the peak of Cobb’s popularity, Halloran booked him in Atlantic City. Then things changed.

“Tex Cobb had a warm heart and he was funny, but he was the meanest-looking SOB you’d ever seen—his face looked like a train wreck,” says Halloran. “I get a call, quarter after 12 in the morning on the day he’s supposed to fight, and this guy says Cobb can’t do it, it’s a shoulder or something. I find out he’s in the coffee shop where he’s been for four days and confront him.

“I tell him he’s been eating our food, sleeping in our hotel and having a great time, and now he had no right to back out of a fight that’s on national television. We have customers here to see him, we’ve spent money advertising this event and we can’t just have him not fight. I screamed at him that I would get him suspended, never thinking of course that this guy could have knocked me right on my butt.

“Sure enough, he got suspended and a fighter named Pinklon Thomas showed up and saved the card. Years later I saw Tex and reminded him that he could have killed me that day. He smiled and said, ‘The only reason I didn’t was because I like you.’ “

The Massachusetts-born Halloran got a personal bonus during his Atlantic City days when he introduced his mother to gaming. “She flew from Massachusetts to LaGuardia, where I picked her up and drove her down here. It was her first time on a plane, in a limo, or at a casino. It was a great memory.

"At that time, maybe she’s 74 and I’m showing her how you put money in, how money comes out and what the slot machines were all about. We started sometime in the afternoon and didn’t go to bed until after 2 a.m.! She absolutely loved it. I think coming to Atlantic City kept my mother alive for the next 22 years. She looked forward to making those trips.”

These days, Halloran travels between several properties around the world. The growing reach of MGM Mirage creates more demand for major events, and the brisk pace keeps him happy. It’s been a satisfying ride for one of the industry’s first power brokers.

Did You Know?

• Bob Halloran interviewed fellow Massachusetts native President John F. Kennedy. He also sailed against Kennedy and played golf with him.

• Halloran gave Atlantic City its first fight under a tent. It was Thomas Hearns against Murray Sutherland, in 1983 at Caesars.

• He threw a roast for mercurial U.S. basketball coach Bob Knight after Knight was banned from Puerto Rico for throwing chairs and insulting officials. Halloran found a comedian to impersonate the officials and recreate the incident. Knight loved it.

• Halloran interviewed JFK at the Orange Bowl when tensions escalated between the United States and Fidel Castro. Kennedy offered Halloran a cigar and asked him not to tell anybody where he got it. “Why?” Halloran asked. “Because it’s a Cuban,” said Kennedy.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

The word “foreclosure” haunts every homeowner. Whether it’s the loss of a job, an escalating mortgage rate or the homeowner simply got “upside down” (owing more on a property than they make), there’s little to celebrate when reality hits and all solutions have failed.

A foreclosure occurs when a homeowner can’t make his house payments and all sales efforts have failed. The borrower comes in and puts the house on the market, sometimes at a price far below market value. A “short sale” is an aggressive marketing campaign to sell the property before it reaches the foreclosure stage.

For those who have saved wisely, are aggressive real estate investors or are simply looking for a bargain, foreclosures can represent an opportunity.

Like any real estate bargain, you have to know where to look. The lenders (banks, credit unions, mortgage companies) don’t want to be in the real estate business. They want to unload their unwanted inventory as soon as possible.

The website RealtyTrac lists foreclosures by ZIP code and stage—ranging from pre-foreclosure property to bank-owned real estate. It’s a broad and complete picture of foreclosure availability in your area.

Check the websites of local banks next, then the national chains. They often feature foreclosures on their sites.

Banks and credit unions sometimes hire agencies to help sell their properties. Check Keystone Asset Management, Lenders Asset Management Corporation and HomeEq Servicing.

Government agencies such as FHA, VA, HUD and the Department of Justice sell real estate, visible through a single portal. And government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also operate sites. The variety of properties available is, shall we say, wide, but Fannie Mae in particular lists a lot of solid mainstream real estate values.

Making an Offer

There are three factors when deciding to make an offer for a house in the “short sale” mode or in foreclosure:

1. Learn how motivated the seller is to make a deal.

Some sellers are literally days away from bankruptcy or some other factor that will disrupt their lives. Discover, for example, if the sellers have already purchased another home. If that sale has closed, they're likely to be more willing to make a deal. If the property has been on the market for a long time, sellers will entertain any offer. Talk to the seller’s listing agent. The information he provides can include valuable clues about what kind of offers they’ll consider.

2. Make your case with hard facts.

Don’t just tell the seller what you’re willing to pay—explain how you reached that number. Mention comparable sales and the amount of inventory in the immediate area. If there are two years’ worth of inventory, properties should sell for 5 percent or 10 percent less than what houses have sold for in the past year in that neighborhood.

3. Prepare for the possibility of rejection or negotiation.

Making an aggressive offer that the seller might see as too low could backfire. He could reject the offer out of hand and walk away insulted.

Be realistic. Make an offer that can be a starting point for negotiations, so there's that potential for a counter-offer, especially if there haven’t been many other bids.

And all hope is not lost even if a seller doesn’t bite immediately. Sometimes the seller comes around and decides to negotiate, or new information—such as the sale of a comparable home at a lower price—can nudge a seller to give an aggressive offer a second look and open the negotiation process.

Foreclosures and short sales can be opportunities if you approach them in a reasonable and rational manner.

HANDYMAN TIP

Do you want to brighten a dark north-facing room with paint? Don’t play it safe with all-purpose white, which can seem grayish at different times of day. Instead, use light to mid-tones of any color, and select the satin or semi-gloss finish to help reflect existing light. You can emphasize a wall with a window by using a deeper shade of your basic hue. The color will draw your eye to the window. If you really prefer white, use a creamy shade for added warmth.

OPEN HOUSE

When Vivian Cheng and her partners bought a rambling ’30s-vintage office building on Atlantic Avenue, they considered several redevelopment options.

“From an investment standpoint, we saw a lot of potential. The building had been a department store at one point, then an office building, and finally storage for the county,” says Cheng, of NJ Estate LLC. “But when we asked ourselves what Atlantic City needs, the answer wasn’t more offices. The answer was housing.”

That was 2004. Today, the four-story property at 1625 Atlantic Avenue is one of the first modern, affordable apartment buildings in the city’s downtown, with 17 one-to-three bedroom units (there is also 6,500 square feet of retail space on the first floor).

Rents range from $995 for a small one-bedroom (a larger one-bedroom is $1,095) to $1,795 for a generous three-bedroom, two-bath apartment.

All have a bright, contemporary look, with polished-to-a-gloss hardwood floors and designer kitchens featuring black GE Hotpoint appliances, black granite countertops, brushed steel sinks and dark cherry cabinets. Cheng is pleased. “We wanted a modern look, because everything in the city is building toward that.”

From the start, the project had the enthusiastic support of Main Street Atlantic City, which underwrote some of its promotional budget. Main Street Manager Seana Grady says a successful housing venture on Atlantic Avenue could spur other investors to come in and help invigorate the area.

“One of our priorities is the creation of housing for Atlantic City’s work force,” Grady says. “From downtown, people can walk to work, they can walk to the casinos for entertainment, they can walk to the train. Also, having a strong residential base is essential to the health of any community. It puts more eyes and ears on the street to help with safety and cleanliness. And people who live here are more invested in the neighborhood.”

Grady called 1625 Atlantic “a critical project” being closely watched by others who might one day invest in the future of Atlantic City. Main Street is working toward “a vibrant, mixed-use downtown that serves the needs of the residents and is attractive to visitors.”

Right now, would-be investors are playing a waiting game. “They’re waiting to see how it works,” says Grady. “Acquisition and construction is expensive. People want to make sure they’ll see a return on their investment. But this project has the potential to serve as the tipping point to upgrade Atlantic Avenue.”

Along with CRDA and the ACSID (Atlantic City Special Improvement District), the Main Street group also endorses “adaptive reuse,” which brings new life and purpose to historic buildings like the one at 1625 Atlantic.

Cheng did not know when she bought the building that she might be a pioneer in the revitalization of downtown Atlantic City. The possibility excites her.

“Main Street and CRDA and Special Improvement can’t do it without investors. Though we’re not there yet, this is definitely an example for our neighbors and other investors. If downtown Atlantic City changes,” says Cheng, “everything changes.”

By   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

A visit to Boogie Nights at Resorts is like a trip in the Wayback Machine—back to the era of disco music and disaster movies, Saturday Night Fever and Farrah Fawcett, miniskirts and mood rings.

What was cool then seems laughable now. But that’s the fun of Boogie Nights, a kitschy homage to the fads, fashions and music of the “Me Decade.” It was conceived by David Peña, known for his success at Planet Rose at the Quarter at Tropicana.

“Boogie Nights is not a nightclub—it’s more of a scene from your favorite movie or book,” says Peña. “The whole event is designed to reinforce the retro experience. Whether it's the décor, the people, the music or the videos, we want the guest to feel like they've escaped for a little while, and had fun doing it.”

Expect to see Roller Girls and Michael Jackson impersonators; even the wait staff gets into the act, dressing up as icons of the age. Take bartender Masai “Muggsy” Coleman. Resplendent in a dashiki and silver chains and sporting a two-foot Afro (complete with Afro pick), Coleman makes the scene as Linc Hayes, the cool counter-culture cop of TV’s Mod Squad. He plans future appearances as Jimi Hendrix; other bartenders dress as Isaac from The Love Boat and Dwayne from What’s Happening. (What, no Rerun?)

On the first night, “Everybody was dancing—on the floor and behind the bar,” says Coleman. He describes the music as a mix of “Bee Gees, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Gloria Gaynor, the Village People… That music brings back a lot of memories.”

While you’re there, be sure to sample some of the marvelous specialty drinks created just for Boogie Nights. Among them: the Miami Vice (made with melon liquer, peach schnapps, grenadine and fruit juices); the Purple Rain (made with vodka, blue Curacao and lime and cranberry juices); the Love Shake (vanilla vodka, white crème de cacao, Buttershots, grenadine and cream); and the Krystle Carrington (orange vodka, Triple Sec and orange juice topped with champagne). There’s even a Donny Almond (Amaretto, crème de almond and Kahlua).

Coleman recommends the Foxy Brown, a delectable blend of brown crème de cacao, Myers rum, amaretto and ginger ale, shaken and strained into a martini glass rimmed with caramelized brown sugar. It’s a confection of a drink, sweet as candy, with all the kick of rum but none of the kickback. Simply scrumptious.

Located on the dining level at Resorts between the Ballroom and Capriccio, Boogie Nights features a video wall with music videos and visual imagery of the period. And yes, there’s a mirror ball.

So get your groove thing out of traction and boogie oogie oogie to Boogie Nights, every Saturday and holiday weekends starting January 5. Doors open at 8 p.m. There’s a $5 cover.

Test Your ’70s Smarts

Think you know all there is to know about the ’70s? Test your acumen with these questions. Winner gets a polyester leisure suit with puka beads.

1. Two actresses played third banana to John Ritter and Joyce DeWitt in the TV sitcom Three’s Company after Suzanne Somers left. Who were they?

2. During the ’70s, this New York Jets quarterback wore pantyhose in an ad for Beautymist hosiery. Name him.

3. Olivia Newton-John tried to change her good-girl image with this song in which she tells a beau, “Let me hear your body talk.” Name the song.

4. In 1972, this U.S. swimmer won an unprecedented seven gold medals at the Munich Olympics.

5. In the song by Isaac Hayes, this cinema detective is described as “a black private dick who’s a sex machine to all the chicks.” Who was he?

ANSWERS: 1. Jenilee Harrison and Pamela Barnes. 2. Joe Namath. 3. “Physical.” 4. Mark Spitz. 5. Shaft. (Damn right.)

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

In 1986, Joseph Lautato told his parents he wanted to leave their Brooklyn neighborhood to open a restaurant in Atlantic City.

The Lautatos reacted with disbelief. Father Sonny was retired from the New York Police Department. Mother Rose had worked in the school system. They were contemplating second careers, but never dreamed of starting them more than 100 miles away.

They did, and now they’re glad. Through 22 years of successes and challenges, Café 2825 has become a sophisticated boutique restaurant that has earned the loyalty of the locals. Says Lautato, “I turn away more people in the summer than I serve. I measure success by my winter customers, not the summer ones.”

He still returns to the old neighborhood. Every Sunday and Monday for the past two decades, Lautato has made the trek to Brooklyn to buy several days’ worth of cheeses, baked goods, olives and cured meats from specialty suppliers. All are unavailable in the Atlantic City area.

“I pack my car with special food items and bring them back to the shore,” he says. “I can offer my diners wonderful dining, using items not found here.” Café 2825 changes its menu twice a year, and Lautato adds numerous wines. Many are displayed throughout the dining room. “I try to keep the wine list exciting. Customers are more wine-savvy, and they like to look at the labels and the year,” he says.

Café 2825 specializes in unusual dishes and preparation. Entrée prices range from $18 to $40 and include two side dishes. Pastas may be ordered as appetizers. There are always three fishes, served whole and filleted at the table. Lautato aims to showcase Mediterranean fishes like Branzino and Orata, and includes Dover Sole as a standard selection.

Other favorites are the involtini, or rolled and stuffed platters. The chef frequently cooks on the bone for maximum flavor. “The bone marrow bleeds into the meat for added taste, but cooking that way does take longer,” says Lautato. Desserts—some homemade and others from New York—are available for $8. These include sorbets, gelatos, Italian cheesecake with ricotta cheese and tiramisu.

The 55-seat dining room is decorated in earth tones. Chairs are dark wood with gold mesh seat cushions. The rich wood of the flooring and the bar complement the paneling and textured faux paint on the walls. Classic artwork in heavy gold frames is accented by soft lighting. Tables are set with all-white linens.

Available for both daytime and evening private functions, Café 2825 accommodates sit-down luncheon or dinner parties up to 60. Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday Reservations are recommended. Major credit cards accepted. Street and lot parking available.

Chef's Corner

Pork Valdostano

Tender pork chop stuffed with spinach, Italian suasage and mozzarella, finished with herb marsala, topped with a medley of mushrooms

Ingredients:

 8 oz. pork chop

3 oz. spinach

2 oz. diced Italian suasage

1 oz. slice of mozzarella

pinch of goat cheese (optional)

flour, egg, seasoned bread crumbs

Marsala Wine Sauce:

 3 oz. Marsala wine

2 oz. veal stock

pinch of whole butter

dab of marinara sauce

pinch of oregano and basil

3 to 4 sliced mushrooms

To Prepare:

Saute diced Italian sausage in a little oil until cooked and set aside. In same pan, saute spinach until wilted; do not overcook.

Flatten pork chop gently until approximately 1/8 inch thick (do not over-tenderize). Place mozzarella slice on the pork chop, then spinach, then sausage. A sprinkle of goat cheese can also be added for extra flavor. Fold the pork chop over and tuck near bone (do not roll, a simple tuck will do). Dip chop in flour, egg and bread crumb until lightly coated. Pan sear chop in oil until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes each side. Finish by baking in 350-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

For Marsala sauce, reduce wine until alcohol is cooked out, add veal stock, a dab of marinara (for color), oregano, basil and butter. Cook a few minutes on high heat. Saute mushrooms in butter in seperate pan, add to sauce. Top chop with mushrooms and sauce and serve.

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

This month Atlantic City unfurls a diverse contact-sports menu.

Boxing, the city’s lifelong staple, surfaces January 5 at Bally’s when Paulie Malignaggi, a swaggering, two-fisted New York super-lightweight, defends his IBF title against Herman Ngoudjo. On January 25, Trump Taj Majal presents a mixed martial arts showcase.

The high-profile marriage between boxing and MMA is an uneasy one. Each represents a different era, but both represent money. Atlantic City now takes its cue from Las Vegas and presents both.

Networks are enhancing the trend. Showtime televises both January events here, and battle-hardened networks that championed boxing in the past now target a younger demographic.

“To me, they remain two different sports with different audiences,” says Gordon Hall, vice president of production and executive producer of Shobox. “Boxing has had a long history with loyal fans. MMA is exactly what it says: jiu-jitsu, karate, multiple sports formed into one. It takes place in a cage and many of the fights can end quickly. You walk into an MMA event and you will see a minimum of 10 fights. Rarely will you see that many on a boxing card.” Mixed martial arts snares young fans. They grow up on the blistering pace of technology with its now-now-now urgency. “I think it’s part of everything you see,” Hall says of MMA’s slam-bang appeal. “Everybody wants instant gratification. Look at the news. If you don’t see what you want on one channel, you've got 300 to choose from... Our concentration levels, our attention spans, have been shortened.”

Boxing generally draws older fans who like 12-round bouts full of drama, turning points and tests of stamina.

Many have forecast the decline of boxing with the rise of mixed martial arts. Others view MMA as a fad. Neither is correct. Showtime, for instance, has a satellite and a premier circuit for both sports. Mixed martial arts falls under ShoXC and Elite XC (standing for extreme combat). Young MMA fighters can work their way up the exposure ladder, just as Shobox: The New Generation provides fighters for its Championship Boxing Series.

One such talent is Malignaggi, who appeared on Shobox before headlining at Bally’s.

“He’s an exciting fighter, even though he has limited power,” Hall says. “He can throw 100 punches a round. He’s cocky, he’s a talker and a bit of an intimidator. Paulie has overcome a lot, particularly with hand injuries, to win a world title. That shows a lot of dedication and perseverance.”

Atlantic City loves bright, polite pugilists. Malignaggi fits, and has become as popular as Arturo Gatti, Micky Ward, Ray Mancini and Bobby Czyz. A significant part of his success is honesty. Malignaggi laughs about failing to knock out opponents, a quality that humanizes him.

Borgata Squeezing Them In

Atlantic City often competes against other jurisdictions to land sporting events. Borgata has a different type of opponent—its own calendar.

“We could bring even more here, but the biggest obstacle is clearing the room,” Borgata President and CEO Larry Mullin says. “There are 180 events in here every year. If the right fight is proposed to us and we can find the room, we’re happy to do it. We’ve found the fighters who have brought fans in.” Borgata, Atlantic City’s 800-pound gaming gorilla, has a unique association with boxing. It has the showroom and financial wherewithal to stage boxing matches.

Borgata hosted HBO’s Boxing After Dark series in mid-November and became the first Marina property to bankroll a midtown major sports event last year, when Bernard Hopkins fought Antonio Tarver.

Borgata helped pioneer the promotional career of Bernard Hopkins. It purchased events to showcase Hopkins and Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya, who helped develop the Latin market here. Hopkins and De La Hoya have become major promotional forces. Hopkins maintains a unique multi-fight contract with Borgata. Unlike many agreements of this type, it has no specific timetable.

Dukes of Hazzard

" The state did me a favor. I feel emancipated,” says former state Athletic Control Board Commissioner Larry Hazzard, who was ousted in ugly fashion last November.

“You’ll see me still around the world of boxing—I just don’t work for the state of New Jersey anymore,” says Hazzard. “Ironically, I’ve received an outpouring of support from people whom I could never agree with on anything in the sport of boxing. Because of the way they handled this, I came out as the winner.”

Several months ago, after 22 years, Hazzard was unceremoniously fired. He was the longest-running commissioner in the nation and seemed bulletproof in the political arena. Although boxing commissioners serve at the pleasure of the governor, effective commissioners are usually left alone. Hazzard believes his troubles began when he documented cases of an HIV-infected fighter who was not suspended, and a mixed martial arts professional facing an amateur. He felt forced to violate the number one rule of government organizations: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Political infighting caused his sudden dismissal.

“They told me to stop documenting,” Hazzard says. “They told me to be quiet, and I refused to be quiet.”

Despite the rancorous scene, Hazzard left a strong imprint on New Jersey boxing. He instituted enhancements like the mouthpiece break, increased medical testing and instant replay. The mouthpiece rule enables referees to pause the action if a fighter’s mouthpiece comes out; a fighter without a mouthpiece can suffer substantial injuries, especially a broken jaw. Increased medical testing includes mandatory CT scans. Instant replay enables a fighter’s camp to protest a substantial call or non-call, like a head butt, knockdown or disputes about whether a fighter beat the count. New Jersey was the first commission in the country to have instant replay.

Hazzard has devoted more than 50 years of his life to boxing. Before becoming an administrator, he was a top-flight referee.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Like gerbils in a Habitrail, many of us have done the same workout for years. I see people walking on the bike path, chatting and possibly enjoying a cup of coffee. I know joggers who have worn grooves in the Boardwalk, all at the same slow pace. I notice folks at the gym who work out on autopilot.

It’s a prescription for the dreaded plateau. If you're exercising 30 to 60 minutes a few times a week but not seeing results, interval training can rebuild you—better, stronger and faster. You can interval-train while you're biking, walking, jogging, swimming or in a group fitness class. You can even incorporate the principles of interval training on the dance floor.

Here’s how it works. After a warmup, increase your exercise intensity until your heart rate is elevated to around 85 percent of your maximum (you'll be breathing hard). Maintain that level for one to two minutes. Then slow down, pant and give your body a few minutes to recover before the next short bout of suffering.

Because your heart rate will be going up and down like a roller coaster, a heart rate monitor is helpful to gauge intensity and ensure adequate recovery. When the accumulated “intense” time totals 10-12 minutes, it’s time for a cool-down.

Tailor these workouts to your ability by adjusting the intensity, length of interval and recovery time. Sessions can be as simple or as creative as your personality. You can alternate a harder-paced jog around the track with a walking lap, or increase and decrease the resistance on a stationary bike. You can vary the incline on a treadmill to include measured periods of uphill walking.

As your body responds with improved cardiovascular efficiency, you’ll be able to exercise harder at your previous heart rate level. The good news is you’ll then burn more calories in the same exercise time without it feeling more difficult. Good deal!

So go ahead and do what you've been doing for years. But once or twice a week, crank it up with interval training. It's a good investment in your fitness, and it feels really good when it's over. Above all, it's for a good cause—your health and fitness.

By Roger Gros   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Three years ago, the Showboat opened a House of Blues outlet, with all the amenities associated with that brand. While the HOB has distinguished Showboat from other casinos, it has only recently begun to work the way Harrah’s executives thought it should. Jay Snowden, general manager of Showboat, came to the property with one mandate: make it work! His role cannot be understated as the HOB begins its first full year under Showboat management. He spoke with Casino Connection Publisher Roger Gros and Managing Editor Marjorie Preston at his office in the Showboat in December. The full version of the interview can be accessed at www.casinoconnectionac.com and click in the Boardwalk Podcast button.

Casino Connection: Let’s start with what you feel are your main accomplishments since you started at Showboat.

Snowden: I was tasked with coming here and “making it work” between Showboat and House of Blues. There have been some definite bumps in the road, given the core demographic at the Showboat over its first 18, 19 years and the House of Blues core customer, but we continue to work on that transition. The guest-service experience has been very successful overall, particularly in the last six to 12 months of making the two brands come together.

When we first heard about House of Blues coming in here, it seemed to be a no-brainer. A lot of day customers would move out, leaving plenty of space in the evening for younger customers. But it didn’t really work that way.

It sounded like a good plan, but not all of our day customers go to bed at 8 p.m., leaving the place empty for a new customer to come through. We’ve had clashes on occasion in terms of customer sets—one that’s more core and original, and one that’s a bit younger. But we’ve done a very good job of meshing these two together. It’s not really a day-part, night-part strategy. House of Blues helps us bring customers into the building who may otherwise never have visited Showboat, so it certainly introduces us to a lot of new business. And the core Showboat customer is very happy overall with all the changes we’ve made.

When House of Blues came in, it was a joint venture arrangement, but now Showboat has taken over the operation of the House of Blues. Explain why that occurred.

The way the original contract was cut, we funded the build-out of the House of Blues expansion, which was in the neighborhood of $65 million. That included the Music Hall, the restaurant downstairs, the Foundation Room, the poker room, the casino renovation and Club Worship, the nightclub. The way the contract worked was that House of Blues essentially operated all those venues on their own, and we ran everything else, even the gaming components of the House of Blues-themed areas, the casino and the poker room. That overall was successful, but not as successful as it could have been.

I negotiated a new deal to make it more successful. Today we have a deal with House of Blues that allows us, for all intents and purposes, to operate all the House of Blues venues and activity that takes place here at the Showboat.

There were some pretty wild acts that came in here, some rap acts and things of that nature. Have you skewed the entertainment philosophy a little bit differently?

I would say from a diversity of offering standpoint, no. House of Blues represents a diversity in offering and we are going to continue to live up to that brand standard. But we had a few along the way that were a little bit more on the extreme side. That’s where we tended to have some customer service issues on occasion. Now that goes beyond hip-hop or rap. We had some with the heavy metal genre, we had some with the comedy genre. So you can find extreme acts within any genre of music or entertainment. That wasn’t real good for the business here, for the overall guest service experience. But as I tell people all the time, 95 percent of what was booked at House of Blues, we’ll still book now. It’s that 5 percent of extreme within these different genres that we’ve carved out to make the guest service experience seamless overall on property.

Are there other expansion projects on the books?

Like any casino, we’ve gone through expansion discussions; we’ve actually gone through design concepts for a lot of things. Down the road there is absolutely going to be great opportunity here to expand. It’s going to be very fun for us to finally have a neighbor on the other side in Revel Entertainment, and we’re very excited about Revel opening up. Taj is building another tower and doing renovation over there. Most importantly, it brings more critical mass down to the north end of the Boardwalk, which will be new for us. Being the last property on the Boardwalk does not have its advantages many times. Having two neighbors will be great, especially with one being a brand new project and the other one being largely renovated. I think it brings a lot more interest and excitement to the north end of the Boardwalk.

One of the things you did when repositioning the House of Blues was to combine the House of Blues and Showboat employee pools. How has that worked out?

I think it’s worked out fantastic. After a merger or acquisition, trying to transition or combine a couple of different cultures is never an easy task, but I think overall it’s gone very well. We spent a lot of time thinking through our plan during the nine, 10, 11 months of negotiation. Again, it’s far from perfect, but I think the overall feeling from the House of Blues side is that they know, number one, that we care about them and care for them; two, that they are an integral piece of the guest service experience here; and three, we are not going to be a success at this property unless both of these cultures come together and resonate.

How do you motivate your long-term employees?

You’ve got to keep life fun. You’ve got to keep things new. You’ve got to introduce new concepts and employee engagement initiatives. We’re still the only gaming company and one of the only companies in the world, period, that shares in the profits with the employees when we’re setting customer service goals.

We have a program called CSA, Customer Service Assurance, and our employees have an opportunity to earn up to $200 a quarter, every quarter of the year, if we are hitting our customer service goals, which are all based on growth of scores over last year for the same quarter. We’ve paid out upwards of $100-plus million in the six or seven years the program has been in place, and upwards of $5-plus million just at this property.

Atlantic City is going through a tough time right now. What’s your view of the short-term future of Atlantic City?

I say to people all the time (and they look at me like my eyes are crooked), “What we’re going through right now will be the best thing that ever happened to Atlantic City.”

I don’t know that Atlantic City would have ever changed if not forced to change. For the first 25 years, these casinos were all gambling machines. That’s all they offered: slot machines, table games and hotel rooms. They never had to really compete with Las Vegas, or chose not to compete with Las Vegas because it’s so far away. What we’re going through now—and it’s painful when your core revenue stream is down between 5 percent and 10 percent, which is the case for all of us—it’s painful. But in three years, when these new projects start to open up and these renovations continue, Atlantic City will be a lot more like Las Vegas than anyone would have ever imagined had we not had the competition open up in neighboring states.

I also remind people all the time that outside the slot business, the trends are phenomenal. We’re seeing great table games growth, great poker growth, great Asian business growth. We’re seeing great non-gaming growth—cash from the hotel and food and beverage.

There are a lot of people in town now because of the new amenities who didn’t come five years ago. They’re spending in different channels. They don’t spend through the slot machines as much as they do through other areas—nightlife, food and beverage, hotel, etc. There are a lot of exciting trends.

Unfortunately, the one big trend that matters the most is not a positive trend. But we’ll get through it. I think you have a lot of exciting entrepreneurial leaders in this market who think about the business model the way it needs to be thought about, people from other markets like Las Vegas who want to help take Atlantic City to the next level. That’s what we’re all committed to doing.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Although it wasn’t required of a statewide referendum approved by the legislature, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley officially signed into law the bill authorizing a statewide vote next year on adding slots to two racetracks and three stand-alone slot parlors in the state.

O’Malley’s ceremonial signing was meant to put an exclamation point on legislation that he crafted and ushered through a special session of the legislature. It authorizes 15,000 slots spread across five locations—4,750 in Anne Arundel County, home of Laurel Park thoroughbred racetrack; 2,500 in Cecil County near the Delaware state line (presumably a stand-alone slot parlor); 2,500 in Worcester County, presumably at Ocean Downs harness track; 3,750 in Baltimore County; and 1,500 in Rocky Gap State Park in western Maryland.

Last month, observers in the media and elsewhere began chiming in with predictions, and all determined that passage of the slot referendum is going to be an uphill battle at best. Polls indicated support for slots is static—it is not likely to grow, and historically, slot questions on statewide ballots have failed more than half of the time. Anti-slot forces are already gathering support from churches and civic groups to fight against the referendum.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

After a year of delays, court challenges and legal wrangling, developer Don Barden broke ground last month on the $450 million Majestic Star slot casino on the banks of the Ohio River in Pittsburgh.

Barden was joined by former Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Jerome Bettis and singer Smokey Robinson as he directed heavy equipment operators to fire up the backhoes with, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” The developer pledged construction of a first-class facility that will be the flagship of Majestic Star LLC, which operates the Majestic Star twin riverboat casinos in Gary, Indiana, the Fitz casinos in Las Vegas and Tunica, and Fitzgeralds in Black Hawk, Colorado.

Barden promised that the new slot casino, holder of the sole casino license in Pittsburgh, will be open by April of 2009.

The groundbreaking—there actually also was a ceremonial shoveling of the first dirt—followed a year of challenges that lasted right up to the week of the event. Lingering questions about the design of the resort’s parking garage led the Pittsburgh Civic Design Association to send an urgent letter to Mayor Luke Ravensthal a few days before the event asking him to postpone the groundbreaking.

Barden was livid at the request, telling reporters he already is spending millions to add a decorative screen to satisfy local officials who were worried about how the parking garage, taller than the casino itself, would affect the view of the city. Barden re-designed the garage, making it lower as well as adding the screen. Another local design and architecture group, the Pittsburgh Riverlife Task Force, succeeded in getting the Pittsburgh Planning Commission to delay a public hearing on those design changes from December 11 to January 15, because the group said the commission had not given the required 21-day public notice of the meeting.

It was the latest flap in a year of controversy, which began shortly after Barden was given the license in a surprise decision by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The project survived challenges to the award from both losing bidders, negotiations with next-door neighbor Carnegie Science Center to solve problems the museum had with the design, and a court challenge by the Steelers and Pirates sports teams over traffic issues.

“It’s been a long, difficult road,” Barden said. “Nevertheless, it’s over now. We’re under construction. To hear the beautiful sound of machines in the background is so lovely.”

Barden said his facility will “rival any in Las Vegas,” with high-end restaurants, elegant décor, a 1,200-seat amphitheater and a boardwalk along the riverfront. The casino is projected to employ more than 1,000, and generate $240 million a year in tax revenue for the state, along with $10 million a year each for the city and the county.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is reducing to expand.

Magna Entertainment, owner of the Hallandale Beach, Florida, thoroughbred racetrack and slot casino, last month announced it will reduce its number of slots from 1,200 to 516 to make room for different games and a different look to the operation. It is the start of a plan to reconfigure the racino’s various levels and completely revamp the game mix, in an effort to reverse the facility’s position from last among the three Broward County parimutuel slot operations.

The slots are being removed from the first floor of the casino area to accommodate the addition of a racing lounge. The first floor will ultimately be split between slots and new facilities to accommodate the core customers of what has been one of the most successful horse tracks in the nation. The state-of-the-art simulcast lounge will be accompanied by three casual restaurant offerings.

Rounding out the first floor will be new games. The game mix will be changed to maximize the potential of the South Florida market—in particular the Class III games that the Seminole tribe, the main competition to the tracks, will likely not add before protracted court battles over its controversial gaming compact with Governor Charlie Crist.

According to Steve Calabro, the longtime Trump marketing executive who was brought on by Magna mainly to turn Gulfstream’s fortunes around, on the slot side, the game mix will be revamped to correct what he says was a glaring hole—not enough of penny and two-cent denomination, multi-line video slots.

In addition to adding hundreds of penny and two-cent games, the racino is adding 170 video poker machines—all with top-returning pay schedules, something the Seminoles can’t match while limited to Class II. Calabro says good video poker should give Gulfstream an added boost through the winter, as snowbirds from the Northeast who are video poker devotees visit South Florida.

“Our casino component will absolutely have the best video poker offering in South Florida, hands down,” Calabro told Global Gaming Business magazine. “We’re going to bring in all the Action games—Triple Play, Five Play, 50 Play, 100 Play—in addition to all the traditional poker games. We will have Spin Poker. We’ll have Super Times Poker, which is the hottest video poker game in the country right now.

“Not only will the selection be the best, but the pay schedules will be what serious video poker players look for. If you play video poker in the Northeast, even if you play in Vegas, you’ll want to play in South Florida at Gulfstream.”

When all the changes are made, the game count, at least for now, will be 825 slot and video poker machines spread across two floors.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

With tuxedoed butlers, crystal chandeliers, cascading fountains and secluded gaming alcoves, the new high-limit salon at Taj Mahal has Old World splendor and European style.

That style comes at a premium, but the Taj willingly invested more than $5 million in the new gaming area, which will provide the ultimate in indulgence to its prized high rollers.

The high-limit room opened in December. It offers roulette, poker, baccarat, mini-baccarat and blackjack at 26 interchangeable tables. Gaming stations can be converted to accommodate player demand.

Taj Mahal General Manager Rosalind Krause calls the new gaming area—which also has its own money cage—“a perfect accompaniment to our new penthouse suites, putting us in a position to truly accommodate the world’s most discriminating travelers.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Many important changes are coming to the Boardwalk this year. Columnist Lisa Johnson of the Boardwalk Business Committee (BBC) will update you on what’s new and what’s planned for the most famous Boardwalk in the world.

“It’s an honor to help elevate the image of the Boardwalk, which is in the midst of some exciting changes,” Johnson says.

Last November, the BBC formed five sub-committees to address issues of safety and cleaning, advocacy, tenant development, and marketing and events for the 138-year-old span. Their main goals are:

• To market the Boardwalk as a destination;
• To bring top-flight entertainment to the Boardwalk;
• To oversee business and tenant development; and
• To address code enforcement and building permit issues.

Those vital jobs have already begun, starting with some essential improvements. In 2008, expect to see facades along major sections of the Boardwalk upgraded. Tom Meehan of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) says façade improvements should be completed by spring in the 3000 block between Morris and Chelsea avenues; the 2600 block between California and Texas avenues; and the 1400 block, from the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum to St. James Place. And that’s just for starters.

Maureen Siman, vice president of marketing for the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, recently announced that the ACCVA has produced a podcast walking tour of the Boardwalk, perfect for residents or visitors. It is downloadable at atlanticcitynj.com and iTunes starting this month.

Every improvement, large or small, will bring the Boardwalk one step closer to being a more vibrant and exciting destination. The ultimate goal is to make the Boardwalk of the future what it has been in the past: a thing of beauty, a center of entertainment, and a hub of community life.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has further established itself as a partner to the region's main industry by acknowledging the first three casino executives to complete a unique management program.

The Stockton Institute for Gaming Management (SIGMA), founded two years ago, is a joint project of the college and Spectrum Gaming Group, with curriculum created by educators and professionals from the Atlantic City casino industry.

The first three certificates were awarded by Dr. Herman Saatkamp, president of Stockton; Dr. Israel Posner, executive director of SIGMA; and Dr. Lewis Leitner, director of SIGMA, at the institute's headquarters in the Carnegie Library Center.

Receiving certificates were Jennie C. Ayres, Borgata training manager; Frank Fitzpatrick, Trump Plaza security director; and Redenia Gilliam-Mosee, had been in charge of community relations at Bally's for 29 years.

Saatkamp also used the occasion to present a special award from Stockton to Trump Entertainment CEO Mark Juliano in recognition of his continuing support of the college. Juliano has hosted two of the school's annual fundraising dinners. This year's fundraising gala was kicked off the same week as the SIGMA event. Stockton officials held a reception at the Pool at Harrah's to officially launch Stockton's 28th Annual Scholarship Benefit Gala.

This year's event, to be held Saturday, April 12 at Caesars Atlantic City, is chaired by Harrah's Eastern Region President Carlos Tolosa, with entertainment by comedian and game show host Howie Mandel.

Several Stockton scholarship recipients were on hand as Saatkamp announced a goal of $750,000 to be raised at this year's gala. Dr. James Yoh, benefit chairman and vice chair of Stockton's board of trustees, took the first step toward that goal by presenting Saatkamp with his personal contribution of $50,000.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Race fans, mark your calendars for Friday, January 18. That’s when NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. comes to the Tropicana to meet his fans and preside over some great giveaways.

The excitement revs up from 2 to 8 p.m. with hourly drawings for signed memorabilia and cash prizes on the casino floor. Then Truex drops by in person to meet fans and sign autographs from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Twenty lucky winners will be chosen to attend a private meet-and-mingle cocktail party with Truex at the Top of the Trop from 9:15 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

At 9 p.m., Truex will announce the winner of a Chevy Impala SS (the drawing is open to all Diamond Club members). Entries are based on slot and table game play on the day of the drawing.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Chef Mark Borowski of the Trump Taj Mahal won a gold medal for his presentation of a lobster entrée at the 139th American Chefs Federation’s annual salon, held last November in New York.

Borowski’s lobster and salmon Galantine with Myers lemon sauce was chosen by gourmet and executive chefs, food industry professionals, former gold medal winners and members of the Culinary Olympics team. He worked with Chef Carl Collucci of Finestra to create the dish.

A resident of Vineland, Borowski started his career in 1985 as a food runner at the Hilton (later Trump Castle). He worked his way up to gourmet chef at Delfino’s French restaurant, then came to Trump Taj Mahal in 2000. He is now culinary operations chef.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Facing new competition, the Water Club promises to pamper A fire last fall postponed by several months the grand opening of the 43-story Water Club at Borgata. If VP and General Manager Drew Schlesinger was concerned, he never let it show.

At a November meeting of the Atlantic City PR Council, Schlesinger dismissed the blaze as “a small setback,” though it will enable Harrah’s new 45-story hotel tower to debut first. (The first eight floors of the 941-room tower at Harrah’s will open by March 1; a similar 800-room hotel expansion at Trump Taj Mahal will open on Labor Day.)

All three properties will be vying for the same customers: those in search of premium pampering, and the kind of luxury once reserved for the rich.

At the Water Club, a $400 million hotel now scheduled to open by summer, Schlesinger promised a “Four- or five-diamond experience” with lavish amenities: ayurvedic spa treatments, 400-thread-count Egyptian sheets, an unnamed celebrity chef, and a 25-meter infinity lap pool overlooking the water. Even the pillow covers are deluxe, made of linen with jade buttons.

“There’s a saying in the Waldforf-Astoria kitchen: ‘The difficult we do now. The impossible takes a little longer.’ I take that to heart,” said Schlesinger, former GM at upscale hotels in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

“‘No’ is not an option at the Water Club,” he added. “If you bring your pet, I will take care of your pet. If we don’t have something you need, I will get it within 24 hours.”

On arrival, guests will be greeted with complementary champagne, wine or a signature beverage delivered by a Water Club “ambassador.” There’s 24/7 room service, twice-daily turndowns, and glass-enclosed Italian marble showers big enough for two. Rooms will include Sony 40-inch flat panel TVs and iHome stereo systems, complete with iPod docking stations.

Immersion, the Water Club’s two-story “spa in the sky,” will feature five heated pools and one of the largest Jacuzzis in North America. The meeting facilities should be equally impressive, with glass-enclosed boardrooms and technology “straight out of the Jetsons,” Schlesinger said.

An adjoining retail mall will feature brands like La Perla, Cavalli, Cameo, Hearts of Fire and Hugo Boss.

When finished, the Water Club will bring the total investment in Atlantic City by Boyd Gaming and partner MGM Mirage to $1.7 billion.

Though Schlesinger referred to Borgata as “the mother ship,” he emphasized that the Water Club is a cosmopolitan hotel and a destination unto itself.

“Obviously, Borgata is the entity that brought Atlantic City to a new level, bringing in $10 billion in new development,” Schlesinger said. “I see Vegas as competition (for the Water Club). I see some hotels in New York and Philadelphia as competition.” But the Water Club, he said, will “knock your socks off.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Last month, for only the second time in its history, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission refused to re-license an operating casino. The repercussions of that ruling—which stunned the operators, the industry, and even the Division of Gaming Enforcement—will doubtless be felt in the city and in the industry for years to come.

On December 12, in a hearing room packed with media and members of UNITE-HERE Local 54, the casino workers’ union, the commissioners voted 4-1 to deny a gaming license to the Tropicana Casino and Resort, citing “abysmal” regulatory performance and the failure of parent Columbia Sussex to install an independent auditing committee during its first six months of operation. For that violation, the commission levied a fine of $750,000, the largest in New Jersey gaming history.

The rulings met with gasps from onlookers, and went above and beyond the recommendations of the DGE, which had suggested a one-year conditional license for the embattled casino. The commission later named retired Supreme Court Justice Gary S. Stein to dual roles as trustee and conservator of the Tropicana pending a sale of the property. According to a statement issued by the casino, a sale must be completed within 120 days.

Columbia Sussex CEO William Yung III owns some 80 hotels and casinos in about 30 states. When the company acquired the Tropicana, beating out other bidders including Pinnacle, he called the ambitious buy “a breakthrough… which will significantly enhance our gaming assets in key growth markets.”

But from the start, analysts were doubtful about the hotelier’s ability to compete as a casino operator in major markets like Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The Tropicana resorts were by far the largest gaming operations he had ever taken on; the Atlantic City property eventually accounted for almost half of Columbia’s revenue.

Then Yung came to Atlantic City and, with the reported goal of saving up to $40 million, instituted massive layoffs at the Tropicana, cutting staff by about a fourth (approximately 900 jobs). It was those layoffs, said the union, that led to poor service and unsanitary conditions at the casino hotel, much of it documented in Tropicana’s own customer complaint files. The conditions not only undermined the Trop’s ability to compete with other Atlantic City casinos, but put the operator dangerously afoul of state regulators.

When the license was denied, Commission Chairwoman Linda Kassekert blasted Yung for “slashing staff in pursuit of profit.” According to testimony, the Tropicana was left with just one locksmith for a property that includes more than 2,100 hotel rooms.

She then slammed the CEO for establishing an internal audit team that included his own attorney, and called for the record-breaking fine, which astounded those in the hearing room.

Columbia Sussex is now scrambling to reconfigure its portfolio. It has announced plans to sell off its Evansville, Indiana casino, and has already found a buyer for its Mississippi riverboat casino.

As suitors for the Atlantic City property line up, the Tropicana remains open, seemingly with new energy and anticipation. On December 13, Justice Stein and Kassekert joined Tropicana President Mark Giannantonio at a press conference on the casino floor.

When Giannantonio was asked about morale among his employees, he turned to workers assembled nearby and asked how they felt. The workers erupted in cheers. One shouted to the commissioner, “Thank you, Linda!”

"Yes, we're open,” Giannantonio told the crowd. “Yes, we're vibrant. Yes, our employees are ready to serve." But he was circumspect about plans to rehire some of the laid-off workers, many of whom are not union members. He indicated that rehiring might happen if business picks up at the casino, which experienced double-digit revenue losses last year. He also said the casino hotel will launch a marketing campaign to boost Tropicana’s public image.

Bill Lerner, gaming analyst for Deutsche Bank, predicts the commission’s hard line with Columbia Sussex should not discourage future investors.

"This tells the investment community—private equity especially—that a strategy of buying a gaming asset as a pure investment in New Jersey won't fly, as evidenced by the job cuts and under-investment attempted by Columbia Sussex,” Lerner says. “At the same time, I'm doubtful this decision will discourage any interested party from investing in Atlantic City.” The Columbia Sussex group cannot by law profit from the upcoming sale of the Atlantic City casino hotel, which has been valued by some industry analysts at about $1 billion.

State guidelines mandate that the Kentucky-based company cannot get more for the property than the current market value or the actual cost, whichever is less. Any profit will be funneled into the Casino Revenue Fund, which funds programs for older and disabled New Jersey residents.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Living and working in Atlantic City, it’s easy to see all the exciting developments here. It’s up to the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority to make sure the whole country knows.

Our media relations team gets the word out by inviting writers and journalists to visit, enjoy the city’s attractions, and (hopefully) write positive articles about Atlantic City.

As a result of a visit by Sherman’s Travel Online, Atlantic City was featured as one of the “Top 10 Gambling Getaways” along with Aruba, Goa, Las Vegas, Macau, Mississippi Gulf Coast, Monte Carlo, Nassau and Paradise Island, Niagara Falls and Sun City.

Media relations recently hosted writers from AAA magazine, Richmond Magazine, the Daily Candy website and Charlotte Magazine. Separate itineraries were organized for each writer, including accommodations and entertainment based on the focus of their stories.

But individual visits aren’t the only way we bring in writers. We also host familiarization tours, or FAMs as we call them, usually centering on a big concert or event at Boardwalk Hall. FAMs are not possible without the full cooperation of the casinos and other marketing partners who help us provide hotel rooms, food and beverages, and an exciting itinerary for our visitors.

For example, when The Police brought their reunion tour to Boardwalk Hall, the Authority organized a FAM around the concert. Members of the media included Rolling Stone, Men's Health, Men’s Journal, Billboard.com, ShermansTravel.com, Metro Philadelphia, a morning show host from Big 100.3 in the Washington D.C. area, the New York Daily News, New York Magazine Online, and the Washington Times.

Many of the media mentioned above are contacted through Lou Hammond and Associates (LHA), our public relations agency in New York City. LHA works hand-in-hand with the media relations team to attract members of the media and then host them while they’re in town.

Of course, all media can’t make it into Atlantic City, so we take Atlantic City to them. I just took a Canadian media tour that was meticulously arranged through LHA. We visited Montreal and Toronto for what we call “deskside” appointments, where I actually go to the media outlet’s headquarters and sit down with a writer or editor.

In Montreal, I had appointments with 24 Heures, enRoute and the Montreal Gazette. Toronto deskside appointments included the Toronto Sun and National Post. In Toronto we also hosted a luncheon to meet with the Canadian Travel Press, Travel Courier, Canadian Traveller, TravelHotNews.com, Globe and Mail, Hello!, Maximum Fitness, The Travel Society, WeddingBells, Weddings and Honeymoons and Groom Magazine.

The writers and editors we met were impressed by the recent additions and developments in Atlantic City. Many have already published articles on Atlantic City or are in the process of doing so, like the Canadian Travel Press and the Travel Courier. Many made it a point to mention a recent Associated Press article that focused on the proposed new casino projects.

Another way we take Atlantic City on the road is through an annual media luncheon in New York City. Last year’s event took place at Buddakan restaurant and included representatives from Newsweek, Time, Town & Country, the New York Daily News, Forbestraveler.com, Elle, Newsday, People, the New York Post, Cigar Aficionado, OK! Magazine and others. Many of these outlets followed up with trips to Atlantic City and later, articles. In fact, Erik Hastings, host of WABC-AM’s The Travel Show with Erik Hastings, came to Atlantic City for a FAM centered on the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championships. He broadcast his radio show live from Tropicana.

The above is just a fraction of what our media relations team does to promote Atlantic City. The team also helps promote trade shows and conventions at the Atlantic City Convention Center, along with activities and events throughout the area.

Our efforts have not gone unnoticed. The publicity for the 2006 Atlantic City Airshow won a Platinum Award from the International MarCom Creative Awards. We also won a prestigious Silver Adrian Award for the placement of a feature about Atlantic City in Out Magazine.

The “Atlantic City: Always Turned On” promotional video has racked up an impressive amount of trophies from MarCom, the Jersey Shore Public Relations & Advertising Association, the League of American Communications Professionals and the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. In the international Ava Awards 2007 competition, we won for both the video and the music in that promotion.

Our marketing partners go out of their way to host media professionals with accommodations, meals and entertainment. We know they understand the value of providing positive experiences for the media, who will take their impressions of Atlantic City into the wider world. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

Mark Twain once said that reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. The same might be said about New Jersey’s gaming industry. It is true that 2007 was the first in our industry’s 29-year history in which casino revenues did not increase. Whether you attribute that to slot machine competition from Pennsylvania and New York, higher gas prices, the partial smoking ban or some combination of all of the above, you may conclude that the prognosis is grim.

But CANJ believes that the future is very bright for Atlantic City. Atlantic City is in the midst of a transformation, from a predominantly day-trip market to an overnight destination resort. The improved offerings include celebrity chef restaurants, high-energy nightlife, upscale retail, first-rate headline entertainment, luxurious spas and a significant addition of first class hotel rooms. Together, these new offerings will attract a different level of customer who stays longer and spends more. This is, of course, a welcome evolution.

And while slot revenues were down in 2007, other significant segments of our business were up—notably table games, which had been in decline for years.

Atlantic City also made strides in increasing its non-gaming revenues, which bodes well in terms of diversifying our businesses. Competition has prompted our New Jersey casino operators to look within to improve our products. This will allow us to compete more effectively, and will ultimately lead to a stronger and more vibrant industry.

Perhaps the most positive news in 2007 was the announced new projects by Revel (which has started construction), Pinnacle (which imploded the Sands to make way for its planned Boardwalk resort) and MGM Mirage (which recently announced plans for its destination resort in the Marina District). This trinity has announced approximately $10 billion of collective capital investment. The result of this incredible investment will be three state-of-the-art, fully integrated destination resorts. These developments underscore the incredible potential in Atlantic City as it continues its evolution.

This potential is also likely to translate into other casino sites (such as Bader Field) that could support more investment worth billions. This cycle, where success begets additional investment and further success, is a positive development and is reminiscent of the incredible winning streak that Las Vegas has enjoyed for the last generation.

These new market entrees will be welcome additions to Atlantic City. They will grow our market by attracting new customers interested in upscale experiences. The new overnight customers comprise a business segment that generates significantly more revenue than day-trip business.

The existing casinos will respond to these new operators by expanding and improving upon each of their current offerings, which will help retain existing customers, attract new customers and, yes, win back customers who might be trying out our competitors in Pennsylvania and New York.

Atlantic City’s bright future is no accident. This is the only gaming destination in the East that enjoys a stable, fair tax rate, which Wall Street favors. That’s led to a concentration of capital investment, all in one location, that no other state on the Eastern seaboard could hope to match. Greater capital investment allows for development of destination-type resorts that attract customers from surrounding areas.

On the other hand, in competitive states such as Pennsylvania and New York, gaming is proliferating under a different model— namely, high taxes and a limited number of licenses. This system spawns one-dimensional slot parlor casinos sprinkled at various locations throughout those states.

It also permits the Atlantic City experience to differentiate itself. Will the competitors from New York and Pennsylvania be able to compete with us on a convenience basis? Yes. Will they be able to compete with us as destination resorts? No.

There are 30 million adults within a tankful of gas who are our potential customers. We’ve only scratched the surface of this populace, which is interested in an upscale, full-destination resort experience. That’s where the growth potential for Atlantic City lies.

Looking back at 2007, CANJ believes the proverbial glass is much more than half full, and soon will be overflowing. All we need to do is to keep doing what we’re doing to make it through the bumps in the road. There is much to look forward to in 2008 and for years to come.

Our prescription? Break out the sunglasses. The future looks awfully bright.

Wed, Jan 02, 2008

It’s the beginning of a new year and we’re all a little concerned about the near-term future of the Atlantic City gaming industry. A few days into the new year, we’ll hear about the first-ever decline in casino revenues year-over-year for Atlantic City. This will put an end to what is probably the most incredible winning streak ever seen in the gaming industry.

For 30 years, gross gaming revenue has topped the previous year (and once again, gross gaming revenue is the money won at the table games and the slot machines before any expenses are subtracted—rent, salaries, insurance, capital expenditures and many more items). But because of a variety of reasons—the smoking ban, competition from surrounding states, a downturn in the economy, among others—that wasn’t in the cards in 2007.

In our Q&A this month, we speak with Jay Snowden, the vice president and general manager of Showboat. He made a comment that I think is very true, when I asked him about this revenue decrease. He said, “It’s probably the best thing ever to happen to Atlantic City.”

I agree with him wholeheartedly. As Jay explained, Atlantic City has been doing the same things over and over again for the past 30 years. While the Borgata, Caesars, Showboat, the Tropicana and other casinos have begun doing things differently, there has been too much reliance on the tried-and-true. Giveaway programs like comps, cashback, instant jackpots and bonusing will probably never go away, but Atlantic City needs to get smarter in marketing.

Although Pennsylvania has slot parlors (and soon enough, full-blown casinos with table games), although New York has slots at racetracks (and soon, huge Indian casinos within driving distance of Manhattan), although Delaware will soon have a form of sports betting (shame once again on New Jersey politicians who refused to let the public have its say on that issue), Atlantic City has much more.

Let’s start with a critical mass of gaming that may never be duplicated again in the United States. With 11 casinos now, within five years the city should be home to at least 13 full-scale casino resorts. Players like the option of moving from one casino to another without having to get into the car. If you feel unlucky in one joint, just go next door.

And then let’s talk about the amenities that Pennsylvania, New York or Delaware will never have: shopping from high-end retailers and outlets to gourmet restaurants, superstar entertainment, suites that attract the highest of high rollers, a world-class arena, a Boardwalk that shows signs of revival, and much more. And let’s not forget, we’ve got a beach and the ocean. No other casino resorts in the Northeast can boast this combination.

Now let’s talk about what we need to compete with the more convenient slot parlors in the region. First and foremost is a larger marketing budget to tell potential customers what Atlantic City is all about. This should come through the ACCVA and be partially funded by the state, which receives hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes each year from the casinos—not to mention increased visitation because of the casinos.

We need a better way to get people to Atlantic City. When they get here, we need a better way to get them around town.

We need to clean up Pacific Avenue and spread the excitement across the city.

We need a government that works for the good of Atlantic City, not just the good of the public officials and their special interests. And we need a commitment from all parties that demonstrates the importance of Atlantic City to the South Jersey region and the economy of the entire state.

In short, we need to do things differently to reverse the trend we saw in 2007. We need a positive attitude that conveys the confidence we all feel about the future of Atlantic City.

So let’s not dwell on the past. It’s a new year and we at Casino Connection hope it’s a happy, healthy and prosperous one for all the residents of our region.

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   Fri, Jan 22, 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   Fri, Sep 11, 2009

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