Bob Ferry, a reporter for The New York Times, had been in Atlantic City for a day now.
Coming from the economic center of the United States to Atlantic City, Bob Ferry didn't feel out of place; rather, he was overjoyed and thought of it as heaven.
The ubiquitous taverns, the pretty and enthusiastic women, the lavish casinos—all made him want to stay forever.
Originally, he came because of the Block Tavern incident where someone drank themselves to death, but upon arrival, he realized that Atlantic City was brimming with news stories.
What shocked him the most was the Miss America election. Even though it was already very popular in New York, only in Atlantic City could he feel the unbridled enthusiasm for Miss America.
Here, betting on the Miss America contestants had almost become a public matter.
Just today, he had interviewed a local who had mortgaged his own house to bet on Carmen Farmer becoming the first Miss America.
