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This article is about the Atlantic City, New Jersey nightclub. For the baseball term, see 500 home run club.

500 Club
The 500 Club
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Former names500 Cafe
Address6 Missouri Avenue
Atlantic City, New Jersey
United States
OwnerPaul "Skinny" D'Amato
TypeNightclub
Capacity700
Opened1930s
Closed1973

The 500 Club, popularly known as The Five,[1] was a nightclub and supper club at 6 Missouri Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States. It was owned by racketeer Paul "Skinny" D'Amato, and operated from the 1930s until the building burned down in 1973.[2] It became one of the most popular nightspots on the East Coast, and housed the first illegal casino to be run in the city.[3]

The main bar was large and black, with black and white zebra-patterned wallpaper on the walls of the room. An indoor waterfall surrounded by imitation exotic vegetation stood in the back. The club's main showroom, the Vermilion Room, often featured the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and the slapstick comedy duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.[3][4][5]

The club and a next-door restaurant and bar were destroyed in an electrical fire in June 1973, resulting in $1.5 million worth of damage. Subsequent plans to rebuild the club or reopen it in one of the megaresort hotels in Atlantic City amounted to nothing in the years leading up to D'Amato's death in 1984.

History

The 500 Club was originally owned by Phil Barr.[6][a] In 1942, Paul "Skinny" D'Amato, who was known to have ties to organized crime, assumed ownership.[1][b] Summers and Swan claim that Amato was in fact a front man for mobster Marco Reginelli.[9][c] That year, the club was refurbished as a musical bar with a small dance floor and was known as the 500 Cafe.[6][12] Drink prices started at 40 cents, with a 20 percent discount for men in uniform, and suppers started at one dollar.[6] In June 1946, D'Amato and his partner, Irvin Wolf, were able to buy out the half interest of Marco Di Fozio. They changed the venue's name to the 500 Club and were now the sole owners of the business.[10][11] D'Amato became the sole owner of the venue shortly before his 1949 marriage.[13]

The names of the celebrities who performed at the club were written in cement on the sidewalk in front of it, similar to Grauman's Chinese Theatre.[14] Celebrities often dropped by the club, including Joe DiMaggio, "who had his own table and his own waitress to serve him free drinks".[15] Like other clubs in Atlantic City, the 500 Club was patronized by both whites and African-Americans.[16] Mobsters and politicians were frequent patrons, with the former "making deals" with the latter; these guests were never presented with a bill.[17][18]

During D'Amato's tenure, the 500 Club began attracting top-name talent. It opened at 5 p.m. and closed at 10 a.m.[17] The last show was at 4 a.m., while illegal gaming at "roulette wheels, craps tables, baccarat and high-stakes card games" went on in the back rooms.[17] The door to the back rooms was beyond the main showroom and was guarded by a doorman; it opened on D'Amato's nod or word.[19] D'Amato shut down the illegal casino in the early 1950s in the wake of pressure on organized crime exerted by the Kefauver Committee in the United States Senate and expanded the supper club aspect.[1] In 1955 the club expanded its show seating capacity to 700.[20]

Architecture and fittings

The main bar was large and black with curves in many directions. The room had black and white zebra-patterned wallpaper, in the style of New York's El Morocco club, and an indoor waterfall surrounded by imitation exotic vegetation stood in the back.[19] Beyond the main bar was a smaller bar and a small showroom, and after that the club's main showroom, the Vermilion Room, with its burgundy velvet wallpaper.[19] The small front room was used for year-round lounge acts and the main showroom with supper service featured top-billed acts in the summer months and for special bookings.[1]

Acts

Everybody's career jumped a little higher and a little faster because of the 500 Club.

–Frank Sinatra[1]

The 500 Club became one of the most popular nightspots on the East Coast, regularly attracting top-name talent. Performers included Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Martin and Lewis, the Will Mastin Trio, Jimmy Durante, Eartha Kitt, Sophie Tucker, the Jackie Paris Trio, Milton Berle, Nat King Cole, and Liberace, among many others.[1][20][21][22][23]

Martin and Lewis in 1948

Frank Sinatra called on his friendship with D'Amato to perform at the club in the 1940s when his career was at a lull.[9] He regularly performed there from the 1940s through to the 1960s,[24][25] each time doing all four shows and waiving his fee.[18] During Sinatra's engagements at the club in the 1950s, the 500 Club marquee read simply, "He's Back".[19] Comedian Pat Henry started as Sinatra's opening act at the 500 Club in 1958, continuing in that capacity in Las Vegas and other Sinatra venues for the next two decades.[26] In 1960 New York AM radio station WNEW garnered 129,837 entries for its drawing for three couples to accompany disc jockey William B. Williams to a Sinatra performance at the 500 Club followed by a hotel stay.[27] Sinatra was questioned about his association with Mafia gangster Tommy Lucchese by the United States House Select Committee on Crime in 1972, but said that he had only met Lucchese during his performances at the 500 Club.[28]

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis paired up to do slapstick comedy for the first time at the 500 Club on July 25, 1946.[29] While Martin was trying to get gigs as a singer, Lewis performed as a comedian at the club. One night a different act failed to show up and Lewis suggested to the owner that he hire Martin to do comedy with him. The owner was skeptical, but the two went ahead and tried to devise an act on paper in their hotel room, which did not work. The next night, they went on stage and improvised for three hours, bringing the house down.[29][30] The comedy duo of Martin and Lewis was popular in nightclubs and in film from 1946 to 1956.[29]

After he and Jerry Lewis broke up their act, Dean Martin did not perform at the club again until August 1962. Martin was originally billed as a solo act, but was joined by both Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. at the midpoint of his engagement. The three performed as "The Rat Pack" until Martin's engagement at the club was over; this was the last time the Rat Pack performed in Atlantic City.[31] Davis, Martin, and Sinatra performed their three night Rat Pack act at the club for no fee. The club was in financial difficulty at the time; they were all close friends of D'Amato and had been helped by him in earlier times.[32] A private recording was made of the August 26, 1962 5AM show at the 500 Club – the last performance of the Rat Pack there. It was later distributed as a souvenir to patrons of the now defunct Sinatrarama Room at Philadelphia's Latimer Cafe.[31][33][34][35] The club continued to have financial problems in the 1970s. The Internal Revenue Service closed the club for back taxes in August 1971. D'Amato was allowed to reopen in November 1971 after an agreement was reached regarding payment of them.[36]

Fire and aftermath

The club was destroyed in an electrical fire[17] that burned for four hours in June 1973,[37] with over 200 firemen fighting the fire.[14] The blaze, which also destroyed a next-door restaurant and bar, resulting in $1.5 million worth of damage, was believed to have originated in a dressing room.[37][38] The building was not insured.[39] D'Amato said in response to the news of the fire, which had taken place shortly after a refurbishment, "I was born on this street, if I can, I'll rebuild it, but I don't know how".[40] In 1976, after a New Jersey referendum approved the establishment of casino gambling in the state, D'Amato said he hoped to re-establish the 500 Club at one of the city's resort hotels.[41][42] D'Amato believed that legalized gambling would be good for both the city and for those with businesses related to the entertainment industry. He was committed enough to the idea to appear on television's 60 Minutes to voice support for the pro-gambling cause.[43] He died in 1984 without realizing his ambition.[1]

The parking deck of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino now occupies the site.[17] There is an historical marker honoring Paul "Skinny" D'Amato near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 500 Club Lane, which is near the former location of the 500 Club.[39]

Legacy

At the end of the 20th century, plans were floated to recreate the 500 Club either at the Trump Marina Hotel Casino or at the Sands Hotel and Casino, but neither materialized.[44] D'Amato's daughter Paulajane, who grew up in an apartment over the 500 Club, is now a member of the 500 Club Committee, which sponsors benefit concerts.[44] In September 2015 the Philly Pops recreated the 500 Club in a Philadelphia restaurant, featuring performances by Deana Martin and Michael Andrew.[45]

Notes

  1. ^ Barr purchased two houses on Missouri Avenue in the mid 1930s. He demolished them and built a two-story yellow brick building on the site, calling his venture the 500 Cafe. The business was a horse betting parlor by day and a nightclub with showgirls performing in the evenings.[7]
  2. ^ D'Amato was able to realize his dream of owning a nightclub by gathering a group of investors. The 500 Cafe building was repossessed by the mortgage holder for nonpayment and the venue had been closed down for a few months. D'Amato's uncle, a chef, rented the building from the mortgage holder.[8]
  3. ^ While Reginelli was a regular patron of the club, he was not its owner. Documents show that D'Amato and partner Irvin Wolf purchased the half interest in the 500 Cafe from Mario Di Fonzo in June 1946. They agreed not to use the 500 Cafe name for their venture, so it became the 500 Club.[10] A news note in Billboard magazine from this time frame indicates that D'Amato and Wolf were the sole owners of the club.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Sokolic, William H. (29 October 1992). "At The Sands, High Rollers To Help Re-create A.c.'s Legendary 500 Club: The 50th Anniversary Of The Club Will Be Celebrated". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  2. ^ Sokolic & Ruffolo 2006, p. 77.
  3. ^ a b Sinopoli 2012, p. 102.
  4. ^ "Early Atlantic City Nightclubs". Monopolycity.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  5. ^ Wilson, Earl (25 August 1958). "Atlantic City's 'Night People' on Prowl". The Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 21.
  6. ^ a b c "500 Cafe, Atlantic City". Billboard: 13. 5 December 1942.
  7. ^ Van Meter 2004, p. 74.
  8. ^ Van Meter 2004, pp. 75–76.
  9. ^ a b Summers & Swan 2007, p. 177.
  10. ^ a b Van Meter 2004, pp. 77–78.
  11. ^ a b "In Short". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media: 41. June 6, 1946. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  12. ^ "Atlantic City Biz on Upgrade". Billboard: 30. 15 July 1944.
  13. ^ Van Meter 2004, p. 131.
  14. ^ a b "Fire Razes 500 Club". The Independent. June 11, 1973. p. 2. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ Foley, John (1 December 2003). "Book recalls Atlantic City of Skinny D'Amato". The Day. p. B1.
  16. ^ Cunningham & Cole 2000, p. 34.
  17. ^ a b c d e Manaham, Kevin (26 September 2011). "The King of Cool and his 500 Club". NJ.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  18. ^ a b Reppetto 2006, p. 77.
  19. ^ a b c d Simon 2004, pp. 53–56.
  20. ^ a b "Atlantic City Offers Stars". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 4 May 1955. p. 13.
  21. ^ "Watch, Or No, Prices Are Up". Billboard: 60. 18 July 1953.
  22. ^ "Music: As Written". Billboard: 36. 3 July 1948.
  23. ^ McShane, Larry (7 November 1989). "Mr. TV at 80 no longer wears a dress". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. p. 9A.
  24. ^ Laymon, Rob (16 May 1998). "500 Club Was His Place: Frank Jammed Atlantic City Nightspot". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  25. ^ "Sinatra's character may be subject to debate, but his artistic impact is unquestioned". The Day. 16 May 1998. p. A7.
  26. ^ UPI (19 February 1982). "Comic Pat Henry Found Dead". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 10A.
  27. ^ Bundy, June (8 August 1960). "Vox Jox". Billboard: 26.
  28. ^ Seppy, Tom (19 July 1972). "Sinatra tells probe he knows nothing about the Cosa Nostra". Schenectady Gazette. p. 1.
  29. ^ a b c King, Susan (14 June 1992). "Disney Channel shows best of Martin and Lewis team". The Register-Guard. p. 10E.
  30. ^ Gaver, Jack (18 April 1948). "Two Young Comedians Score in Broadway Night Club". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 63.
  31. ^ a b Altobell, Don (August 29, 2002). "The Rat Pack's last show Memories of Dean, Frank & Sammy at the 500 Club". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  32. ^ Fishgall 2010, p. 182.
  33. ^ Blavat, Jerry (April 30, 2014). "Who Remembers Sinatrarama?". Atlantic City Weekly. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  34. ^ "Souvenir From Latimer Cafe – Frankie, Dino & Sammy – Summit Meeting At The 500". Discogs. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  35. ^ "RARE Private FRANK SINATRA Dino Sammy LATIMER CAFE mint". Worthpoint. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  36. ^ "Skinny D'Amato settlement OK'd". Bucks County Courier Times. November 3, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved July 31, 2016.Open access icon
  37. ^ a b "World News Summary". Nashua Telegraph. 11 June 1973. p. 5.
  38. ^ "Fire Destroys Atlantic City's 500 Club". St. Petersburg Times. 11 June 1973. p. 2-A.
  39. ^ a b "Historical Marker-Paul "Skinny' D'Amato". Atlantic City Free Public Library. Retrieved July 29, 2016.
  40. ^ "Fire Destroys 500 Club". Tyrone Daily Herald. No. Tyrone, PA. June 11, 1973. p. 4. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  41. ^ "Boardwalk possible center for crime". The Newark Advocate. December 9, 1976. p. 30. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  42. ^ "Atlantic City becomes real-life Monopoly game". The Newark Advocate. November 17, 1976. p. 2. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  43. ^ Karmel 2015, pp. 21–22.
  44. ^ a b Lemongello, Steven (23 June 2013). "South Jersey Neighbors: Paulajane D'Amato's story linked to historic 500 Club". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  45. ^ "Due to popular demand: Philly Pops adds a fourth concert to Sinatra weekend at the Kimmel Center (press release)". Philly Pops. 8 September 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2016.

Sources

Further reading

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