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William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (April 30, 2025)(CNBNews)-- In the late '50s and early '60s, a group of dance students from Gertrude Porter's Dance Studio in Gloucester City would travel to Atlantic City to perform in Tony Grant's "Stars of Tomorrow" show located on Steel Pier. We can only identify some of the Porterettes. If you recognize any of the missing names, please forward them to [email protected]. From left: 1. Mary (Sheldon) Dolrnte, 2, 3, 4, Faith (?), 5. Donna (Hoffman) Henefer, 6. Mary Alice (White) Birchmeire, 7. Carol (Stuebing) Colton, 8. Eleanor (Sandell) ?, 9. Nancy (Hoffman) Forchic, 10. Connie (Sarlo) Cleary. 

The girls had to audition for the "Stars of Tomorrow" theater, competing against various acts that came to Steel Pier to perform in that show. Once accepted, they would spend two weeks in the summer in Atlantic City, performing in two shows every day. They lived in a rental property that was near the boardwalk and Steel Pier. Mrs. Emma Hoffman, Donna and Nancy's mom, volunteered as House Mother and watched over the girls. 

A visit to Margate wouldn't be complete without seeing Lucy the Elephant. One of America's Best Roadside attractions ~CNBNews photo credit

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Instead of heading to Hilton Head, SC or South Myrtle Beach this year, which is something we have been doing for the past 13 years, we spent the month of April in Ventnor City. We rented a property on North Harvard Avenue, and the weather was perfect for us with temperatures ranging from the mid-50s to the mid-70s.

A 911 memorial monument is situated on the Boardwalk. ~CNBNews photo credit

According to Ventnor's website, in the latter part of the 19th Century, an American couple visiting England became so impressed with the beauty of the locality that in 1889, when the Camden and Atlantic Land Company decided to name the section of the land south of Atlantic City, they remembered Ventnor, England. Mrs. S. Bartram Richards suggested that the name, Ventnor, would be an ideal fit for this exciting new area. This name was suggested on January 8, 1889, by Mrs. Richards, who was the wife of the secretary-treasurer of the land company. This name was formally adopted the following day. Although the City received its name in January of 1889, it was not officially recognized until it received it’s incorporation by the State of New Jersey on March 17, 1903.

Ventnor is just a hop, skip, and jump from the nine casinos in Atlantic City. On May 26, 1978, Resorts, the first casino to be licensed, opened its doors. An article in Lights On, a Stockton University magazine, by 1979, there were close to 50 casino proposals being touted, and every meeting was packed with would-be casino workers pleading to know when they would be licensed.  It was a pace that continued unabated for the first three years with the opening of Resorts, Caesars, and Bally’s. While the pace of development continued to surge ahead, the Commission was stunned in 1980 by the Abscam investigation, which led to the resignation of one commissioner.  The Legislature acted swiftly to reestablish public confidence by reconstituting the Commission with five full-time members.  Throughout all of that, the Commission maintained its hectic pace of opening and licensing casinos.  Between the time the new full-time Commission began in late August 1980 and November 1982, four new casinos opened, and the Commission held five plenary licensing hearings.  It also agreed to reserve a license for Donald Trump for what became the Trump Plaza Hotel Casino.

The Irish Pub,164 St. James Place at the Boardwalk, Atlantic City  (photo credit CNBNews)

If you’re looking to experience a taste of the old Atlantic City, as depicted in the popular HBO series “Boardwalk Empire,” look no further than The Irish Pub. In fact, the Irish Pub was once a speakeasy during the days of Prohibition. The history of the Irish Pub dates back to the 19th century. It has survived hurricanes, prohibition, two world wars, high tides and low tides. It has fed the famous and infamous, and if you sit at the front table, it is said that eventually everybody in the world will pass by you. Joe DiMaggio stayed at the Inn for many years. Being situated on St. James Place & the Boardwalk, it has been identified with the game of Monopoly and the red hotels used in the game are based on the architecture of the Irish Pub. It is within walking distance of all casinos. source The Irish Pub. Doesn't that woman on the right corner of the picture look familiar? As does that black dog. 

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We were often in Atlantic City during our stay and were impressed by how clean the streets were in some neighborhoods. Another surprise was seeing so many men and women dressed in Muslin garb. Because there were so many, we had the impression that some of these individuals were people who crossed our country's border illegally. Still, a Muslim man we spoke with, named Rashid, said that just because of what they were wearing wasn't a fair way to determine where they came from. "Many women are living in Atlantic City who are from this country and are practicing Muslims, "said Rashid.

We also found large segments of the city that were predominantly Hispanic. Mexicans and Dominicans inhabit multiple blocks and have turned them into the country they came from. Ingredients on Cheerios boxes at the ACME are written in Spanish. We've seen barber shops with signs that read Dominican Barber Shop. Menus at one deli in the city were all Spanish. Ingredients on Cheereo boxes at the ACME are written in Spanish. We've seen barber shops with signs that read Dominican Barber Shop. Once in the inner city, the homeless people were everywhere. They were either pushing a shopping cart or wheeling a suitcase down the street. 

Look closely and you can see Connie and Peyton. For those with poor eyesight, she is the one standing next to the dog. The mural is next to the Irish Pub ~ photo credit CNBNews

The week before we came home, we visited Steel Pier, which is more like a miniature Morey's Pier in North Wildwood today. In other words, the Diving Horse is gone, as is Tony Grant's Stars of Tomorrow theater. SEE WEBSITE. Back in the day, many girls from Gloucester City who learned tap dancing at Gertrude Porter's School of Dance, located on South Broadway, next to the old Twin Bar, performed at that theater in the summer. On this particular day, I bought a slice of pizza from a stand on the boardwalk. The man behind the counter was Arabic and his name was Shihab. He was very friendly, and he spoke English with a slight accent. I asked him if business was good.

"Years ago, at this time of the year, he said, “the boardwalk would be crowded with tourists and gamblers. But ever since the state allowed online betting, those crowds have disappeared. Many businesspeople on the boardwalk and throughout Atlantic City are closing. And, I blame the lack of tourists on the politicians in Trenton for allowing online betting,” said Shihab. 

New Jersey allowed online betting in 2013, and sports wagering in 2018.

On Friday, April 25, while Connie indulged in some well-deserved pampering at the hairdresser in Ventnor, Peyton and I set off to Pizza Hut, located at 1505 Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City, to pick up our dinner for that night. Personal pizzas and chicken wings for Connie and me, along with my favorite dessert, brownies. Throughout our stay, we had journeyed to Atlantic City numerous times. Considering its reputation as a bustling gambling mecca, I had anticipated heavy traffic, but to my surprise, the roads were surprisingly clear every time we ventured into the City. Similar to Gloucester City, many of the main streets were in need of repair. 

I headed up Kentucky Avenue towards Atlantic Avenue. I saw 20 to 30 people spread out at various spots along the street. Some of them were passed out, lying on the ground, while others were staggering and trying to walk. It was obvious that they were under the influence of something. It was also evident that the individuals in the cars parked behind each other with motors running on the opposite side of the street were buying drugs. I witnessed money being passed from the driver to the guy outside his car, who, in return, handed something to the driver. It was 2:45 PM, and I entered the half-vacant shopping center. I passed the Pizza Hut, and I couldn’t tell if it was open or closed due to the darkened store windows. A cop, sitting in a pickup with the emergency lights on, was parked nearby. 

Last month, Atlantic City police arrested seven men for selling illegal drugs in the nearby Renaissance Plaza on Atlantic Avenue and at a motel on Pacific Avenue. From our experience that day, it didn't take long for the drug dealers to pick up where they left off. It is very obvious that the drug dealers are back in business in this neighborhood. 

RELATED: AC Police Arrest Suspects Selling Drugs in Renaissance Plaza and from Motel

I placed my order, and the cashier said, "15 minutes". I went outside, got Peyton out of the van along with my heavy Irish walking cane, and waited in front of the restaurant.  That cane is made out of oak with a brass handle.  Suddenly, police cars were racing up and down Atlantic Avenue, with sirens blaring and emergency lights on. The cop in the pickup took off in the same direction as the other police cars. Once he was gone, a high-strung group of a dozen or more boys, ranging from about 10 to 17 years old, began to materialize in front of me. They seemed to appear out of thin air—some zooming in on bicycles, others striding confidently on foot. It was clear they shared a bond, as they greeted one another with fist bumps. Then, as if on cue, a young man entered the scene, and the group of youngsters surged toward him, pulling out various denominations of cash rolled tightly in their palms. They eagerly handed the money to him, who deftly unrolled some bills and, with a confident flick of his hand, passed some of the cash back to a few of the boys.

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The scene unfolded just steps in front of Peyton and me. It was chaotic, yet devoid of anything illicit as I observed the exchange closely; all I saw was money, no drugs exchanged hands.  However, I am not naive enough to think that the cash came from these kids selling Girl Scout cookies.

Standing on the other side of the entrance to Pizza Hut was Rashid, the Muslim man I quoted above. When I walked into the restaurant earlier, Rashid caught my eye right away, as he was wearing two different-colored sneakers, one red and one yellow.  The rest of his attire consisted of a black hoodie, black pants, and he wore shades that covered his eyes. Somehow, our conversation turned to religion and he explained that he was a practicing Muslin. "I have to pray within an hour. Praying five times a day keeps me out of trouble", he said. His little girl was sitting inside Pizza Hut, waiting for her order. The entire time we talked, he glanced back often, making sure she was okay. 

There was a moment when I first saw the group of teenagers gathering that I thought of the many scenes I saw on Fox and Newsmax of a lone white man being beaten by a gang of kids. In my mind, I singled out the biggest teen in the group as he was the one I would strike first with my cane if I became a target. However, as the group grew larger, it became evident that there were just too many to defend myself against. I still planned on going after the biggest one in the crowd. I believe Peyton, as docile as she is, would protect me if I had been attacked. I looked down at her on one occasion, and her head was moving back and forth, watching the bedlam in front of us. I wondered too what Rashid would have done if I had been attacked. Fortunately, the situation never developed. That group dissolved into the shadows from which it came.

While Atlantic City offers the excitement of gambling and the beauty of the beach, many feel it doesn't quite measure up to the diverse attractions and vibrant entertainment found in Las Vegas. It’s understandable that both residents and visitors might feel a sense of disappointment as they compare the two destinations. Since the dawn of legal gambling in Atlantic City in 1978, an air of optimism has surrounded the city as politicians and developers promised that it would one day shine as brightly as Las Vegas. However, the reality has often been starkly different. As waves of competition from other glitzy casino hubs surged and financial storms battered the local casinos, those ambitious dreams have faded like footprints in the sand.

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 Kayla Robbins wrote an in-depth article about the problem of homelessness in Atlantic City.

THE CITY is famous for its casinos, drawing tourists seeking a weekend of debaucherous fun from across state lines. However, it is also one of the poorest cities in New Jersey, with 32.4% of the local population falling below the poverty line. The median income is $35,188 annually, and the employment rate is 50.9 percent.

As much as the city loves to be seen as a playground for tourists from everywhere else to let loose, the reality for the people who actually live there is very different. Just about everything is catered to the experience of tourists at the expense of residents, both housed and unhoused, and the politicians are no exception to that rule.

While discussing the new plan to sweep under the boardwalk, Mayor Marty Small clearly had tourism concerns at the forefront of his mind, saying, “We cannot claim to be this world-class resort (if) we don’t handle the problems that the resort sometimes encounters.”

No one seems to have considered how the tourism industry itself contributes to the vicious cycle of homelessness in Atlantic City.

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