Memorial Day traffic rises 3 percent for Atlantic City

ATLANTIC CITY -- The number of people visiting Atlantic City over the Memorial Day weekend increased by more than 3 percent over last year.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority said nearly 372,000 vehicles headed into the nation's second largest gambling resort over the three-day holiday, up from nearly 362,000 last year. Traffic was counted at the Pleasantville toll plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway.

"The weather played a major factor in the success of this past weekend, not only here in Atlantic City, but along the New Jersey coastline," said Don Marrandino, eastern regional president of Caesars Entertainment, which owns four of Atlantic City's 11 casinos. "Theaters were packed with concerts and shows such as Chicago, LeOmbre, Let's Make a Deal, and Snoop Dogg."

Families enjoying rides and helicopter tours at the Steel Pier were up 8 percent over last year. The Absecon Lighthouse hosted 14 percent more visitors than last Memorial Day Weekend.

Michele Giampaolo, director of sales and marketing for Formica's Bakery, which supplies sub rolls to the neighboring White House Sub Shop and several of the casinos, said business was up this year as well.

"Formica's produced enough sub bread that if you were to lay our subs end-to-end, the bread would have made it the length of the Boardwalk twice," he said.