Anyone who saw the HBO series, “Boardwalk Empire,” or read the book that inspired it knows that for years Atlantic City was a hotbed of corruption, especially during the 1920-1933 Prohibition years.
Probably the most notorious and corrupt was political boss Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1941 for tax evasion, but had been involved in promoting bootlegging, kickbacks on government contracts, gambling and prostitution long before that.
Why was Atlantic City so crooked in those days? According to Nelson Johnson, author of “Boardwalk Empire,” it came with the drive to attract people to the World’s Playground.
“Atlantic City was a tourist destination, and city leaders knew that its success as a resort depended on providing visitors with what they wanted,” Johnson said. “What many tourists wanted was the opportunity to drink, gamble and visit prostitutes. City leaders realized that permitting a vice industry would give the city an edge over its competitors.”
For whatever reason, perhaps because many of the city’s politicos were part of the system of corruption in some way, the Atlantic City mayor’s office remained relatively clean for a long time. In fact, since the city was formally incorporated in 1854, 41 mayors have been elected, and the mayor’s office had been free of scandal – on the record, at least – for almost 128 years. That changed when Michael J. Matthews was elected in 1982.
Matthews was an Atlantic City High School graduate who first entered the political world in 1969 as a city councilman in Linwood.
He rose quickly in the shore area political world and was elected Atlantic City mayor in 1982, defeating James Usry, who would later become Atlantic City’s first black mayor.
As the story goes, Matthews approached some unsavory characters, including Philadelphia crime boss Nicky Scarfo, for help with his mayoral campaign.
In exchange for that assistance, there were promises of city zoning and planning approvals, and various contracts for business that included a cement operation owned by Scarfo partner Philip Leonetti.
That was only the beginning of Matthews’ alleged involvement in a series of threats, bribes and hidden interests in properties pegged for casino development.
Matthews was indicted on March 28, 1984, on federal extortion charges, two weeks after being ousted by voters in favor of James Usry in a recall election. Matthews was sentenced to 15 years in prison for extortion and accepting a bribe from an FBI agent. He was paroled in 1990. In January of 2014, Matthews died at the age of 79.
Usry, another AC High School graduate, seemed to have a promising career ahead of him in the political world. Then-President Ronald Reagan thought so highly of Usry that in 1987, Reagan appointed him to the National Advisory Council of Educational Research and Improvement.
Sadly, in 1989, along with 13 other area politicos, Usry was indicted for accepting bribes, conspiracy, official misconduct and accepting unlawful gifts. Eventually, the bigger charges were dropped and Usry was sentenced to 60 hours of community service in exchange for pleading guilty to the relatively minor charge of improperly reporting campaign contributions. Usry died in January of 2002 at the age of 79.
Robert W. Levy Sr. was another Atlantic City native who was something of a protégé of former Mayor Jim Whelan. He was elected mayor in 2006 and was in office for less than two years. Not long after his election, the Press of Atlantic City discovered that Levy had been lying about his Army service record in order to claim benefits. After Levy heard that the Press was about to publish the allegations, he disappeared for parts unknown, and the mystery became a national news story.
For a time the office of the Atlantic City mayor was vacant. It was finally discovered that the soon-to-be disgraced Levy had checked in to the Hackensack Meridian Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead, a facility that specializes in treating addiction and psychiatric disorders. On Sept. 29, 2007 Levy’s lawyer announced that Levy had resigned.
Levy pleaded guilty to defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs and was sentenced to three years of probation, a $5,000 fine, and was ordered to pay $25,198 in restitution. In July of 2008, the court also mandated that Levy continue court-ordered psychiatric treatment.
Frank Gilliam Jr. also served only one year as Atlantic City mayor: 2018 to 2019. An Atlantic City native who defeated the popular Don Guardian, Gilliam became the city’s third African-American mayor.
There was trouble from the start. In November of 2018, a surveillance video of a fist fight outside of the Golden Nugget between the mayor and City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II, was made public. City Democrats were appalled and called for the resignations of Gilliam and Fauntleroy.
The mayor was involved in several other physical altercations early in his term, but what brought him down was the discovery that he stole $87,000 in funds earmarked for a non-profit, youth basketball team that he actually founded. He pleaded guilty to the charge of wire fraud in October of 2019 and was sentenced to 30 days in prison, 11 months of home confinement, three years of supervised release, $86,790 in restitution and 200 hours of community service.
When Gilliam resigned in 2019, Marty Small, then a member of City Council, was appointed mayor. Despite his widely reported legal issues, which are separate from his duties as mayor, he won the Democratic mayoral primary in a landslide against former union leader Bob McDevitt.
On Nov. 4 of this year, Small will run against Naeem Ahmed Khan for the office of mayor of Atlantic City, and the voters will make their choice, as they have 41 times before.
Blue Notes: The South Jersey Jazz Society has just announced the lineup for “Jersey Fresh,” a three-day jazz festival that will take place in Somers Point on Oct. 16, 17, 18. The society really knows how to book performers for a festival, striking the perfect balance between regional and national performers.
Headliner is guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli. Area performers include Michael Pedicin Jr., Paul Jost, Matt Cappy and Tony Monaco. For more information call 609-289-0326 or see southjerseyjazz.org.
Bruce Klauber is the author of four books, an award-winning music journalist, concert and record producer and publicist, producer of the Warner Brothers and Hudson Music “Jazz Legends” film series, and performs both as a drummer and vocalist.
