Chance of a Lifetime: Nucky Johnson, Skinny D'Amato and how Atlantic City became the Naughty Queen of Resorts

A personal history of Atlantic City during its heyday as the nation's center of popular entertainment, Chance of a Lifetime focuses on the decades before and after World War II. This was the city's heyday, when celebrities and tourists flocked to "America's Playground" -- and political corruption, illegal gambling, bootlegging, and prostitution were all sanctioned as part of the Atlantic City experience. As Skinny D'Amato is quoted in the book: "Atlantic City was Las Vegas. This town was wide open." Beginning with the early attractions of the anything-goes resort, the author explores the rise to power of notorious political boss Enoch "Nucky" Johnson. This sets the scene for the rise of entrepreneurial Paul "Skinny" D'Amato and his famed 500 Club -- a venue that encapsulated everything good, bad, and fun about the legendary resort town. We are given a nostalgic tour of the city's storied history. Insider Grace Anselmo D'Amato, whose husband managed the 500 Club for his brother Skinny, tells the intimate account. The book includes a foreword by the renowned Atlantic City historian Vicki Gold Levi, who experienced the 500 Club at its height in the 1950s as a teenager. Displaying an extensive private collection of celebrity, 500 Club, and historic Atlantic City photographs, Chance of a Lifetime is lavishly illustrated with 178 images specially printed on 96 glossy gallery pages -- with additional images throughout the text.