The Taj Mahal is a beautiful, white-marble mausoleum built by Mughul emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Located on the southern bank of the Yamuna River near Agra, India, the Taj Mahal took 22 years to build, finally being completed in 1653. The Taj Mahal, considered one of the New Wonders of the World, astounds every visitor not only for its symmetry and structural beauty, but also for its intricate calligraphy, inlaid flowers made of gemstones, and magnificent garden. The Love StoryIt was in 1607, that Shah Jahan, grandson of Akbar the Great, first met his beloved. At the time, he was not yet the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire. Sixteen-year-old, Prince Khurram, as he was then called, flitted around the royal bazaar, flirting with the girls from high-ranking families that staffed the booths. At one of these booths, Prince Khurram met 15-year-old Arjumand Banu Baygam, whose father was soon to be the prime minister and whose aunt was married to Prince Khurram’s father. Although it was love at first sight, the two were not allowed to marry right away. First, Prince Khurram had to marry Kandahari Begum. (He would later marry a third wife as well.) On March 27, 1612, Prince Khurram and his beloved, whom he gave the name Mumtaz Mahal (“chosen one of the palace”), were married. Mumtaz Mahal was not only beautiful, she was smart and tender-hearted. The public was enamored with her, in part because Mumtaz Mahal cared for the people, diligently making lists of widows and orphans to make sure they received food and money. The couple had 14 children together, but only seven lived past infancy. It was the birth of the 14th child that was to kill Mumtaz Mahal. The Death of Mumtaz MahalIn 1631, three years into Shah Jahan’s reign, there was a rebellion underway, led by Khan Jahan Lodi. Shah Jahan had taken his military out to the Deccan, about 400 miles from Agra, in order to crush the usurper. As usual, Mumtaz Mahal, who was always by Shah Jahan’s side, accompanied him, despite being heavily pregnant. On June 16, 1631, Mumtaz Mahal, in an elaborately decorated tent, gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the middle of the encampment. At first, all seemed to be well, but it was soon discovered that Mumtaz Mahal was dying. As soon as Shah Jahan received news of his wife’s condition, he rushed to her side. In the early morning hours of June 17, 1631, Mumtaz Mahal died in his arms. Reports say that in Shah Jahan’s anguish, he went to his own tent and cried for eight days. Upon emerging, some say he had aged, now sporting white hair and needing glasses. Mumtaz Mahal was buried right away, according to Islamic tradition, near the encampment at Burbanpur. Her body, however, was not to stay there long. Plans for the Taj MahalIn December 1631, when the feud with Khan Jahan Lodi was won, Shah Jahan had the remains of Mumtaz Mahal dug up and brought 435 miles (700 km) to Agra. The return of Mumtaz Mahal was a grand procession, with thousands of soldiers accompanying the body and mourners lining the route. When the remains of Mumtaz Mahal reached Agra on January 8, 1632, they were temporarily buried on land donated by nobleman Raja Jai Singh, near where the Taj Mahal was to be built. Shah Jahan, filled with grief, had decided to pour that emotion into an elaborate, exquisite, expensive mausoleum that would rival all those that had come before it. (It was also to be unique, being the first large mausoleum dedicated to a woman.) Although no one, main architect for the Taj Mahal is known, it is believed that Shah Jahan, who was already passionate about architecture, worked on the plans himself with the input and aid of a number of the best architects of his time. How can the answer be improved? Block Launcher Pro is designed as a custom Minecraft PE launcher for Minecraft PE that wraps around it and provides loading of patches. In the Pro version of the Block Launcher app, it provides loading of texture packs and server IPs as well. Block launcher minecraft. BlockLauncher is a custom Minecraft PE launcher that wraps around Minecraft PE and provides loading of patches, texture packs, and mods. (formerly known as MCPELauncher) Just choose Options on the main screen, then select mods. Jul 04, 2017 It's why players (now at least, even when addons are available) look for block launcher or some type of modding platform, because you can't add things with addons, only change them. I'm not sure about mods on PE, last time I played Block Launcher was just a straight up black screen from being patched, but on Windows 10, I have yet to find a way. Dec 23, 2018 BlockLauncher Pro is a custom Minecraft Pocket Edition launcher that wraps around Minecraft PE and provides loading of patches, texture packs, and server IPs. Known issue: occasionally block textures are black on Minecraft 1.9.0. Exiting and reentering the world fixes this. We're looking into it. The plan was that the Taj Mahal (“the crown of the region”) would represent heaven (Jannah) on Earth. No expense was spared to make this happen. Building the Taj MahalAt the time, the Mughal Empire was one of the richest in the world and thus Shah Jahan had the means to pay for this huge venture. With the plans made, Shah Jahan wanted the Taj Mahal to be grand, but also, built quickly. To speed production, an estimated 20,000 workers were brought in and housed nearby in a newly built town for them called Mumtazabad. These workers included both skilled and unskilled craftsmen. At first, builders worked on the foundation and then on the giant, 624-foot-long plinth (base). On this plinth was to sit the Taj Mahal building as well as the two matching, red sandstone buildings (the mosque and the guest house) that flank the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal building, sitting on a second plinth, was to be an octagonal structure, first constructed of brick and then covered in white marble. Like in most large projects, the builders created a scaffolding to build higher; however, what was unusual was that the scaffolding for this project was built of bricks. No one has yet figured out why. The white marble was incredibly heavy and quarried in Makrana, 200 miles away. Reportedly, it took 1,000 elephants and an untold number of oxen to drag the marble to the Taj Mahal building site. For the heavy marble pieces to reach the higher spaces of the Taj Mahal, a giant, 10-mile-long, earthen ramp was built. Play resident evil 2 games online emulator. The very top of the Taj Mahal is topped with a huge, double-shell dome that reaches to 240 feet and is also covered in white marble. Four thin, white-marble minarets stand tall at the corners of the second plinth, surrounding the mausoleum. Where Is Mini Taj Mahal Located In IndiaCalligraphy and Inlaid FlowersMost pictures of the Taj Mahal show only a large, white, lovely building. What these photos miss is the intricacies that can only be seen up close. It is these details that make the Taj Mahal astoundingly feminine and opulent. On the mosque, guest house, and the large main gate at the southern end of the Taj Mahal complex appear passages from the Quran (often spelled Koran), the holy book of Islam, written in calligraphy. Shah Jahan hired Amanat Khan, a master calligrapher, to work on the inlaid verses. Masterfully done, the finished verses from the Quran, inlaid with black marble, look soft and gentle. Although made of stone, the curves make it look almost hand-written. The 22 passages from the Quran were reportedly chosen by Amanat Khan himself. Interestingly, Amanat Khan was the only person who Shah Jahan allowed to sign his work on the Taj Mahal. Almost more amazing than the calligraphy is the exquisite inlaid flowers found throughout the Taj Mahal complex. In a process known as parchin kari, highly-skilled stone cutters cut intricate floral designs into the white marble and then inlaid precious and semi-precious stones to form interwoven vines and flowers. The 43 different kinds of precious and semi-precious stones used for these flowers came from around the world, including lapis lazuli from Sri Lanka, jade from China, malachite from Russia, and turquoise from Tibet. The GardenAs in many religions, Islam holds the image of Paradise as a garden; thus, the garden at the Taj Mahal was an integral part of the plan to make it heaven on Earth. The Taj Mahal’s garden, which is situated to the south of the mausoleum, has four quadrants, divided by four “rivers” of water (another important Islamic image of Paradise), which gather at a central pool. The gardens and “rivers” were supplied with water from the Yamuna River by a complex, underground water system. Unfortunately, no records have survived telling us what plants were originally planted in the Taj Mahal’s garden. The End of Shah JahanShah Jahan stayed in deep mourning for two years but even after that, the death of Mumtaz Mahal still deeply affected him. That is perhaps why the third of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan’s four sons, Aurangzeb, was able to successfully kill off his three brothers and imprison his father. In 1658, after 30 years as emperor, Shah Jahan was usurped and placed in the luxurious Red Fort in Agra. Not able to leave but with most of his usual luxuries, Shah Jahan spent his last eight years staring out a window, looking at his beloved’s Taj Mahal. When Shah Jahan died on January 22, 1666, Aurangzeb had his father buried with Mumtaz Mahal in the crypt beneath the Taj Mahal. On the main floor of the Taj Mahal, above the crypt, now sits two cenotaphs (empty, public tombs). The one in the center of the room belongs to Mumtaz Mahal and the one just to the west is for Shah Jahan. Surrounding the cenotaphs is a delicately-carved, lacy, marble screen. (Originally it had been a gold screen but Shah Jahan had that replaced so that thieves would not be too tempted.) The Taj Mahal in RuinsShah Jahan had enough wealth in his coffers to support the Taj Mahal and its mighty maintenance costs, but over the centuries, the Mughal Empire lost its riches and the Taj Mahal fell into disrepair. By the 1800s, the British ousted the Mughals and took over India. To many, the Taj Mahal was beautiful and so they cut gemstones from the walls, stole the silver candlesticks and doors, and even tried to sell the white marble overseas. It was Lord Curzon, the British viceroy of India, who put a stop to all that. Rather than looting the Taj Mahal, Curzon worked to restore it. The Taj Mahal NowThe Taj Mahal has once again become a magnificent place, with 2.5 million people visiting it each year. Visitors can visit during the daytime, where the color of the white marble seems to change depending on the time of the day. Once a month, visitors have the opportunity to make a short visit during a full moon, to see how the Taj Mahal seems to glow from within in the moonlight. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was placed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO, but it now suffers from pollutants from nearby factories and from the humidity from the breath of its visitors. Sources
(Redirected from Trump Taj Mahal)
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly Trump Taj Mahal) is a casino and hotel on the Boardwalk, owned by Hard Rock International, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States.[3] The casino, originally known as the Trump Taj Mahal, was inaugurated by its then-owner Donald Trump in 1990, and was built at a total cost of nearly $1 billion USD. Originally Restaurants at the Taj Mahal included Hard Rock Cafe, Sultan's Feast, Dynasty, Il Mulino New York, Moon at Dynasty, and Robert's Steakhouse. It was also the home of Scores, the country's first in-casino strip club. The Taj Mahal came to the brink of closure in 2014 as its parent company went through bankruptcy, but ultimately remained open under the new ownership of Icahn Enterprises. In 2015, the Taj Mahal admitted to having “willfully violated” anti-money-laundering regulations for years and was fined $10 million. It was the highest penalty ever levied by the U.S. federal government against a casino. On August 3, 2016, it was announced that the Trump Taj Mahal would close after Labor Day, because of casino workers on strike.[4] It was closed on October 10, 2016. On March 1, 2017, the Seminole Tribe of Florida through its Hard Rock International brand, and the Morris and Jingoli families, announced its purchase of the facility and conversion to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino brand. It reopened on June 27, 2018.[5][6]
History[edit]Trump Taj Mahal era: 1990–2016[edit]Construction of what was originally known as the Taj Mahal commenced in 1983 by Resorts International, owner of the neighboring Resorts Casino Hotel, with an estimated budget of $250 million.[7][8] Resorts head James Crosby said it might be named the United States Hotel, in reference to the city's first major hotel.[9] After Crosby's death in April 1986, Resorts International became a takeover target.[10] The Taj Mahal had encountered construction problems, and Crosby's heirs, lacking experience in large development projects, doubted their ability to complete it successfully.[11]Donald Trump, who owned two other Atlantic City casinos, beat out several other bidders to purchase a controlling stake in the company for $79 million in July 1987.[12] Trump was appointed chairman of Resorts International, and said he would complete the Taj Mahal in about a year.[12] Because New Jersey law prohibited anyone from owning more than three casinos, Trump planned to close the original Resorts casino and operate it as a hotel annex to the Taj Mahal.[13][14] As the total budget had ballooned to $930 million, Resorts sought to raise $550 million to complete the Taj Mahal, but struggled to find the financing.[15] With the company claiming to be near bankruptcy in early 1988, Trump made a tender offer to buy all outstanding stock for $22 a share, stating that he was willing to personally finance the construction, but only if he owned the entire company.[16] Television producer Merv Griffin made an unexpected offer to purchase the company for $35 a share,[17] sparking a highly publicized takeover battle,[18] with Trump and Griffin filing lawsuits against each other.[19] The two ultimately reached a settlement, which was executed in November 1988, with Griffin purchasing the company, and Trump purchasing the Taj Mahal from the company for $273 million.[20] Trump raised $675 million to finance the purchase and completion of the casino, primarily through junk bonds with a 14 percent interest rate.[21][22] The casino opened on April 2, 1990.[23] With 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of gaming space, it claimed to be the largest casino in the world (though this was disputed by the Riviera),[24] and billed itself as the 'eighth wonder of the world'.[25] An elaborate grand opening ceremony was held three days later.[26] In 1991, the Taj Mahal went through a prepackaged bankruptcy, resulting in Trump giving a 50 percent stake in the business to its bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates and a longer payoff schedule.[27][28] Trump's new publicly traded company, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, purchased the Taj Mahal in 1996, in a transaction that valued the property at $890 million.[29][30] In the 1990s, Trump's Taj Mahal casino was 'the world's largest, most flamboyant casino' and Trump took on an 'enormous amount of debt' to launch it.[31] During eighteen months after its April 2, 1990 opening,[23] when the Casino was on the verge of bankruptcy, it became the 'preferred gambling spot for Russian mobsters living in Brooklyn, according to federal investigators who tracked organized crime in New York City'.[31] The Taj Mahal was the highest grossing casino in the city until the opening of The Borgata in 2003. The Chairman Tower opened in 2008, bringing the complex to over 2,000 rooms.[citation needed] In 2013, the Taj Mahal opened the nation's first casino strip club, featuring scantily clad dancers.[32][33] On Monday, October 10, 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down after the chaos of casino workers on strike. The Hard Rock Cafe remains open.[34] Hard Rock era: 2018–present[edit]On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced its purchase of the Trump Taj Mahal property, and officially reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City,[3] on June 27, 2018.[5] In November 2018, the Hard Rock announced a plan to launch both online and retail sportsbooks in 2019.[35] In January 2019, the Hard Rock launched its online sportsbook, making it the 10th sportsbook app in New Jersey.[36] Bankruptcy[edit]Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy on September 10, 2014,[37]and announced plans to close the Taj Mahal on November 13 if the casino did not get concessions from its unions.[38] A sister property, the Trump Plaza, did close in 2014.[39] Workers from the casino marched to Mayor Don Guardian's office on the morning of November 3, 2014 to ask him to reconsider granting concessions, which the casino said were necessary to remain open. About 1,000 employees signed a petition calling on the mayor and other officials 'to do everything possible' to keep the casino open. At the time, four of twelve casinos in Atlantic City had closed and Trump Taj Mahal would have been the fifth if it were to close.[40] In filing a revised reorganization plan in Delaware bankruptcy court, Trump Entertainment Resorts said its board had approved a shutdown of the casino by December 12, 2014. The shutdown date was later pushed back to December 20. On December 18, two days before the scheduled closure, UNITE HERE reached a deal with Trump Entertainment Resorts that saved the Taj from closing. The same day, billionaire Carl Icahn committed $20 million in financing for the Taj.[41] In February 2016, Trump Entertainment Resorts exited bankruptcy and became a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises. The casino retained the name 'Trump Taj Mahal', though Donald Trump no longer held any ownership stake.[42] In April, another Icahn affiliate, Tropicana Entertainment, took over the property under a management agreement.[43][44] Icahn also stated he would withhold a planned $100-million investment into the property if New Jersey approved casinos in the northern region of the state.[45] On Monday, October 10, 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down.[46] After the closing on that date, one UNITE HERE leader raised the possibility that the casino would remain closed over the winter but will reopen in Spring 2017 as a non-union facility, an attempt that he said would try to prompt a union boycott.[47] On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced plans to spend $300 million to purchase the resort and renovate it,[48] It re-opened as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on June 28, 2018.[49][48] Labor disputes[edit]On November 14, 2014, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that the casino would shut down in December unless its main union, UNITE HERE, dropped its appeal of a court-ordered cost-savings package, which had effectively cancelled the workers' health insurance and pension coverage.[50] However, it was revealed that the closing was to happen because it has not received the state and local tax breaks it sought.[51] Money laundering[edit]Over its years of operation—1990–2016—the Trump Taj Mahal was 'repeatedly cited for having inadequate money-laundering controls, not an unusual charge in the gaming business'.[52] In February 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury'sFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network settled an investigation of Trump Taj Mahal with the assessment of a $10 million civil fine for 'significant and long-standing money laundering violations' which were described as 'willful and repeated' contraventions of the record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act.[53][54] It was the highest penalty ever levied by the feds against a casino.[55] The casino agreed to periodic external audits to comply with anti-money laundering statutes,[54] and admitted to multiple violations as part of its settlement.[56] The U.S. Treasury made note of casino violations dating back to 1998, when Trump Taj Mahal paid a $477,700 fine for violating currency transaction requirements,[31] as well as violations in 2003, 2010, and in 2012, for which the company was 'repeatedly warned'. Trump Taj Mahal was 'far from meeting' standards required to protect the U.S. financial system 'from exploitation from criminals, terrorists, and other bad actors', the Treasury said in a press release.[54] In 2017, CNN obtained access to Treasury Department documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which included the 1998 and the 2015 settlement. Links to organized crime[edit]The 1992 U.S. Senate Subcommittee 218-page report entitled 'Asian Organized Crime: the New International Criminal', linked Trump's businesses to Asian organized crime.[57] Specifically the Senate subcommittee named Danny Sau Keung Leung, who had been Trump Taj Mahal's VP Foreign Marketing since 2000, as an associate of the Hong Kong-based organized crime group 14K Triad'[58] linked to 'murders, extortions and heroin smuggling'.[59] Leung worked at Trump Taj Mahal from 1990 to 1995.[59] He was 'known by law enforcement to be linked to organized crime syndicates'[60] and was investigated by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in 1995 with hearings in Atlantic City regarding his 'background and character'.[59] 'Mentions of Trump businesses' were 'sprinkled throughout the 1992 Senate report on 'Asian organized crime in the United States'.[60] 'Crime bosses who ran the Chinatown bus system put together trips to Trump businesses in Atlantic City.[60] '[O]ther people with links to organized crime booked shows at Trump venues and in 1987, one was indicted on a charge of providing kickbacks to executives at Trump Castle.'[60] According to an Internal Revenue Service report cited in a 2016 Politifact article by Linda Qui,[58] Trump also worked closely with other members and associates of organized criminal enterprises, including Danny Leung, Felix Sater, Salvatore Testa, and Kenneth Shapiro'.[58][61]:5 In 1984, Canadian police had identified Leung as 'a major player in Toronto organized crime', yet in 1989, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted him the casino 'key license reserved for executives'[59] and he began working for Trump Taj Mahal in 1990.[59] At the New Jersey Casino Control Commission hearing in 1994, Trump sent Taj President Dennis Gomes to 'testify on Leung's behalf at the hearing New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In spite of an objection of the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the testimony of Canadian police, his casino key license was renewed. 'Leung's lawyer, Guy Michael said, that the criminal allegations were 'absolutely untrue. In August 2013, Leung requested to be placed on the Casino Key Employee Inactive List in August 2013 'in lieu of complying with the resubmission process'.[62]:20 Shooting incidents[edit]On May 27, 2009, Ray Kot, a casino shift manager, was shot and killed by 57-year-old Mark Magee of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Magee claimed that he killed Kot because casino executives at the Trump Taj Mahal had conspired to cheat players by manipulating the outcome of the table games.[63][64] On August 11, 2010, Magee was convicted of murder and was given a minimum 30-year sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.[65] He is tentatively scheduled to be released on May 28, 2039, at the age of 87. On October 16, 2010, a small park on the Trump Taj Mahal property was created and dedicated to the memory of Kot. On September 18, 2011, a man was shot dead and a woman was wounded during an apparent carjacking inside the parking garage of the casino. The man, 28-year-old Sunil Rattu, and the woman, 24-year-old Radha Ghetia, were held up as they left the casino, and then forced to drive to a nearby alley where Rattu was shot dead, while Ghetia was shot in the upper part of her body. Ghetia was treated for her injuries and later recovered.[66] On March 24, 2016, three teenagers attending a party in a hotel room on the forty-seventh floor were shot. Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.[67] Comp cards[edit]Hardrock Hotel & Casino has the three tier Wild Card Rewards club, listed from lowest to highest:[68]
Hard Rock plans[edit]After the March 2017 announcement that Florida-based Hard Rock, which manages gambling and resort operations for the Seminole Indian tribe, bought the Casino from Carl Icahn, Hard Rock International detailed plans to spend $325 million in refurbishing. The new property will feature two separate arenas with seating totaling 7,000 and 2,400 more slot machines. The property reopened on June 27, 2018.[5] Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]References[edit]
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Coordinates: 39°21′31″N74°25′11″W / 39.358653°N 74.419777°W
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hard_Rock_Hotel_%26_Casino_Atlantic_City&oldid=897039058'
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly Trump Taj Mahal) is a casino and hotel on the Boardwalk, owned by Hard Rock International, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States.[3] The casino, originally known as the Trump Taj Mahal, was inaugurated by its then-owner Donald Trump in 1990, and was built at a total cost of nearly $1 billion USD. Originally Restaurants at the Taj Mahal included Hard Rock Cafe, Sultan's Feast, Dynasty, Il Mulino New York, Moon at Dynasty, and Robert's Steakhouse. It was also the home of Scores, the country's first in-casino strip club. The Taj Mahal came to the brink of closure in 2014 as its parent company went through bankruptcy, but ultimately remained open under the new ownership of Icahn Enterprises. In 2015, the Taj Mahal admitted to having “willfully violated” anti-money-laundering regulations for years and was fined $10 million. It was the highest penalty ever levied by the U.S. federal government against a casino. On August 3, 2016, it was announced that the Trump Taj Mahal would close after Labor Day, because of casino workers on strike.[4] It was closed on October 10, 2016. On March 1, 2017, the Seminole Tribe of Florida through its Hard Rock International brand, and the Morris and Jingoli families, announced its purchase of the facility and conversion to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino brand. It reopened on June 27, 2018.[5][6]
History[edit]Trump Taj Mahal era: 1990–2016[edit]Construction of what was originally known as the Taj Mahal commenced in 1983 by Resorts International, owner of the neighboring Resorts Casino Hotel, with an estimated budget of $250 million.[7][8] Resorts head James Crosby said it might be named the United States Hotel, in reference to the city's first major hotel.[9] After Crosby's death in April 1986, Resorts International became a takeover target.[10] The Taj Mahal had encountered construction problems, and Crosby's heirs, lacking experience in large development projects, doubted their ability to complete it successfully.[11]Donald Trump, who owned two other Atlantic City casinos, beat out several other bidders to purchase a controlling stake in the company for $79 million in July 1987.[12] Trump was appointed chairman of Resorts International, and said he would complete the Taj Mahal in about a year.[12] Because New Jersey law prohibited anyone from owning more than three casinos, Trump planned to close the original Resorts casino and operate it as a hotel annex to the Taj Mahal.[13][14] As the total budget had ballooned to $930 million, Resorts sought to raise $550 million to complete the Taj Mahal, but struggled to find the financing.[15] With the company claiming to be near bankruptcy in early 1988, Trump made a tender offer to buy all outstanding stock for $22 a share, stating that he was willing to personally finance the construction, but only if he owned the entire company.[16] Television producer Merv Griffin made an unexpected offer to purchase the company for $35 a share,[17] sparking a highly publicized takeover battle,[18] with Trump and Griffin filing lawsuits against each other.[19] The two ultimately reached a settlement, which was executed in November 1988, with Griffin purchasing the company, and Trump purchasing the Taj Mahal from the company for $273 million.[20] Trump raised $675 million to finance the purchase and completion of the casino, primarily through junk bonds with a 14 percent interest rate.[21][22] The casino opened on April 2, 1990.[23] With 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of gaming space, it claimed to be the largest casino in the world (though this was disputed by the Riviera),[24] and billed itself as the 'eighth wonder of the world'.[25] An elaborate grand opening ceremony was held three days later.[26] In 1991, the Taj Mahal went through a prepackaged bankruptcy, resulting in Trump giving a 50 percent stake in the business to its bondholders in exchange for lowered interest rates and a longer payoff schedule.[27][28] Trump's new publicly traded company, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, purchased the Taj Mahal in 1996, in a transaction that valued the property at $890 million.[29][30] In the 1990s, Trump's Taj Mahal casino was 'the world's largest, most flamboyant casino' and Trump took on an 'enormous amount of debt' to launch it.[31] During eighteen months after its April 2, 1990 opening,[23] when the Casino was on the verge of bankruptcy, it became the 'preferred gambling spot for Russian mobsters living in Brooklyn, according to federal investigators who tracked organized crime in New York City'.[31] The Taj Mahal was the highest grossing casino in the city until the opening of The Borgata in 2003. The Chairman Tower opened in 2008, bringing the complex to over 2,000 rooms.[citation needed] In 2013, the Taj Mahal opened the nation's first casino strip club, featuring scantily clad dancers.[32][33] On Monday, October 10, 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down after the chaos of casino workers on strike. The Hard Rock Cafe remains open.[34] Hard Rock era: 2018–present[edit]On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced its purchase of the Trump Taj Mahal property, and officially reopened as the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City,[3] on June 27, 2018.[5] In November 2018, the Hard Rock announced a plan to launch both online and retail sportsbooks in 2019.[35] In January 2019, the Hard Rock launched its online sportsbook, making it the 10th sportsbook app in New Jersey.[36] Bankruptcy[edit]Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy on September 10, 2014,[37]and announced plans to close the Taj Mahal on November 13 if the casino did not get concessions from its unions.[38] A sister property, the Trump Plaza, did close in 2014.[39] Workers from the casino marched to Mayor Don Guardian's office on the morning of November 3, 2014 to ask him to reconsider granting concessions, which the casino said were necessary to remain open. About 1,000 employees signed a petition calling on the mayor and other officials 'to do everything possible' to keep the casino open. At the time, four of twelve casinos in Atlantic City had closed and Trump Taj Mahal would have been the fifth if it were to close.[40] In filing a revised reorganization plan in Delaware bankruptcy court, Trump Entertainment Resorts said its board had approved a shutdown of the casino by December 12, 2014. The shutdown date was later pushed back to December 20. On December 18, two days before the scheduled closure, UNITE HERE reached a deal with Trump Entertainment Resorts that saved the Taj from closing. The same day, billionaire Carl Icahn committed $20 million in financing for the Taj.[41] In February 2016, Trump Entertainment Resorts exited bankruptcy and became a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises. The casino retained the name 'Trump Taj Mahal', though Donald Trump no longer held any ownership stake.[42] In April, another Icahn affiliate, Tropicana Entertainment, took over the property under a management agreement.[43][44] Icahn also stated he would withhold a planned $100-million investment into the property if New Jersey approved casinos in the northern region of the state.[45] On Monday, October 10, 2016, the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino was shut down.[46] After the closing on that date, one UNITE HERE leader raised the possibility that the casino would remain closed over the winter but will reopen in Spring 2017 as a non-union facility, an attempt that he said would try to prompt a union boycott.[47] On March 1, 2017, Hard Rock International announced plans to spend $300 million to purchase the resort and renovate it,[48] It re-opened as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on June 28, 2018.[49][48] Labor disputes[edit]On November 14, 2014, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that the casino would shut down in December unless its main union, UNITE HERE, dropped its appeal of a court-ordered cost-savings package, which had effectively cancelled the workers' health insurance and pension coverage.[50] However, it was revealed that the closing was to happen because it has not received the state and local tax breaks it sought.[51] Money laundering[edit]Over its years of operation—1990–2016—the Trump Taj Mahal was 'repeatedly cited for having inadequate money-laundering controls, not an unusual charge in the gaming business'.[52] In February 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury'sFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network settled an investigation of Trump Taj Mahal with the assessment of a $10 million civil fine for 'significant and long-standing money laundering violations' which were described as 'willful and repeated' contraventions of the record-keeping and reporting requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act.[53][54] It was the highest penalty ever levied by the feds against a casino.[55] The casino agreed to periodic external audits to comply with anti-money laundering statutes,[54] and admitted to multiple violations as part of its settlement.[56] The U.S. Treasury made note of casino violations dating back to 1998, when Trump Taj Mahal paid a $477,700 fine for violating currency transaction requirements,[31] as well as violations in 2003, 2010, and in 2012, for which the company was 'repeatedly warned'. Trump Taj Mahal was 'far from meeting' standards required to protect the U.S. financial system 'from exploitation from criminals, terrorists, and other bad actors', the Treasury said in a press release.[54] In 2017, CNN obtained access to Treasury Department documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which included the 1998 and the 2015 settlement. Links to organized crime[edit]The 1992 U.S. Senate Subcommittee 218-page report entitled 'Asian Organized Crime: the New International Criminal', linked Trump's businesses to Asian organized crime.[57] Specifically the Senate subcommittee named Danny Sau Keung Leung, who had been Trump Taj Mahal's VP Foreign Marketing since 2000, as an associate of the Hong Kong-based organized crime group 14K Triad'[58] linked to 'murders, extortions and heroin smuggling'.[59] Leung worked at Trump Taj Mahal from 1990 to 1995.[59] He was 'known by law enforcement to be linked to organized crime syndicates'[60] and was investigated by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in 1995 with hearings in Atlantic City regarding his 'background and character'.[59] 'Mentions of Trump businesses' were 'sprinkled throughout the 1992 Senate report on 'Asian organized crime in the United States'.[60] 'Crime bosses who ran the Chinatown bus system put together trips to Trump businesses in Atlantic City.[60] '[O]ther people with links to organized crime booked shows at Trump venues and in 1987, one was indicted on a charge of providing kickbacks to executives at Trump Castle.'[60] According to an Internal Revenue Service report cited in a 2016 Politifact article by Linda Qui,[58] Trump also worked closely with other members and associates of organized criminal enterprises, including Danny Leung, Felix Sater, Salvatore Testa, and Kenneth Shapiro'.[58][61]:5 In 1984, Canadian police had identified Leung as 'a major player in Toronto organized crime', yet in 1989, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted him the casino 'key license reserved for executives'[59] and he began working for Trump Taj Mahal in 1990.[59] At the New Jersey Casino Control Commission hearing in 1994, Trump sent Taj President Dennis Gomes to 'testify on Leung's behalf at the hearing New Jersey Casino Control Commission. In spite of an objection of the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the testimony of Canadian police, his casino key license was renewed. 'Leung's lawyer, Guy Michael said, that the criminal allegations were 'absolutely untrue. In August 2013, Leung requested to be placed on the Casino Key Employee Inactive List in August 2013 'in lieu of complying with the resubmission process'.[62]:20 Shooting incidents[edit]On May 27, 2009, Ray Kot, a casino shift manager, was shot and killed by 57-year-old Mark Magee of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Magee claimed that he killed Kot because casino executives at the Trump Taj Mahal had conspired to cheat players by manipulating the outcome of the table games.[63][64] On August 11, 2010, Magee was convicted of murder and was given a minimum 30-year sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.[65] He is tentatively scheduled to be released on May 28, 2039, at the age of 87. On October 16, 2010, a small park on the Trump Taj Mahal property was created and dedicated to the memory of Kot. On September 18, 2011, a man was shot dead and a woman was wounded during an apparent carjacking inside the parking garage of the casino. The man, 28-year-old Sunil Rattu, and the woman, 24-year-old Radha Ghetia, were held up as they left the casino, and then forced to drive to a nearby alley where Rattu was shot dead, while Ghetia was shot in the upper part of her body. Ghetia was treated for her injuries and later recovered.[66] On March 24, 2016, three teenagers attending a party in a hotel room on the forty-seventh floor were shot. Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.[67] Comp cards[edit]Hardrock Hotel & Casino has the three tier Wild Card Rewards club, listed from lowest to highest:[68]
Hard Rock plans[edit]After the March 2017 announcement that Florida-based Hard Rock, which manages gambling and resort operations for the Seminole Indian tribe, bought the Casino from Carl Icahn, Hard Rock International detailed plans to spend $325 million in refurbishing. The new property will feature two separate arenas with seating totaling 7,000 and 2,400 more slot machines. The property reopened on June 27, 2018.[5] Gallery[edit]
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 39°21′31″N74°25′11″W / 39.358653°N 74.419777°W
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