The Making of Boardwalk Empire premieres Monday, Aug. 23, on HBO.

Aside from the premiere of the first season of Boardwalk Empire (yes, we said first season because from what we’ve seen, it’s going to be a tremendous success) set for Sunday, Sept. 19, at 9pm on HBO, Atlantic City Weekly has learned that the cable station will also be running a couple of programs related to the new series, based on local judge Nelson Johnson’s book.

According to a spokesperson for HBO, Making Boardwalk Empire will premiere on Aug. 23 at 8:45pm.

And then on Sept. 16 at 9pm,  Atlantic City: The Original Sin City will premiere. This will be a documentary on the city itself. Word has it that several Atlantic City historians — including Atlantic City Weekly columnist (”Waltz Through Time“) Jim Waltzer — have been interviewed over the past few weeks for the program. To read Waltzer’s columns on our Web site, type in the words “Waltz Through Time” in the search bar and you’ll get a list of Waltzer’s articles. (And for all you Atlantic City history buffs out there, look for new “Waltz Through Time” columns starting up in our paper and online soon. Jim Waltzer and Tom Wilk will both be contributing to the column.)

Click here to watch the trailer for the Making Boardwalk Empire show.

Meanwhile, Harrah’s Entertainment has a really cool Web site for its contest, in conjunction with HBO and Boardwalk Empire, for a chance to win access to a Caesars suite for a year (three days a month) and other prizes.

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s lawyer appeared in a Seaside Heights courtroom on her behalf Wednesday to enter a not guilty plea for her disorderly persons arrest last month.

Snooki, a star of The Jersey Shore was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and creating a public nuisance, just a day after the show’s second season premiered, but was released a few hours later.

Prosecutors say Polizzi will also face an additional charge of annoying beachgoers.

(Just a note. If “annoying” beachgoers is a crime, sea gulls, as a species, are perpetual felons.)

Jersey Shore is now airing its second season, which was filmed in Miami. Taping of a third season is currently underway back in Seaside.

Snooki’s trial will begin September 8.

And considering how well her mug shot went over the last time we posted it, we had to show it again. Enjoy.

Manilow and Slater (from usmagazine.com)

The former Jet Blue flight attendant who has been in the news since quitting his job prior to an Aug. 9 flight met Barry Manilow after the singer’s Aug. 14 appearance in Atlantic City and got this pic taken with him.

Read more here.

The Ronson Clan

There was some Twilight action at The Borgata this weekend as actor Kellan Lutz tried his hand at some DJ-ing. Meanwhile, real DJ Samantha Ronson made one of her regular appearances at Mixx, and turned the whole evening into a family affair. And on top of that, Black Eyed Peas members could be seen cavorting all over the property. (The group played Boardwalk Hall Sat.).

Here’s a rundown on a busy celeb weekend from Borgata:

DJ Samantha Ronson celebrated her 33rd birthday with twin-sister and designer Charlotte Ronson Sat. The duo was joined by their family — including mom, writer-socialite Ann Dexter-Jones, and step-dad, Mick Jones of the band Foreigner —  for dinner at Izakaya, where Chef/Partner Michael Schulson prepared a special menu for the group.

After dinner, the party headed over to MIXX nightclub where the sisters’ brother and music-producer Mark Ronson performed a very rare DJ set for the packed-house including Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz. The party marked an epic night for the family, who rarely finds themselves on the same coast, as Sam and Mark hit the turn tables together playing a mix of Ronson hits including his new single “Bang Bang Bang” featuring rapper Q-Tip.

Lutz and Knowles

Kellan Lutz – who seemed to have picked up a few DJ tips from good-friend Sam – hosted a party at SUNBAR Poolside at The Water Club on Sunday night where he was spotted giving the turntables a whirl with RocNation DJ Solange Knowles. Lutz enjoyed a boys night out with dinner at Bobby Flay Steak before heading over to SUNBAR where he was greeted by a swarm of ecstatic female fans. Continuing the night with Borgata’s Social Sundays, Lutz and his entourage returned to MIXX nightclub and partied with the Shore crowd until the early morning hours before retiring to his suite at The Water Club.

Also in-house this weekend were members of the Black Eyed Peas including Fergie, Will.I.Am and Taboo who enjoyed private suites at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. In town for their sold-out show at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Borgata was host to Will.I.Am’s video-contest in search of his own private mixologist.  The crew was spotted filming in MIXX Nightclub during the Ronson birthday bash on Saturday night.

In an interview with the New York Daily News. Michael Lombardo, HBO’s programming president, says that officials at the cable giant feel “strongly” about the soon-to-debut Boardwalk Empire HBO series, which is based on the book by Atlantic County judge Nelson Johnson and which premieres on HBO Sunday, Sept. 19, at 9pm EST.

“We didn’t want to hold it,” Lombardo tells the paper of the series, which gives a close account of Atlantic City in the 1920s and the Prohibition era. “This is a show we felt strongly about and we think it will resonate even in the fall.”

The article, published today, also includes an interview with director Martin Scorsese, who directed the pilot and is one of the show’s executive producers. Scorsese says he would “love” to direct more episodes of Boardwalk Empire — are we talking second season already? — if his busy schedule allows.

He also tells the Daily News why he thinks Prohibition benefited the criminal element.

“It allowed crime figures at the time, Luciano and Capone and Rothstein, to organize to become more powerful,” Scorsese tells the Daily News, “something that pulled all the way through until the 1970s.”

Having watched the first episode, all we can say is that although some of the names have been changed in the cable TV series from the non-fiction book, you’ll hear all of the names mentioned by Scorsese above in the series. Meanwhile, the main character of the series, Enoch Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi (pictured above in the series’ first episode) is based on Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the one-time main man of Atlantic City during its early 20th century heyday.

Read the entire story and interview with Scorsese here.

Reports are that the Jersey Shore cast, who are filming season three in Seaside Heights right now, are so recognizable, they’re having trouble moving around without attracting crowds of fans.

Snooki de-poofed

And yet, that doesn’t seem to have slowed them down at all.

It’s pretty common knowledge that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was arrested Friday in Seaside for disorderly conduct.

According to the New York Daily News, Snooki gave the Seaside cops hell, cursing and screaming the whole way.

“Do you know who I am? I’m f-ing Snooki! You guys are going to be sorry for this — release me!”

The police did eventually release her that evening. And now they’ve released this delightful mug shot of her.

We can’t help but notice that Snooki’s hair “poof” definitely seems to have been affected by the ordeal.

UPDATE: READ MORE HERE.

According to a late-afternoon Star-Ledger report, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is slated to do something tomorrow, Wed., July 21, that is unprecedented.

He’s going to officially, to quote the report, announce the state’s “complete takeover” of Atlantic City. From “police protection to garbage pickup.”

According to the Star-Ledger report, Christie will “announce plans for an unprecedented overhaul of New Jersey’s troubled gaming industry … including a complete takeover of the Atlantic City casino and entertainment district …”

Read more on this topic on the acweekly.com home page.

Texas bluesman Guitar Shorty may be coming back to the area

Atlantic City Weekly has learned that Tony Mart’s Presents will be putting on a Mardi Gras themed Monday night concert series on the Atlantic City Boardwalk starting Aug. 2.

According to Carmen Morotta, of Tony Mart’s Presents, the Aug. 2 kick-off concert — all the shows will be held at Kennedy Plaza — will feature none other than the legendary classic rock band New Riders of the Purple Sage. Other acts from New Orleans, including Cyril Neville and Johnny Sansone, as well as Bonerama and George Porter Jr. & the Running Partners, are slated to appear during the series as well.

The concerts will be free and will take place from 6:30-10pm with each night featuring one to two acts. Dancing will be encouraged.

Another act that may perform in the series is Guitar Shorty, the legendary bluesman who  appeared at the Somers Point beach concert series not too long ago. Other possibilities are John Lee Hooker Jr. and Roomful of Blues.

In addition to the Monday dates in August, the Tony Mart’s Presents Mardi Gras at the Shore series will include concerts on Tuesday, Aug. 24, and right after the Atlantic City Air Show on Wednesday, Aug. 25. Additionally, there will be a finale concert on Sunday, Sept. 5, which is Labor Day weekend.

Look inside this week’s issue for updates.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Look for an extended interview with Delaware’s favorite guitar-slinging blues rocker George Thorogood in this week’s issue of Atlantic City Weekly.

But for all the Bob Dylan fans out there — and we know you’re out there, waiting for word that his Bobness will be touring the East Coast at some point this year — we thought we should share this little nugget from AC Weekly associate editor Ray Schweibert’s interview with Thorogood in advance of his House of Blues show in Atlantic City July 23. Here’s the excerpt.

I’ve read some favorable reviews of The Dirty Dozen online. Are you and the band pleased with the final product?
Pleased. Surprised. Astonished. It includes six of our songs that I wouldn’t call classics or among our higher-profile songs, but ones that our more-or-less diehard fans would recognize, plus six new cuts. We’re still pumping them out and selling them at the shows every night. We did a show with Bob Dylan in Los Angeles and we gave him a copy, and he seemed really quite touched by it.

And for all you Thorogood fans out there, check out this interview with Bo Diddley, conducted a couple years before the blues legend passed away in June 2008.

Model and actress Molly Sims was in town Sunday to showcase her jewelry collection —  Grayce by Molly Sims — in an exclusive trunk show at Fixation Shoes & Accessories inside The Shoppes at The Water Club.

Here’s the rundown from Borgata:

Grayce by Molly Sims

Sims was in-store dishing advice on wearing and styling the jewelry, while signing autographs for fans after spending the morning hours enjoying the summer weather in a private cabana poolside at The Water Club.

Later that evening, Sims dined with a group of girlfriends at Izakaya, splurging on Chef Michael Schulson’s Tempura Lobster Lettuce Cups and King Crab Tacos before heading to Sunbar to enjoy music by Jesse Marco for Social Sundays at Borgata.

Sims hits the Borgata nightlife