Resorts held a monopoly outside Nevada for 13 months until Atlantic City started adding new casinos there currently are nine. “There were so many cigarettes stubbed out on the floor that before long you couldn’t tell what color the carpet was.” “It was incredible, it was a madhouse,” Norton told The Associated Press in 2022. And cash - more than anyone had ever seen and more than management could imagine - flooded into the counting room, taking an entire day to count. Men relieved themselves into plastic coin cups to avoid losing their spots at the tables. People bought tickets for buffets they had no intention of eating just so they could sneak inside the casino before anyone else. The Boardwalk casino was inundated by thousands of people trying to get inside, and authorities considered diverting traffic trying to enter Atlantic City to ease crowd control. Norton was executive vice president of Resorts when the New Jersey casino opened on May 26, 1978. He was always a pleasure to speak with over the years, and a true gentleman in our business.” “He was an important leader in the Atlantic City market dating back to the 1970s. “Steve was an early and influential gaming executive in Atlantic City and at Resorts,” said the casino's current president, Mark Giannantonio.
