The casino was inaugurated in 1990 by its owner, Donald Trump, and was built at a total cost of nearly US$1 billion. Original restaurants at the Taj Mahal included Hard Rock Cafe, Sultan's Feast, Dynasty, Il Mulino New York, Moon at Dynasty, and Robert's Steakhouse. It was also the home of Scores, the country's first in-casino strip club.
The Taj Mahal came to the brink of closure in 2014 as its parent company went through bankruptcy, but ultimately remained open under the new ownership of Icahn Enterprises. In 2015, the Taj Mahal admitted to having "willfully violated" anti-money-laundering regulations for years and was fined $10 million. It was the highest penalty ever levied by the U.S. federal government against a casino. On August 3, 2016, it was announced that the Trump Taj Mahal would close after Labor Day because it was losing millions of dollars each month.[4] It was closed on October 10, 2016.
On March 1, 2017, the Seminole Tribe of Florida through its Hard Rock International brand, and the Morris and Jingoli families, announced its purchase of the facility and conversion to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino brand. It reopened on June 27, 2018, a day earlier than planned.[1]
History
Trump Taj Mahal era: 1990–2016
Trump Taj Mahal casino floor, c. 2004
Construction of what was originally known as the Taj Mahal commenced in 1983 by Resorts International, owner of the neighboring Resorts Casino Hotel, with an estimated budget of $250 million.[5][6] Resorts head James Crosby said it might be named the United States Hotel, in reference to the city's first major hotel.[7]
After Crosby's death in April 1986, Resorts International became a takeover target.[8] The Taj Mahal had encountered construction problems, and Crosby's heirs, lacking experience in large development projects, doubted their ability to complete it successfully.[9]Donald Trump, who owned two other Atlantic City casinos, beat out several other bidders to purchase a controlling stake in the company for $79 million in July 1987.[10] Trump was appointed chairman of Resorts International, and said he would complete the Taj Mahal in about a year.[10]
Because New Jersey law prohibited anyone from owning more than three casinos, Trump planned to close the original Resorts casino and operate it as a hotel annex to the Taj Mahal.[11][12]
As the total budget had ballooned to $930 million, Resorts sought to raise $550 million to complete the Taj Mahal, but struggled to find the financing.[13] With the company claiming to be near bankruptcy in early 1988, Trump made a tender offer to buy all outstanding stock for $22 a share, stating that he was willing to personally finance the construction but only if he owned the entire company.[14] Television producer Merv Griffin made an unexpected offer to purchase the company for $35 a share,[15] sparking a highly publicized takeover battle,[16] with Trump and Griffin filing lawsuits against each other.[17] The two ultimately reached a settlement, which was executed in November 1988, with Griffin purchasing the company, and Trump purchasing the Taj Mahal from the company for $273 million.[18]
Trump raised $675 million to finance the purchase and completion of the casino, primarily through junk bonds with a 14 percent interest rate.[19][20]
The casino opened on April 2, 1990.[21] With 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of gaming space, it claimed to be the largest casino in the world (though this was disputed by the Riviera),[22] and billed itself as the "eighth wonder of the world".[23] An elaborate grand opening ceremony was held three days later.[24]
In 1991, the Taj Mahal went through a prepackaged bankruptcy, resulting in Trump giving a 50 percent stake in the business to its bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates and a longer payoff schedule.[25][26]
In 1996, Trump's new publicly traded company Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts purchased Taj Mahal in a transaction that valued the property at $890 million.[27][28] In the 1990s, Trump's Taj Mahal casino was "the world's largest, most flamboyant casino" and Trump took on an "enormous amount of debt" to launch it.[29] During eighteen months after its April 2, 1990 opening,[21] when the Casino was on the verge of bankruptcy, it became the "preferred gambling spot for Russian mobsters living in Brooklyn, according to federal investigators who tracked organized crime in New York City".[29]
In 2001, the building hosted the UFC 31 and UFC 32 events, which were the first UFC cards held during the leadership of Dana White.[30][31][32]
The Taj Mahal was the highest grossing casino in the city until the opening of The Borgata in 2003. In 2008, The Chairman Tower opened, bringing the complex to over 2,000 rooms.[citation needed]
In 2013, the Taj Mahal opened the nation's first casino strip club, featuring scantily clad dancers.[33][34]
Bankruptcy filing
Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy on September 10, 2014,[35]
and announced plans to close the Taj Mahal on November 13 if the casino did not get concessions from its unions.[36] A sister property, the Trump Plaza, did close in 2014.[37]
Workers from the casino marched to Mayor Don Guardian's office on the morning of November 3, 2014 to ask him to reconsider granting concessions, which the casino said were necessary to remain open. About 1,000 employees signed a petition calling on the mayor and other officials "to do everything possible" to keep the casino open. At the time, four of twelve casinos in Atlantic City had closed and Trump Taj Mahal would have been the fifth if it were to close.[38]
In filing a revised reorganization plan in a Delaware bankruptcy court, Trump Entertainment Resorts said its board had approved a shutdown of the casino by December 12, 2014. The shutdown date was later pushed back to December 20. On December 18, two days before the scheduled closure, UNITE HERE reached a deal with Trump Entertainment Resorts that saved the Taj from closing. The same day, billionaire Carl Icahn committed $20 million in financing for the Taj.[39]
In February 2016, Trump Entertainment Resorts exited bankruptcy and became a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises. The casino retained the name "Trump Taj Mahal", though Donald Trump no longer held any ownership stake.[40] In April, another Icahn affiliate, Tropicana Entertainment, took over the property under a management agreement.[41][42] Icahn also stated he would withhold a planned $100-million investment into the property if New Jersey approved casinos in the northern region of the state.[43]
On Monday, October 10, 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down.[44] After the closing on that date, one UNITE HERE leader raised the possibility that the casino would remain closed over the winter but will reopen in Spring 2017 as a non-union facility, an attempt that he said would try to prompt a union boycott.[45] On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced plans to spend $300 million to purchase the resort and renovate it.[46][47] It re-opened as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on June 27, 2018.[1]
Labor disputes
On November 14, 2014, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that the casino would shut down in December unless its main union, UNITE HERE, dropped its appeal of a court-ordered cost-savings package, which had effectively cancelled the workers' health insurance and pension coverage.[48] However, it was revealed that the closing was to happen because it had not received the state and local tax breaks it sought.[49]
On October 10, 2016, Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down amidst chaos of casino workers on strike, though Hard Rock Cafe remained open.[50]
On June 15, 2022, UNITE HERE union members voted overwhelming in favor of a strike if their agreement is not made by July 3. UNITE HERE Local 54, which represents workers at the casino as well as other casinos in Atlantic City demanded a raise in wages to help cover financial setbacks from the pandemic and increases in living costs.[51][52]
Hard Rock: 2018–present
On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced its purchase of the Trump Taj Mahal property, and officially reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City,[3] on June 27, 2018.[1]
In November 2018, the Hard Rock announced a plan to launch both online and retail sportsbooks in 2019.[53]
In January 2019, the Hard Rock launched its online sportsbook, making it the 10th sportsbook app in New Jersey.[54]
In January 2020, Scores Nightclub officially closed down. One month later, in February 2020, Robert's Steakhouse closed.
Money laundering
Over its years of operation from 1990 to 2016, Trump Taj Mahal was, according to National Public Radio business correspondent, Jim Zarroli, "repeatedly cited for having inadequate money-laundering controls, not an unusual charge in the gaming business".[55]
In February 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury'sFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network settled an investigation of Trump Taj Mahal with the assessment of a $10 million civil fine for "significant and long-standing money laundering violations" which were described as "willful and repeated" contraventions of the record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act.[56][57] It was the highest penalty ever levied by the U.S. Federal Government against a casino.[58]
The casino agreed to periodic external audits to comply with anti-money laundering statutes,[57] and admitted to multiple violations as part of its settlement.[59] The U.S. Treasury made note of casino violations dating back to 1998, when Trump Taj Mahal paid a $477,700 fine for violating currency transaction requirements,[29] as well as violations in 2003, 2010, and in 2012, for which the company was "repeatedly warned". Trump Taj Mahal was "far from meeting" standards required to protect the U.S. financial system "from exploitation from criminals, terrorists, and other bad actors", the Treasury said in a press release.[57]
A 218-page U.S. Senate Subcommittee report, "Asian Organized Crime: the New International Criminal", released in 1992 linked Trump's businesses to Asian organized crime.[61]
The Senate subcommittee named Danny Sau Keung Leung, who had been Trump Taj Mahal's vice president of foreign marketing since 2000, as an associate of the Hong Kong-based organized crime group 14K Triad[62] linked to "murders, extortions and heroin smuggling".[63] Leung worked at Trump Taj Mahal from 1990 to 1995.[63] He was "known by law enforcement to be linked to organized crime syndicates"[64] and was investigated by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in 1995 with hearings in Atlantic City regarding his "background and character".[63] "Mentions of Trump businesses" were "sprinkled throughout the 1992 Senate report on "Asian organized crime in the United States".[64] "Crime bosses who ran the Chinatownbus system put together trips to Trump businesses in Atlantic City. [O]ther people with links to organized crime booked shows at Trump venues and in 1987, one was indicted on a charge of providing kickbacks to executives at Trump Castle."[64] According to an Internal Revenue Service report cited in a 2016 Politifact article by Linda Qui,[62] Trump also worked closely with other members and associates of organized criminal enterprises, including Danny Leung, Felix Sater, Salvatore Testa, and Kenneth Shapiro".[62][65]: 5 In 1984, Canadian police had identified Leung as "a major player in Toronto organized crime", yet in 1989, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted him the casino "key license reserved for executives"[63] and he began working for Trump Taj Mahal in 1990.[63] At the New Jersey Casino Control Commission hearing in 1994, Trump sent Taj President Dennis Gomes to "testify on Leung's behalf at the hearing New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In spite of an objection of the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the testimony of Canadian police, his casino key license was renewed. "Leung's lawyer, Guy Michael said, that the criminal allegations were "absolutely untrue. In August 2013, Leung requested to be placed on the Casino Key Employee Inactive List in August 2013 "in lieu of complying with the resubmission process".[66]: 20
Shooting incidents
On May 27, 2009, Ray Kot, a casino supervisor for the former Taj Mahal, was shot and killed while working, by Mark Magee of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Magee claimed that he killed Kot because all "casinos cheat gamblers".[67] On August 11, 2010, Magee was sentenced to 30 years without parole,[68] "The Ray Kot Memorial Park" was dedicated on October 16, 2009.[69]
On September 18, 2011, a man was shot dead and a woman was wounded during an apparent carjacking inside the parking garage of the casino. The man, 28-year-old Sunil Rattu, and the woman, 24-year-old Radha Ghetia, were held up as they left the casino, and then forced to drive to a nearby alley where Rattu was shot dead, while Ghetia was shot in the upper part of her body. Ghetia was treated for her injuries and later recovered.[70] Just days later, three Camden men were taken into custody; two of whom admitted to the crime and took plea bargains with the county attorneys office, one sentence of 40 and the other one for 47 years.[71]
On March 24, 2016, three teenagers attending a party in a hotel room on the forty-seventh floor were shot. Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the incident,[72] which was later described as "gang related".[73]
Gallery
The Trump Taj Mahal, as seen from the boardwalk
The Trump Taj Mahal, as seen from the boardwalk
The Taj Mahal, as seen from the Fairfield Resorts
The Trump Taj Mahal, as seen from just beyond Pacific Avenue
^Richard Koenig (April 19, 1988). "Trump, man of glitz, is forced to cut back at Taj Mahal casino". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest398124046. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^"Resorts International receives takeover offer to rival Trump's". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. March 25, 1987. ProQuest389592810. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^ abJoyce A. Venezia (July 22, 1987). "Trump completes the deal for Resorts International". The Philadelphia Inquirer. ProQuest286210766. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^Frank Allen (February 2, 1988). "Trump renews his push to take Resorts private". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest398147631. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^Eileen White Read; Richard Koenig (March 22, 1988). "Merv Griffin sues to block Trump offer for Resorts, says he may boost his own". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest398029238. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^Beatrice E. Garcia (November 16, 1988). "Trump completes the sale of Resorts to Merv Griffin". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest398072552. – via ProQuest (subscription required)
^Asian Organized Crime: the New International Criminal(PDF) (Report). the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate. 1992. p. 218. Retrieved May 22, 2017.
هذه المقالة تحتاج للمزيد من الوصلات للمقالات الأخرى للمساعدة في ترابط مقالات الموسوعة. فضلًا ساعد في تحسين هذه المقالة بإضافة وصلات إلى المقالات المتعلقة بها الموجودة في النص الحالي. (مارس 2018) مقاطعة بيدل الإحداثيات 44°25′N 98°17′W / 44.41°N 98.28°W / 44.41; -98.28 &...
Tàu tuần dương Lützow đang được cho kéo đến Leningrad, tháng 5 năm 1940 Lịch sử Đức Tên gọi LützowĐặt tên theo Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von LützowXưởng đóng tàu Deschimag, BremenĐặt lườn 8 tháng 2 năm 1937Hạ thủy 7 tháng 1 năm 1939Số phận Chưa hoàn tất, chuyển cho Liên Xô Lịch sử Liên Xô Tên gọi PetropavlovskĐặt tên theo Phong tỏa PetropavlovskTrưng dụng tháng 4 năm 1940Nhập biên chế 15 tháng 8 năm 1941Xu...
إمبراطور اليابان الإمبراطور سينيه (باليابانية: 清寧天皇) إمبراطور اليابان فترة الحكم480-484 (تاريخ تقليدي) معلومات شخصية الميلاد أسطوريساكوراي، نارا الوفاة أسطوريساكوراي، نارا مكان الدفن أوساكا مواطنة اليابان مشكلة صحية برص عدد الأولاد 0 الأب الإمبر...
Permen tongkat Permen tongkat (bahasa Inggris: candy cane) adalah permen berbentuk tongkat bergaris-garis merah dan putih dengan rasa mint. Walaupun demikian, permen ini juga tersedia dalam berbagai rasa, warna, dan lebar garis yang berbeda-beda. Permen tongkat ini merupakan permen tradisional untuk hari Natal di Amerika Serikat, tetapi bisa juga dibeli sepanjang tahun. Sejarah Pembuat permen tongkat yang pertama adalah pendeta Prancis dari awal tahun 1400-an. Pada mulanya, permen ini keras, ...
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: 1983 in Australia – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) The following lists events that happened during 1983 in Australia. 1983 in AustraliaMonarchElizabeth IIGovernor-GeneralSir Ninia...
1995 compilation album by Sonic YouthScreaming Fields of Sonic LoveCompilation album by Sonic YouthReleasedApril 25, 1995Recorded1982–1988Genre Alternative rock noise rock experimental rock Length76:19LabelDGCProducerSonic YouthSonic Youth compilation album chronology Screaming Fields of Sonic Love(1995) The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities(2006) Sonic Youth chronology Made in USA(1995) Screaming Fields of Sonic Love(1995) Washing Machine(1995) Professional ratingsReview scoresS...
Abjad-based writing system This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Manichaean script – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2021) Manichaean scriptTable of letters from Manichaean script, with their Latin transliterationsScript type Abjad Time period3rd century – c. 10th ...
Sixth form college in Godalming, Surrey, EnglandGodalming CollegeAddressTuesley LaneGodalming, Surrey, GU7 1RSEnglandCoordinates51°10′37″N 0°36′58″W / 51.177°N 0.616°W / 51.177; -0.616InformationTypeSixth form collegeLocal authoritySurreyDepartment for Education URN130828 TablesPrincipalEmma YoungGenderCoeducationalAge16+Websitewww.godalming.ac.uk Godalming College is a sixth form college, situated in Godalming, 31 miles (50 km) south-west of London an...
هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (يونيو 2019) ديريك وول معلومات شخصية الميلاد 26 مايو 1965 (58 سنة)[1] مواطنة المملكة المتحدة الحياة العملية المهنة صحفي، واقتصادي، ومدون، وعالم بيئة ال...
British wood engraver and sculptor Rachel ReckittBorn1908St Albans, EnglandDied1995 (aged 86–87)NationalityBritishEducationTaunton School of ArtGrosvenor School of Modern ArtHammersmith School of Building CraftsCentral School of Art and DesignKnown forSculpture, painting, wood engravingRelativesPenelope Lively (niece) Rachel Reckitt (1908–1995) was a British artist, who in a long career worked as a wood engraver, as a sculptor and as a designer of wrought iron work. Her outp...
Railway station in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Atsugi Station厚木駅Exit of Odakyu Atsugi StationGeneral informationLocationKawaharaguchi, Ebina-shi, Kanagawa-ken 243-0433JapanCoordinates35°26′36.0″N 139°22′42.4″E / 35.443333°N 139.378444°E / 35.443333; 139.378444Operated by Odakyu Electric Railway (manager) JR East Line(s) Odakyu Odawara Line ■ Sagami Line Distance44.1 km from ShinjukuPlatforms3 side platformsConnections Bus terminal Other inform...
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (October 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims ...
2006 box set by Miles DavisThe Legendary Prestige Quintet SessionsBox set by Miles DavisReleasedMay 23, 2006RecordedNovember 16, 1955May 11, 1956October 26, 1956GenreJazzLabelConcord Music Group Professional ratingsReview scoresSourceRatingAllmusic[1] The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions is a four compact disc box set of recordings by the Miles Davis Quintet released in 2006 by the Concord Music Group. It collates on three discs the entire set of recordings that made up the...
Museum in Oslo, Norway Not to be confused with Museum of Cultural History, Oslo. Gol Stave Church re-erected in 1885 in the open-air museum of Oscar II Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History), at Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway, is a museum of cultural history with extensive collections of artifacts from all social groups and all regions of the country. It also incorporates a large open-air museum with more than 150 buildings, relocated from towns and rural districts.[1] The No...
Isla Santa Inés Glaciar Sarmiento de Gamboa, en la isla Santa Inés.Ubicación geográficaRegión Archipiélago de Tierra del FuegoArchipiélago Archipiélago de Tierra del FuegoOcéano Océano PacíficoCoordenadas 53°45′S 72°45′O / -53.75, -72.75Ubicación administrativaPaís Chile ChileDivisión Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena• Región• Provincia• Comuna Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena[1] MagallanesPunta Arena...
1955 Cambodian Geneva Conference referendum 7 February 1955 Results Choice Votes % Yes 925,667 99.80% No 1,834 0.20% Valid votes 927,501 100.00% Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00% Total votes 927,501 100.00% This article is part of a series on thePolitics ofCambodia Monarchy King Norodom Sihamoni Throne Council House of Norodom House of Sisowath (1904–41) Government Prime Minister (list) Hun Manet Deputy Prime Ministers Vongsey Vissoth Aun Pornmoniroth Sar Sokha Tea Seiha Sun Chanthol Hangchuon...
Singaporean judge, lawyer and writer The HonourablePhilip JeyaretnamSC BBMJudge of the High Court of SingaporeIncumbentAssumed office 1 November 2021Nominated byHalimah YacobJudicial Commissioner of the Supreme CourtIn office4 January 2021 – 31 October 2021Nominated byHalimah Yacob Personal detailsBornPhilip Antony Jeyaretnam1964 (age 58–59)State of Singapore, MalaysiaParent(s)J. B. Jeyaretnam (father)Margaret Cynthia Walker (mother)RelativesKenneth Jeyaretnam (broth...
Japanese dubbing company This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Frontier Enterprises – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May ...
1991 Calgary Stampeders seasonOwnerLarry RyckmanGeneral managerNorman KwongHead coachWally BuonoHome fieldMcMahon StadiumResultsRecord11–7Division place2nd, WestPlayoff finishLost Grey CupUniform ← 1990 Stampeders seasons 1992 → The 1991 Calgary Stampeders finished in second place in the West Division with an 11–7 record. The Stampeders won their first playoff game(s) since 1979 and also appeared in the Grey Cup game for the first time in 20 years but they lost ...
