Atlantic City Free Public Library Director Robert P. Rynkiewicz has announced his retirement after more than 40 years with the library. His final day as director will be May 31. The Library’s Board of Trustees has appointed Assistant Director Melissa McGeary as the new director, effective June 1. Rynkiewicz joined the staff in 1979 as a library assistant in the Circulation Department and later headed various departments. 
Thanks to funding from the Foundation of the Atlantic City Free Public Library, the "Atlantic City Free Public Library Little Library Project" makes books even more accessible to the community. The library currently provides two Little Library locations in the city: at O'Donnell Park (since April 2023) and Absecon Lighthouse (since May 2024). 
The New Jersey State Library, an affiliate of Thomas Edison State University, has awarded the Atlantic City Free Public Library (ACFPL) and other organizations in the state grant funding as part of its Community Center Digital Connect Program – a community resilience project that will address disparities in access to education, employment, and health services by investing in capital improvements at community facilities. The ACFPL will receive $1.283 million for its Building Community Project. 
The Atlantic City Free Public Library is one of nine organizations — each from a different New Jersey county — to have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Community History Program. In the program, the organizations will receive free, expert training on public history practices and develop projects in collaboration with their local communities to learn about and share their untold stories. In addition to the training, each organization will receive $5,000 in funding from NJCH to develop and launch projects that showcase their work. 
Paul "Skinny" D'Amato
Marker is located on Southwest corner of Missouri and Atlantic Avenues. 1908-1984
Historical Marker text:
Known as "Mr. Atlantic City," Paul "Skinny" D'Amato owned and operated the renowned 500 Club in Atlantic City from the 1930s until the club burned down in 1973. D'Amato's 500 Club was a venue for big name entertainers like Frank Sinatra with whom he shared an enduring friendship dating back to Sinatra's debut at the 500 Club. "The Five" as it was known, was the place where Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis first teamed up. "Skinny" was also part of the resort's colorful past, whose Club was allegedly a gambling house operating for years before the advent of legalized casino gaming here. He also concurrently managed the Cal-Neva Lodge in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. He was a tall dapper man, who often purchased food and holiday gifts for needy families. D'Amato's generosity was legendary which earned him his nickname as "Mr. Atlantic City".
 |
Additional information: D'Amato's importance in the city grew when he started to run a restaurant and gambling hall called Luigi's. He later made the 500 Club famous under his ownership. He chatted with the club's entertainers constantly, becoming close friends with Frank Sinatra and many others who played The Five. An Atlantic City Press article once alleged that D'Amato even drank up to 50 cups of coffee a day and smoked six or seven packs of cigarettes! His showbiz flair, however, was matched by his generosity. In addition to often providing for those in need around the city, D'Amato also put on free shows for wounded soldiers at The Five during World War II, when Atlantic City was occupied as a military base. Sadly, the fast times at the club came to an end in 1973, when a spark amongst its backstage equipment started a fire that burned it to the ground. D'Amato had not insured the facility, and it was never rebuilt. The marker is located near the site of the former 500 Club, which was at 6 South Missouri Avenue. |
| June 4, 1949. Paul "Skinny" D'Amato and Bettyjane Creamer D'Amato on their wedding day. (H009.920Dam956. Atlantic City Heritage Collections, Atlantic City Free Public Library) | For more information, see these resources in the Atlantic City Free Public Library, Atlantic City Heritage Collections: Local History Biography File - Paul "Skinny" D'Amato Local History Subject File - Nightclubs - 500 Club Jonathan Van Meter. The Last Good Time: Skinny D'Amato, the notorious 500 Club, and the rise and fall of Atlantic City. Atlantic City Press articles Atlantic City Magazine |
