Team Member Sweetheart Stories

Whether it happens slowly or is love at first sight, the moment you meet your special someone is always memorable. In honor of Valentine's Day, we asked Ocean Casino Resort team members to share their Sweetheart Stories–the first time they've met their special someone–and how they fell in love!

Fall in love with these team member stories below:

A Lucky Friday the 13th

By Joe Y. 

So the year was 1988, I was at the movies with some friends watching Steve Gutenberg and Daryl Hanna in High Spirits. There were these 2 girls and a guy sitting a few rows in front of us. We started throwing popcorn at them. Movie was not all that good, so we were kinda going back and forth. After the movie we met them in the lobby and started talking. The girls were friends and living together at the ones parents house, the guy was a friend from school. We got their numbers and said we would make plans and call them.

The following weekend the 2 girls and me and my friend went out on a double date. Went to see Child’s play. Yes the 80’s! Well as things turn out, my buddy had a girlfriend and I was on a date with the girl that left the friends house and went back to Philly. Well I called the girl to make a second date and was told by her friend that she left to go back to Philly. Not really sure what happens next, but the girl and I made plans for a date after the new year in January. Our first date was a Friday the 13th. You would think this is a recipe for disaster and you would be right. Made plans to have her back at my house with another couple for a double date again. This time we were watching Monty Pythons The life Of Brian. Another movie that was a bad choice. Well as it turns out that bad movie forced us to go to the kitchen to get some snacks and drinks. We shared our first kiss in that kitchen.

That was 31 years ago. We are now married with a beautiful daughter and we live in that same house where we shared our first kiss. So Friday the 13th was sorta a lucky day for me. We have had many many adventures together with more to come.

Steel Pier and the Circus

By Silnery W.

Summer of 1996. I’m 17 years old and I was working on the Steel Pier. I had been talking to a guy friend of mine one slow night during the week, when one of our security guards comes over and sits down next to the booth in a folding chair. Right after my friend leaves, the security guard whom I’ve never spoken to before asks me if that’s my boyfriend. The strange thing about this was my impression of this guard up to this point. I had seen him working at the pier the prior summer and he was always walking around with this miserable scowl on his face, the kind of look that made him almost unapproachable. We had never spoken or even greeted one another, but this was the first thing he chose to say to me.

Even though it was a personal question from practically a stranger, I told him the guy wasn’t my boyfriend because I didn’t have a boyfriend. To my surprise, he then asked how a girl like me didn’t have a boyfriend. I remember rolling my eyes dismissing his compliment and explained that I’d never even been asked out on a date. He gave me this glare and told me I should take matters into my own hands and ask someone out myself. When I admitted I didn’t know how to or even had the courage to ask someone out, he said nothing in return, got up and left suddenly, and left me standing there completely confused. Thirty minutes later, he returned. By now it was late, and the pier was almost empty. Standing 40 feet away from my booth he shouted the words that would turn out to change my life forever: 

“Do you smell elephant poop?!” 

Confused not sure I heard him right I was like “What?!” 

He repeated himself “Do you smell elephant poop?!” 

Now imagine a man, who spends his entire day looking like Clint Eastwood with an ear infection, day after day doesn’t even look at you or smile at anyone, let alone talk to you, and somehow the relationship has suddenly shifted and strangely reached this level? 

I thought ‘Oh my god’, but I shouted back, “No!” Without a word, he then walks over to the carnival game next to my booth, gets a stuffed elephant from the attendant, and uses it to mark the spot where he was standing. He then walks up to me, he says that if I go and stand next to the stuffed elephant, I was guaranteed to smell elephant poop even though the closest elephant that I knew of was nowhere near Atlantic City. 

I reluctantly walked over to the stuffed elephant and back (I realize now that I was just doing what this weird guy, whom I’d never spoken to before, asked me to do no questions asked), and on my return I tell him that I didn’t smell anything. But I added that I wouldn’t know what elephant poop smelled like because I’d never been to a circus. As if this whole exchange wasn’t weird enough, his tone goes all critical as he attempts to process the fact I’ve never been to the circus. 

He says, “Are a communist or something? How the hell have you never been to the circus?” 

I didn’t really have a reason, I’d just never gone. I answered him by shrugging my shoulders, prompting him to say, “Tell you what, the circus just happens to be in town this week. We should go to the circus together.” I didn’t think about it and I casually said, “Sure.”, which prompted him to lean in close and say, “You see, that’s how you ask someone out.” This conversation again, ended as abruptly as it began, he got up without another word and left. 

An hour later, he walks by and stops to ask, “Were you serious about that circus thing?” I said, “Sure.” 

That same week, we went on our first date, to lunch, the movies, and of course the circus, complete with the smell of elephant poop. 

We been together 23 years and married 18.

True Love in Her Heart

By Michael D.

I meet my wife while at Bally’s. I was executive pastry chef and she was doing fund raising for the united way in the building. Every holiday, we would do employee sales to raise money for the united way. She made me bake; breast cancer cookies, king cakes, pound cakes, pies, cakes, heart cookies and many other items. Finally, one day I saw the true love in her heart to give back to those in need. From that day forward I wanted to be with this great lady. We started to date in 2011 after we both left Bally’s, her commitment to the community has spurred us to do many great things in our community including the Salvation Army, chefs on a mission to feed those in need on a daily basis. I’ve never meet a more committed and lovely person. We were married on 5/06/18 right before our opening here at Ocean. True love and caring is a great way to live.  

A Blind Date

By Gina R.

Our story began with a blind date. Our mutual friends decided it would be a good idea to set us up. He and his best friend were into classic cars.

They would attend all the shows listed in the car club where my dearest friend would schedule the shows as she was the club president at the time.

I kept hearing how I have to meet this nice guy, while I would reply “yeah, yeah.” While his friend would be in his ear constantly not letting up until he agreed.

I finally gave in only if Dotty, my best friend, and her husband could be on the date also, she was not thrilled but agreed. It turned out to be the six of us on this “blind date!”

Apparently David would not agree unless his best friend and his wife went as well.

There we were, a group of us meeting at a restaurant I have never heard of. The food was supposed to be fantastic and fresh but not the fanciest. The sun set on the water this summer night and I enjoyed the atmosphere and company. We talked and laughed the whole time as I wondered it if would have been like that had we have been alone! He asked for my phone number and remember asking the waitress for a pen and a piece of paper. There were no smartphones back then but he still has the piece of paper to this day.

The next day we went to another car show, the Blueberry Festival & Car Show, which happens annually the last Sunday of every June.

This time walking around together on our official first date. He bought me blueberry ice cream and the rest is history.

Our wedding anniversary is on June 1^st and we have not missed one Blueberry Festival/Car show since it is the anniversary of our 1^st date (alone) and our favorite restaurant to this day is where we had our blind date.

I am lucky I get to throw pillows at him every night; my better half makes me a better person every day.