Inspired by HBO's new hit series, "Boardwalk Empire," Resorts Atlantic City in Atlantic City, N.J., will adopt a new "Roaring '20s" theme effective in December, its owner, Gomes Gaming, announced this month.
Led by gaming industry veteran Dennis Gomes, whose career figured prominently in the Martin Scorsese movie "Casino," Gomes Gaming bought Resorts Atlantic City — New Jersey's oldest casino resort and the first U.S. casino outside of Nevada — from a group of creditors in August.
The property, which opened in 1978, includes two hotel towers, 942 guest rooms and about 100,000 square feet of casino space. As part of its nod to the 1920s, the hotel will feature singing bartenders, waiters and flappers; dealers, cocktail servers and bellhops dressed in 1920s costumes; and music, drinks and casino shows inspired by the Prohibition era.
"The 1920s was more than just a decade in a history book. It was a decade that defined and shaped our nation," Dennis Gomes said in a statement. "Beyond that, it was fun, adventurous and exciting. A period in time where people simply let loose to give way to a lifestyle where entertainment was king. Resorts will be all of that. It will define and shape the direction Atlantic City needs to take to survive in an increasingly competitive market. It will be luxurious, it will be fun and it will be one of the leading entertainment spots in Atlantic City."
Starring Steve Buscemi as a corrupt Atlantic City politician during Prohibition, when mobsters and bootlegging reigned supreme, "Boardwalk Empire" debuted on HBO in September and already has been renewed for a second season, having received the network's highest ratings for any premiere since 2004's "Deadwood."