Print

Stan and Mary Sladek Collection of Sands Casino Memorabilia

Date: 1980-2004
Collection Number: H014

Extent: 4.0 cubic feet

Repository: Atlantic City Heritage Collections, Atlantic City Free Public Library, 1 North Tennessee Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, (609) 345-2269.

Preferred Citation: Stan and Mary Sladek Collection of Sands Casino Memorabilia, Atlantic City Heritage Collections, Atlantic City Free Public Library.

Creators:
Stan and Mary Sladek, of Maryland, were long-time loyal patrons of the Sands Casino in Atlantic City, which opened in 1981 and closed in 2006. They attended the opening day of the building, when it was known as the Brighton Hotel and Casino and continued to visit when the name changed.

Over the years, they developed close associations with casino management, employees, and other frequent visitors. They attended many parties, shows, concerts, dinners, and other special functions to which they were invited. Their frequent visits and customer loyalty earned them comps for many of these complimentary tickets, rooms, and meals. Their close relationship with the Sands employees led to many invitations to attend special employee events. The Sladeks also frequented other casinos in Atlantic City and elsewhere to reunite with friends from the Sands.

Their favorite games were, for Stan, roulette, and for Mary, slots, blackjack, and roulette. Stan passed away on November 20, 2014.

IN-DEPTH INFORMATION ABOUT THE COLLECTION


Scope and Content:
Materials in this collection were compiled by Stan and Mary Sladek during their patronage of the Sands Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from 1980 to 2004. Previous to the existence of the Sands, the Sladeks visited the Brighton Hotel and Casino, and some of the materials in the first scrapbook are from the Brighton.

Items included in the scrapbooks are invitations, correspondence to and from casino management and personnel, bills and receipts, menus, photographs, brochures, tickets, cards, and other keepsakes. Some items of note are:

  • Clippings and letters about the casino workers strike of September 1986 (book #6);
  • Invitations to see Cher perform in August 1989 (book #9) and October 1991 (book #12);
  • Photographs from the Sands 10th Anniversary Celebration in November 1990 (book #11);
  • Poster promoting the Russian Ballet appearances (book #10);
  • Clippings from the Press of Atlantic City and pageant program from the September 1989 Miss America Pageant (book #9);
  • Invitation to see Frank Sinatra perform in November 1991 (book #13); and
  • Copies of The Islander, the Sands Casino newsletter for employees (interspersed throughout the later books).

To accompany the scrapbooks, the Sladeks wrote a history of their visits to Atlantic City, and, in particular, to the Sands. Included are events they attended, parties they hosted, gambling wins, descriptions of the comps they received, and names of many of the friends they made in Atlantic City.

The scrapbooks and the history were donated to the Sands Casino by the Sladeks in the early 2000s. When the Sands was bought by Pinnacle Entertainment in 2006, and it was announced that the building would be closed in November 2006 and demolished, Stan and Mary Sladek were concerned about the ultimate disposition of the scrapbooks. They chose to have the books transferred from the Sands offices to the Atlantic City Free Public Library Heston Collection at this time.

System of Arrangement:
The collection is divided in two series:

Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1980-2004
18 volumes of scrapbooks of Sands memorabilia: consisting of programs, invitations, correspondence, photographs, menus, and other. Arranged chronologically. Also includes Live All the Action! book, published by the Atlantic City Visitors Guide (volume 5).

Series 2:Fun in the Sands
A chronological history of the Sladeks visits to Atlantic City and the events they attended, written by Mary and Stan in 2003.

OTHER INFORMATION FOR USERS OF THE COLLECTION

Related Materials:
The Library has many books related to the Casino industry in Atlantic City. Those interested in this topic should search the Library Catalog, using subject headings like:
Casinos Economic aspects
Casinos New Jersey
Casinos Social aspects
Gambling New Jersey Atlantic City
Gambling Social aspects

Within the Heston Collection, related holdings include a Vertical File on the Sands Casino, periodicals with articles relating to casino spending and management, and reports about the economic impact of gambling on Atlantic City.

Access Points:
Brighton Hotel and Casino Atlantic City (N.J.)
Sands Casino Atlantic City (N.J.)
Casinos Social aspects
Gambling New Jersey Atlantic City

Processing Note: The collection is processed and open for research. Finding aid written by Heather Halpin, archivist, March 2007.

Copyright Notice: While the Atlantic City Free Public Library owns the collection as a whole, the Library does not own the copyright for Sands Casino items within the collection. Researchers wishing to reproduce for publication them are responsible for obtaining the proper permission from Pinnacle Entertainment.

CONTAINER LISTING
Series 1: Scrapbooks, 1980-2004

Volume Dates
Box
1 August 1980-1982 (includes Brighton Hotel) 1
2 December 1982-Summer1983 1
  Live All the Action! booklet 1
3 Fall 1983-March 1984 2
4 Spring 1984-Spring 1985 2
5 Summer 1985-Spring 1986 3
6 Summer 1986-Summer 1987 3
7 Summer 1987-Winter 1988 4
8 December 1988-Summer 1989 4
9 Summer 1989-January 1990 4
10 February 1990-November 1990 5
11 November 1990-February 1991 5
12 1991 6
13 November 1991-June 1992 6
14 Summer 1992-November 1992 7
15 January 1993-November 1993 7
16 December 1993-June 1995 7
17 June 1995-January 1996 8
18 February 1996-[2004] 8

Series 2: "Fun in the Sands"

  "Fun in the Sands" 1

Finding aid published 12 March 2007.