Here's the story.

Throughout the last three years, as we delved into and documented the lives and landmarks of Atlantic City, one name constantly came up.

Vicki Gold Levi.

If you want to know about Atlantic City, we were told, you have to talk to Vicki Gold Levi.

But who is Vicki Gold Levi?

I'm ready when you are.

Ready.

Hi.

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Who?

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Ooh.

[Laughs] Wow.

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Vicki Gold Levi.

He keeps mentioning this Vicki.

I don't know who Vicki is.

Who is Vicki Gold Levi?

Vicki Gold Levi is the historian of this city.

Vicki Gold Levi is my cousin.

It's such a multifaceted question because Vicki is such an iconic person.

Vicki Gold Levi, aside from being a dear friend, is probably Atlantic City's biggest cheerleader.

To know Vicki is to know Atlantic City.

There's so many different ways that she connects to the community.

If you're fortunate enough to know Vicki Gold Levi, she's one of the greatest friends that you will ever know.

You really can't know this city all that well.

You can't know it in a three-dimensional way unless you know Vicki.

Of course, she really is the person who brings it all to life for you.

She's someone, if she walked in here right now and sat down right next to you, you'd feel like you've known her for the last 20 years.

I don't care how old she is, shes still Miss Atlantic City.

When you hear Atlantic City historian, there is one name, and it's Vicki.

Really, she's consulted on so many of the major projects here in Atlantic City, Boardwalk Empire being an HBO series that millions upon millions of people saw.

She was the historic contact for the city for that.

She has a knowledge of the way the city came to life, and really, it's because she is Atlantic City.

That's where she was born and raised.

There is something to be said with that for the city itself.

You see names that I know from the contract going back to the '20s, the names are still here and active in the towns and cities in the local area.

You don't get away.

They're a huge family, and that's the way the city was raised.

Really, Vicki is a good example of the heart of that.

She actually loves coming back here and regaling us with the stories of when her father, Al, had his photography studio in the building.

Her father captured a lot of Atlantic City's love and history as well.

That continues right through with Vicki to this day.

Her knowledge of the building and what's happened here over the years is incredible.

It's all of that history rolled into one person that's really a part of her core, and she just wants to keep telling that story so that people remember what Atlantic City has seen in its past.

1944 was a huge hurricane in Atlantic City.

I lived on South California Avenue.

When we won the war, my mother told me, I went up to soldiers and said, "Congratulations, soldier."

I can see me doing that.

I was very precocious.

In 1964, the Democratic Convention was held here with Lyndon Johnson.

I did a book called Atlantic City, 125 Years of Ocean Madness, and I did a documentary called Boardwalk Ballet Who?

The Magic of Atlantic City.

There's no one alive that is better suited, perhaps, for the title of Miss Atlantic City than Vicki Gold Levi.

But don't just take my word for it.

The city's favorite daughter and historian lived a life that is so deeply ingrained in the history of the town that it's difficult to know where one ends and the other begins.

Go ahead.

Ask her about the history of Old A.C. and you'll get an earful of stories both about the city and about her life there.

Born in Atlantic City in 1941, Vicki's earliest memories include a powerful hurricane and a boardwalk that felt more like a military base than a resort.

With soldiers and seamen of all stripes living, training, and protecting the Jersey coastline during World War II.

By the time she was in kindergarten, Vicki was already on stage, riding parade floats, appearing on the radio, and even alongside Miss America.

Bess Myerson.

Bess Myerson.

Bess Myerson.

And Mr. Frank Sinatra.

This was his 10th anniversary in show business.

Now why I was selected to chronicle this with him, I have no idea.

My mother must have paid somebody off.

I have no idea.

But anyhow, I remember coming home from school wanting to go to the beach.

My mother said, "No, you can't.

We've got to go meet Frank Sinatra."

And I said, "Oh, okay."

Anyhow, he couldn't have been nicer.

He called me Bunny for some reason.

And of course, he's one of the few people in show business that played Steel Pier, played the 500 Club, and played the casino.

There's only a few performers that can say that they did that.

And when he played Steel Pier, he did like four shows a day.

See what she did there?

So he called me Bunny for some reason.

And of course, he's one of the few people in show business that played Steel Pier.

- One minute shes talking about her own history and the next minute shes recounting the citys history Its almost like they are one and the same.

And maybe for Vicki, they are.

Well, it makes sense considering her childhood.

As the daughter and only child of Atlantic City's first official photographer, Al Gold, Vicki was invited along and into most every significant cultural event in the city throughout her childhood and teen years, which meant meeting and working with many icons of the day in all of the famous places that made Atlantic City famous as the world's playground.

And because of her tremendous access and experience as the city evolved through its many changes, it was Vicki who had that, call it photographic memory of the way it was.

That, and the contacts she has t anyone who was anyone has made her the city's great historian and advocate.

"I was everywhere that was anywhere," she has said.

And let's put it this way, I know where all the bodies are buried.

[Music] How influential in your life and love of Atlantic City is directly connected to your father's role as a documentarian?

Everything.

Everything.

I was always with my father.

And then also there was another thing.

Being my father's daughter, I had entree.

A lot of times I could go to Steel Pier and just say, "I'm Al Gold's daughter," and in I go.

Or a movie theater, you know, you had that little cachet of being his daughter.

But his love of Atlantic City influenced me.

[Music] Hello, everybody.

I just want to say I'm looking at this wonderful group that's gathered here today.

I love all of you so much, and I'm so happy to share today my dad's memory.

I can't thank Wendell enough.

And Ryan, is Ryan here?

Ryan, thank you.

And everybody here is so meaningful to me.

Our family here, our friends.

And thank you for joining me.

Order whatever you want, drink whatever you want.

And I love all of you.

[Applause] When we chatted with Vicki about profiling her and asked her what we should be filming, she suggested "Who?"

Because the other significant quality of Vicki Gold Levi is just how much she loves and supports her friends and their causes.

And their causes, by the way, you guessed it, are closely connected to Atlantic City's past or have a deep appreciation for it.

Atlantic City, something in the salt water.

There's a lot of affection here, you know.

This is Wendell White, Distinguished Professor of Art at Stockton University.

And I like the people that are here now that I get to be with and talk to and do things with and partner with.

They're just wonderful, caring people.

How do I help with my dear friend Kathy?

I love you.

So apparently, you can't tell the whole Vicki story unless you tell the stories of her friends.

So my name is Scott Banks.

My name is Wendell White.

I'm Kathy Burke.

I'm Anthony Canonosso.

I'm Vanessa Jordan.

My name is Richard Helfand, and I am the Executive Director and CEO of the Save Lucy Committee, which is the nonprofit that maintains and operates Lucy the Elephant, which is a National Historic Landmark and the world's largest elephant.

Rich is chair of the I Love Lucy, and he's one of the best administrators I've ever worked with.

Generous, supportive, kind, interested.

I am the Membership and Events Coordinator for Historic Organ Restoration Committee.

Basically, my job is to maintain compliance as a 501(c)(3), public outreach, doing the tours of the building and giving information on the organ, and also one of the fundraisers for the organ as well.

Scott is the heart and soul of the pipe organ.

He knows every key.

Scott's a terrific guy.

He really is dedicated to the historic organ, and he loves the organ, and he loves the hall as well, Boardwalk Hall.

I'm from right here, fortunate to be from Atlantic City, and since the 1970s, my husband Richard and I have been operating the Irish Pub and Inn.

And we're sitting in the inn right now in the beautiful lobby, and this establishment was built in 1900.

Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, it's my pleasure to introduce the president of Steel Pier, Anthony Catanoso.

[applause] Wow.

Can everybody hear me?

Welcome.

We operate a full-scale amusement park here, and it's been a labor of love.

Difficult at times, but Steel Pier is an iconic, historic part of Atlantic City.

We've been here 127 years, and we're really proud to be the torchbearer of such a great icon.

Tony's my best friend down here.

Tony Catanoso , he owns Steel Pier, and Tony, again, supportive, caring, helpful.

You know, just a great guy who cares a lot about the city and does a lot for the city.

Yeah.

Hi.

I'm Vanessa Jordan.

I'm the president and CEO of the National R&B Music Society, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, promoting, and honoring classic soul R&B music from the '60s, '70s, and '80s.

Vanessa is the founder and chair of the Foundation of the Atlantic City Rhythm and Blues, and they have in the park right in front of the Claridge , they have a wonderful walk of fame.

And last year, I sponsored the indoctrination of Dionne Warwick.

I mean, they have really fabulous, famous people who take this award, and I can't say enough words about Vanessa.

She's terrific.

She's organized.

She's a doer.

She's a supporter.

Again, people I get involved with down here are good people.

Yeah.

I am a faculty here at Stockton in the visual arts program, and my primary area of teaching is photography, both analog and digital.

I teach Photoshop, darkroom, and I also offer a course from time to time in the American Studies program on the history of 1919 race riots.

Oh, dear.

I'll cry.

Wendell, first of all, he's a distinguished professor of photography and of arts at Stockton University.

He's a Guggenheim recipient, and he just got a big cash award from Harvard, and he just published this incredible book, one of several.

So that's his cred.

Aside from that, I've been working with Wendell for over 35 years.

I don't get involved with people down here if they're not terrific.

That's why it all sounds redundant, but it's not.

I've known Vicki most of my life, and she's involved in anything and everything that's good with Atlantic City.

And Vicki has remained involved in everything good in Atlantic City, even though she hasn't lived here in many, many years.

She's on the board of the Historic Organ Restoration Committee, which is at Boardwalk Hall, and as you know, houses the world's largest musical instrument.

She's involved with the Atlantic City Public Library, and she's been on our board for many years here at Lucy the Elephant.

Vicki is our dear friend, but she has been a consultant at times.

She's been just a great source of information, inspiration.

You know, Vicki's the go-to person for many film producers and storytellers, people that are writing books, people who write to Vicki Gold Levi to hire her as a consultant.

This lady's an author.

She's been on Merv Griffin about five, six times.

I couldn't believe it.

She's a consultant on the HBO Boardwalk Empire, Atlantic City movie.

So I am an editor on Wikipedia, so I created her page.

Yeah, yeah.

>> So you research the researcher.

Exactly.

But she's done so much.

I mean, she was a person who grew up on the pier.

She saw everybody and everybody here, and her father was a pier photographer as well as the city's official photographer a number of decades.

And so her wealth of knowledge has been very, very valuable to us over the last 35 years.

And she's a great supporter of Lucy, of our efforts.

She recognizes Lucy's value to Atlantic City.

Just having her name on our letterhead adds credibility to who we are.

You know, I just love her as a person.

I identify with her because we have the same value system, same sense of humor, because we can sit down and laugh all night long at the same stories, and an appreciation for, and a love for where we're from.

You know, we just never, even though, you know, Vicki's not living here on a day-to-day basis, Vicki's an Atlantic City girl, will always be.

And we share that experience, and that's a bond.

Vicki is a larger-than-life figure to me, certainly, and to the city of Atlantic City, and she's just always been there.

[Music] Atlantic City's always been like the phoenix rising from the ashes.

Not that everything's perfect here, it's not.

There's a lot of things that should and could be changed.

[Music] Why is Atlantic City still relevant?

Is it?

[Laughs] Okay, well, it's relevant to me.

[Music] Do you like Vicki's Atlantic City so far?

I do.

Okay.

[Music] Different people come down here for different reasons.

How about the saying, "Location, location, location, location, location, location, location, location, location, location, location, location, and don't forget the sun lotion."

Don't forget to visit it.

I kind of deal a lot with the nostalgia of the city.

I have my own radio show at five.

How many kids have that?

While I'm also involved in the progress of the city.

[Music] And I still like to come down here.

I mean, I'm on the Lucy, the elephant, I'm on that committee.

I'm the trustee of the world's largest pipe organ in Boardwalk Hall.

A lot of people don't know that the world's largest pipe organ is in Atlantic City.

How about the White House Sub Shop?

When I leave tomorrow to go back to New York, I am bringing a steak sub to my husband.

[Music] And over here, these are two photographs my father took, two of the famous photographs.

That's Jimmy Durante, and this is called "Horses on the Beach," 1944.

[Music] And I'm chair of the foundation of the Atlantic City Free Public Library, and we run the museum.

And of course, I'm involved with Stockton University.

[Music] So I like to be involved down here with things that are positive, help the community, or artistic and creative.

[Music] Are you happy?

I'm very happy because I'm delighted to see the work that went into this and know that I was a little part of it, you know.

Well, that would be a nice thought.

If ghosts exist, this is where I would like to ghost.

I love everybody here.

It's my second home.

I have family here.

I have friends.

I have colleagues.

And this is my Atlantic City.

[Music] [Horn honks] Tell me when.

Ready?

Go.

Go ahead.

Hi.

I'm on my terrace on the 21st floor, right over Central Park.

The leaves are just starting to turn.

They're still winter leaves, but it's still a beautiful view.

And we're right across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

And it's a wonderful view, especially when the sun goes down and the whole street is lit up on the other side.

[Music] Today, Vicki lives in New York City and actually has for many decades.

Here she is stepping out for lunch with her daughter-in-law and friend at her favorite deli, Barney Greengrass.

Hello.

Are we filming already?

Yes, of course.

Okay.

This is my daughter-in-law, Vicki.

My beautiful daughter-in-law.

Hi.

Nice to meet you.

This is Joe.

And Barney wanted you to get the sign.

I got it all done.

Okay, Joe.

And just as you'd expect, this place also has a long and colorful history, just as Vicki likes it.

[Music] Gary.

Gary, I got to give you a hug, Gary.

And also as you'd expect, when the subject of the past comes up, Vicki, always the historian, is happy to help share the details.

And I've been ordering from here for years, for years, and it's the best in the city.

And you're what?

1908?

1908?

1908?

- Im a Third Generation It's a landmark.

And Liz isn't here yet.

- It started in 1908, and then this location since 1929.

So this is the new location.

Oh, 1929, the new location.

Okay.

All right.

Well, I'm going to take an order when I leave.

But for right now, we're going to -- oh, there's Liz.

There's my girlfriend, Liz.

Enjoy.

[Music] No tomatoes, onions, capers?

No, I don't think so.

New York City is the center of the universe, especially culturally.

I mean, we have great theater, we have great food, we have great museums.

There's nothing you can't get in New York City, let's face it.

Gary, who owns the place, he knows me, and it's comfortable.

New York is a hub of everything.

Plus, I have wonderful friends here.

And my grandchild's here.

That's the best part.

That's important, right?

Yeah.

When I did the Anthony Bourdain show, I had Scallops and the Knife and Fork, which is a hundred-year-old restaurant.

There's a couple restaurants that have been around for a hundred years, Dock's.

What's the best thing about living in A.C.?

Atlantic City is like the Phoenix coming from the ashes.

It's had many, many incarnations.

And right now, it's got the casino incarnation, and they have a lot of competition.

So, you know, Atlantic City, you can't beat the boardwalk and the beach.

Location, location, location.

And whenever I'm down there, I always go on the boardwalk.

I've had people say to me, "I haven't been on the boardwalk in 20 years."

And I say, "Well, that's your fault."

Barney Greengrass, you want a place to order?

Sure.

Can I get a pit?

Okay, I want four Pumpernicke bagels cut in half and four Everything bagels cut in half and a large coleslaw.

My usual order.

So, Gary, this will probably air the first week of May, and although you don't have New Jersey TV, you'll be able to see it on the Internet.

All right.

Well, let me know.

Of course.

Come here.

This is Jose, my sometime driver, my bodyguard, my friend.

How are you, everybody?

He's been to Atlantic City with me many times.

Everybody down there knows him.

And now we're in New York, part of my New York life.

Jose is an important part of my New York life.

And he's an auxiliary policeman.

Thank you.

Come on, Joe, we're going to get it.

When I first moved to New York, I used to go to Brooklyn to smell the ocean, you know, Coney Island and stuff like that.

Atlantic City, the ocean air is unforgettable.

And, of course, you know, we had certain food that I loved, like Taylor Pork Roll.

And we called them subs, but people called them hoagies.

We still have the White House since 1945, those great steak subs.

And we had great seafood, of course, at the Knife and Fork and Dock's and Abe's, great seafood.

And, you know, you used to walk down the boardwalk, and there was a cacophony of sounds, and you had all these different foods that you could try.

And Atlantic City, I grew up, you know, mostly--I mean, I was born in the '40s, but I mostly grew up on the boardwalk.

Some people take comfort in the past.

They read about it and write about it because, well, it's a nice place to visit when you simply can't live there anymore.

Case in point, Vicki Gold Levi, historian, author, and as some have called her, Miss Atlantic City.

Though no sash or crown or scepter could ever explain the devotion she's carried for a town that used to be and still longs to be, to some it's just nostalgia.

To Vicki, it's something deeper, a yearning for a time when the world felt more elegant, more alive, more colorful, more like home.

Vicki Gold Levi is Miss Atlantic City, no matter where she goes, because no one misses Atlantic City like she does.

What do they say about Atlantic City?

Ocean of motion and lots of promotion, and don't forget the sun lotion.

♪ We are exactly what you see, bruised and scraped up knees, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ but still we find our way.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Some come as quickly as they go, some choose their own roads.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ But still they find their way.

♪ ♪ And God knows how hard it is to lose, ♪ ♪ pray to whichever one you choose, that you ♪