Sands Atlantic City
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The Sands Atlantic City was a casino that operated from August 1980 until November 11, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was formerly known as the Brighton Hotel & Casino. It consisted of a 21-story hotel tower with 532 rooms and a 5-story podium housing the 57,045 ft2 casino and its various other amenities.
At its peak, the Sands headlined top entertainers such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Cher, Robin Williams, Gloria Estefan and Eddie Murphy. However, the Sands soon became the smallest of Atlantic City's 12 casinos. In 1998, the Sands filed for bankruptcy. Two years later Carl Icahn purchased controlling interest. Icahn sold the property to Pinnacle Entertainment in 2006.
The building was imploded at 9:37 p.m Eastern Daylight Time on October 18, 2007; the first-ever casino-hotel implosion on the East Coast. It was accompanied by a fireworks show and numerous parties along the boardwalk. This was the last casino in North America to bear the famous Sands moniker (albeit by naming it rights). Ironically, it was demolished less than 24 hours after the death of the last surving member of the Rat Pack, comedian Joey Bishop.
