Pictured left to right are Nancy Kot, Drew Kot, Mayor Lorenzo Langford, Councilman Marty Small, Councilman Frank Gilliam and Councilman William "Speedy" Marsh

On Tuesday afternoon, June 8, Trump Taj Mahal designated Pennsylvania Avenue, between Pacific Avenue and the Boardwalk, as Ray Kot Place.

The dedication ceremony was attended by Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, Councilman William “Speedy” Marsh, Councilman Marty Small, Councilman Frank Gilliam, Taj Mahal General Manager Rosalind Krause, Trump Entertainment Resorts CEO Mark Juliano, and Ray Kot’s wife and son, Nancy and Drew Kot.
The City of Atlantic City announced it would designate Pennsylvania Avenue, between Pacific Avenue and the Boardwalk, as Ray Kot Place during the Ray Kot

Trump Taj Mahal general manager Rosalind Krause speaks during the Ray Kot Place dedication

Memorial Park dedication ceremony held in October 2009. The memorial park is located on Pacific Avenue, between Pennsylvania and Virginia avenues and adjacent to the grand entrance of the Taj. It honors the longtime Taj shift manager who worked hard for everything he achieved in his 57 years before being slain by a deranged gunman, Mark Magee of Norristown, Pa., in May 2009. Ironically, the day before Ray Kot Place was unveiled Tuesday, Magee pled guilty to the crime in a court of law and faces a minimum of 30 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Ray Kot’s fondest dream was that his son Drew would have the opportunity to pursue his life’s goals through a college education. If you would like to contribute to his education, please send donations to:

Trump Taj Mahal Ray Kot Memorial Fund to benefit Drew Kot
c/o TD Bank
15 N. Pennsylvania Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Attention: Tara Hill

Photo from rothgoldsteins.com

Maxwell “Sonny” Goldberg (pictured left) passed away Monday, May 10, in Philadelphia at the age of 83.
Goldberg was a key player in the growth of the Atlantic City casino industry, having co-owned with business partner Milton Neustadter the Howard Johnson’s Hotel. The Howard Johnson’s Hotel for several years served as home to the annual March of Dimes Telethon, and in 1978 would later become Caesars Boardwalk Regency (now Caesars Atlantic City), A.C.’s second casino-hotel. Goldberg is also the former owner of the Steel Pier. He was born and raised in Atlantic City, graduated from Atlantic City High School, and is a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served as a flight engineer. (more…)

The Simon & Garfunkel performance originally scheduled for Friday, May 21, in the Mark G. Etess Arena at Trump Taj Mahal has been rescheduled to Saturday, July 31. Tickets for the May 21 show will be honored on July 31.

The tour date has been postponed due to a vocal strain recently sustained by Art Garfunkel. In an effort to provide the highest quality performance for their audience, the duo decided it would be best to move the scheduled concert dates. The dates have been rescheduled to allow for an adequate period of rest and rehabilitation, after which Garfunkel is expected to make a complete recovery.

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly

This week Donald Trump won in court the opportunity to bring the three Trump properties that bear his name back from bankruptcy … again. He convinced the court that his name was more important to reviving the economic fortunes than the name of Carl Icahn, who was defeated in his takeover bid. Since Icahn already owns the Tropicana, both business superstars have a major stake in the Atlantic City market.

Despite all the bad news about the economy in general and the Atlantic City market in particular, there is a glimmer of hope. In the latest report on gross revenues from the casinos, the loss percentage was only 5.6 compared to March of 2009. That might not sound great, but the loss figures had been in double digits the previous few months, so it is an improvement.

I’m no economist, but it feels like the economy is improving very slowly. My 401K is back on the rise again, which is my only concrete indicator. Of course if I watched Fox news all the time I’d be bombarded with all the garbage about the Obamacrats tax-and-spending us back to the Stone Age.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal on-line, the economy is starting to show signs of improvement. The Federal Reserve reported that overall economic activity rose in 11 of its 12 districts between February’s end and April 5. The report also said that across much of the country, manufacturing activity, retail sales and tourism spending rose while consumers appeared more confident.

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In the end, it was the value of his name that allowed Donald Trump and his bondholders to retain control of the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Marina and Trump Plaza after Carl Icahn tried a takeover bid. The decision in bankruptcy court was announced April 12, as reported in the N.Y. Times.

“The Trump brand is worth millions of dollars to the debtors,” the bankruptcy judge, Judith Wizmur, said in her ruling. “The debtors’ identification with the Trump Organization raises its profile in the gaming industry.”

Trump’s plan will allow the three casinos to reduce their debt and provide money for improvements to the Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza.

Also on tap, negotiations for the sale of the Trump Marina, which were put on hold, are back in play. Richard Fields, chairman of the New York gaming group Coastal Marina LLC, which had planned to buy the property and turn it into a Margaritaville casino, still wants to close the deal, at a reduced rate of $75 million.

Happy Birthday Taj.

Donald Trump’s signature property turns 20 today. Go here for the story.

Click Here for Video – Ray Kot Poker Open at Taj Mahal

Sonia (left) and Janet Wan, nieces of Ray Kot. Photo by Christine Steiner

The First Annual Ray Kot Poker Open Tournament took place at the Trump Taj Mahal from January 18 to 24 in Memory of Ray Kot, a long time Taj Mahal employee. Donations will benefit the Ray Kot Memorial Fund. Go to TrumpTaj.com to make a donation. The grand prize is an all expense paid trip to the 2010 “Big Game” on Sund…ay, February 7 in Miami Florida (or cash equivalent), which includes airfare, two nights deluxe hotel accommodations, food credit of $250 per day and two tickets to the “Big Game,” played at Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Florida on Sunday, February 7, 2010.
Video by Lew Steiner.

Teddy Pendergrass

R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass, who died Wednesday at the age of 59, will always hold a special place in Atlantic City history. The Philadelphia native chose the resort (or as he said at the time, “Atlantic City chose me”) to host his first full concerts since the 1982 car accident that left him paralyzed and dimmed his amazing career (his heroic performance at Live Aid in Philadelphia in 1985 had been his first appearance on stage after the accident). Pendergrass performed two sold out shows at the Xanadu Theater at the Trump Taj Mahal on Memorial Day weekend in 2001. He would perform again in the city that year and in 2002 and was often seen in the audience of other R&B artists playing the resort through the years. Read more about Pendergrass here.

The late Ray Kot

The inaugural Ray Kot Poker Open Tournament will be held daily from Jan. 18-24, in the “legendary” Poker Room at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.
Donations will benefit the Ray Kot Memorial Fund will benefit his only son, Drew Kot, and used for his education and support. Ray Kot was a shift supervisor and longtime Taj Mahal employee who was murdered in May 2009.
This tournament is open to the public and all casino employees (including key licensed employees) are invited to play. Players are encouraged to join in for some great fun and a chance to win super prizes. The grand prize will be an all expense paid trip to the 2010 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 7, in Miami (or the cash equivalent), which includes airfare, two nights deluxe hotel accommodations, food credit of $250 per day and two tickets to the “Big Game,” played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami.
The second-place finisher will win a 50-inch LCD TV, and the third-place finisher will win a Super Bowl party for 10 in a luxury suite in the new Chairman Tower at Trump Taj Mahal. Additional prizes will be awarded to anyone that makes the final table of the championship round.
Winners of each satellite table will advance to the Championship Round to be held on Sunday, Jan. 24 — which is Ray’s birthday. The championship round starts 8:15pm.
No reservations are necessary. Please contact the Trump Taj Mahal Poker Room at 449-5881 with any questions. Donations to the Ray Kot Memorial Fund can be made directly to the fund at: Trump Taj Mahal Ray Kot Memorial Fund To Benefit Drew Kot c/o TD Bank, 15 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Atlantic City, NJ 08401, attn: Tara Hill.

Grammy Award-winning recording artist Ashanti — goddaughter of Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford and his wife Nynell — will perform at Mayor Langford’s Inaugural Gala on Friday, Jan. 8, in the Grand Ballroom of Trump Taj Mahal.
Ashanti rose to famed in the early 2000s as a singer, songwriter, actress and model. Her hit songs include “Foolish,” “What’s Luv?” and “Always on Time.” In addition to her Grammy she has received eight Billboard awards, two American Music awards, an NAACP Image award, and Lady of Soul and Teen Choice awards.
The gala starts at 6pm and is open to the public. A $250 per-person cost includes the Ashanti’s performance, delectable cuisine, dancing and additional live entertainment by Billy Paul and Valerie Adams & the Dimensions. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, the Police Athletic League, and the Robinson Small Learning Center. For more information, call 345-0787.