ATLANTIC CITY — The owners of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort said Wednesday that the casino will close after Labor Day weekend, blaming striking Unite Here Local 54 workers for preventing a “path to profitability.”
In justifying the decision to close, Tony Rodio, president and CEO of Tropicana Entertainment, said the Taj is losing millions of dollars a month and that the owners have “fiduciary duties to their shareholders.”
The company intends to send state-required mass layoff notices before the weekend, Rodio said in a statement.
A look back at the opening of the Trump Taj Mahal casino
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The casino employed more than 2,100 people at the end of 2015, including about 1,000 Local 54 members, according to the documents filed the with state Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Local 54 President Bob McDevitt accused Taj owner Carl Icahn of taking the 34-day strike personally.
“For a few million bucks, he could have had labor peace and a content workforce, but instead he’d rather slam the door shut on these long-term workers just to punish them and attempt to break their strike,” McDevitt said in a statement. “There was no element of trying to reach an agreement here on Icahn’s part; it was always 'my way or the highway' from the beginning with Icahn.”
The Taj Mahal would be the city’s fifth casino to close since 2014.
Two years ago, the city’s casino industry was decimated by the closings of Showboat Casino Hotel on Aug. 31, Revel on Sept. 2 and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino on Sept. 16. The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel closed earlier that year, taking with it 1,600 jobs.
When the dust settled, about 8,000 employees had lost jobs.
About 1,000 cooks, housekeepers, bellmen, bartenders, cocktail servers and other service workers at Taj Mahal have been on strike since July 1. The strike at the casino-hotel follows union agreements with Tropicana Atlantic City and Caesars Entertainment, which owns Caesars Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort and Bally’s Atlantic City.
Elton John played the first concert at the Mark G. Etess Arena in 1990.
Frank Sinatra Jr. performs a tribute to his father with a 38-piece orchestra, Thursday May 11, 2000, at the Sands Copa Room. The son of Frank Sinatra also performed at the Trump Taj mahal.
Hundreds of entertainers have played at Trump Taj Mahal since it opened in April of 1990. Here are just a smattering of some of those big ticket names. We'll be updating this story as we comb the Press of Atlantic City archives.
Elton John played the first concert at the Mark G. Etess Arena in 1990.
WALTER BIERI
Donna Summer performed at Trump Taj Mahal in July 1990.
Martina McBride performed several times at the Trump Taj Mahal, most recently scheduled for January of 2016.
Chris Tucker has played Trump Taj Mahal several times.
Tim McGraw was the headliner for the July 4 Celebrate America Weekend concert on the beach in Wildwood. (Dale Gerhard/Press of Atlantic City)
Dale Gerhard
Rod Stewart Aug. 23 at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. He's played several times at Trump Taj Mahal, and is expected to perform on Aug. 27.
Luis Hidalgo
Jo Dee Messina performed at Trump Taj Mahal in 2014.
Neil Sedaka has played several times in Atlantic City, and at Trump Taj Mahal in 2013.
B.B. King was slated to play Trump Taj Mahal in August 2013.
Don Rickles was a regular performer at the Trump Taj Mahal.
Aretha Franklin performs at the Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, Saturday October 6 2012. (The Press of Atlantic City / Ben Fogletto)
Ben Fogletto
Al Green was scheduled to perform in August of 2012.
1996-98 AccuSoft Inc., All right
Frank Sinatra Jr. performs a tribute to his father with a 38-piece orchestra, Thursday May 11, 2000, at the Sands Copa Room. The son of Frank Sinatra also performed at the Trump Taj mahal.
MICHAEL EIN
ZZ Top played Trump Taj Mahal several times.
Jackie Evancho made her Atlantic City debut at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011.
Paul Simon performed at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in 2011.
Cyndi Lauper brings her varied catalog of music to Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort on Saturday, July 6, 2013.
“It’s a shame. I see both sides, really,” said Dan Worman, 47, of Egg Harbor Township, as he played slots Wednesday afternoon inside the Taj. “Atlantic City is not as strong of a market as it used to be. And I do believe in Icahn and Tony Rodio, that if they would have turned it around, they would have gave (the workers) their money. It’s just right now, it’s just bad timing.”
When it opened on April 2, 1990, the Taj Mahal, formerly owned by Donald J. Trump, had 120,000 square feet of gaming space and claimed to be the world’s largest casino. The casino also billed itself as the “eighth wonder of the world.”
Despite the announcement of the potential closing, striking workers were still out on the Boardwalk alerting visitors to their plight. At one point, the striking workers chanted: “If we don’t get it (a new contract), shut it down.”
“Carl Icahn said he was going to invest in the building, invest in the workers and get the Taj Mahal going to the days of what it used to be,” said Pete Battaglini, a 60-year-old bellman at the casino. “Now today he announced he is going to close it. I feel that it’s just that Wall Street mentality, ‘We will take what we can get and then move on.’”
Icahn became the owner of the Taj Mahal after taking the casino’s mounting debt. At one point, he promised to pour $100 million into the casino to renovate it, but he backed off that pledge until the question of North Jersey casinos was settled. Last October, a federal judge agreed that as part of the casino’s bankruptcy process, the union could stop making health care and pension payments to workers.
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho reacts after a TKO in the six round over Ray Mercer at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho, left lands a left to the face of Ray Mercer,right during six round boxing match at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho,right lands a right to the face of Ray Mercer,left during six round of Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
Ray Mercer,left and Wladimir Klitschko,right walk around the stage before the weigh-in at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
Ray Mercer,left and Wladimir Klitschko,right walk around the stage before the weigh-in at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho reacts after a TKO in the six round over Ray Mercer at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho reacts after a TKO in the six round over Ray Mercer at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho, left lands a left to the face of Ray Mercer,right during six round boxing match at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho,right lands a right to the face of Ray Mercer,left during six round of Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Mercer heavyweight bout at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Mercer heavyweight bout at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitschko, Ray Mercer heavyweight bout at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Ray Mercer,left and Wladimir Klitschko,right walk around the stage before the weigh-in at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Ray Mercer,left and Wladimir Klitschko,right walk around the stage before the weigh-in at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Ray Mercer pose from the photographer after the weigh-in at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Ray Mercer watch the weigh-in by Larry Hazzard at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Ray Mercer watch weigh-in by Larry Hazzard at Trump Taj Mahal on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, Thursday, June 27, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
Boxing-Wladimir Klitscho reacts after a TKO in the six round over Ray Mercer at Etess Arena, Trump Taj Mahal Resort in Atlantic City, Saturday, June 29, 2002.
EDWARD LEA
“We’ve heard all over Atlantic City, and especially this part of Atlantic City, about people losing their jobs, and I am surprised that he would do this,” Dianna Siderio, 57, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, said as she walked out of the Taj.
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"I like thinking big" quote and Donald Trump photo inside the Taj Mahal Wednesday.
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