♪♪

>> I was here from day one.

We had to do interviews and get

costumed, and they taught you

how to put your makeup on.

As a server, you wore something

a little skimpy -- the

harem-attendant thing here at

the Taj, where he had ostrich

feathers on our head.

Then we went into the

brown-velvet years.

Now we're in straight black.

It's kind of appropriate for the

time, though.

>> I started in the casino

industry not long after high

school.

I found myself working as a

secretary and not making a lot

of money.

And a friend of mine said, "I

can get us into blackjack

school."

So, I thought, "Oh, a blackjack

dealer must really be exciting

in the casino -- the lights, the

glamour, the shows, the

restaurants."

>> The '80s were great.

There were nightclubs opened.

Everybody dressed to the nines.

The tips were big.

It was exclusive.

We had high rollers.

>> I always said we were on

stage -- lights, camera, and

action.

We had it all there.

>> It was glitzy -- glitzy to

the point of garish.

We had Michael Jackson here when

we opened -- Michael Jackson and

Donald Trump.

And people just want to see

them.

This is as close to Vegas and

Hollywood as they can get.

>> Donald Trump actually was a

very, very good owner at that

time.

As a matter of fact, one day, I

was sitting box on a crap game,

and he looked right at me and

said, "Hello."

[ Chuckles ]

Made me feel special.

>> The casino is a place of

vice.

People have money.

They want to have fun.

They drink.

They gamble.

Drugs is somewhere in the

package.

And where they gonna get drugs

from?

The projects.

Some nights you could make maybe

$2,000 a night.

The casinos were providing

plentiful for everybody.

>> It was business.

It was big business.

With overtime, I could probably

make between $45,000 and $60,000

a year.

I had vacation time, full

benefits, sick time.

I had everything.

>> When I was coming up, it was

the life.

You know, like, how now a lot

of people want to be doctors,

lawyers.

It was your life to go into the

casino.

I graduated from

Atlantic City High School, and I

took a passion to doing hair.

I went on to go to the Bellezza

that was at Caesars, Bally's,

and the Hilton.

So, I worked at those salons.

Even if it wasn't a real good,

high-paying job, I still was

able to manage.

I can provide for myself and my

family, and I could also help

another.

>> Since the first casino opened

in 1978, there has been an

ongoing ability for my

generation.

I came into gaming in 1981 at

Playboy.

I was 19 years old.

So, my generation has uniquely,

I think in the history of

Atlantic City, been able to own

a home, put children through

college, and save for your

retirement.

>> You just rolled down here.

The money was good.

I just wanted to work, go out,

dance, go to the beach the next

day.

Those were the good years.

It was really, really good down

here.