I was an eager 20-year-old college junior, born and raised in South Jersey, clad in spotless white Keds, a cotton tee, and a new pair of Gap jeans. I had come with one goal: to score a highly coveted job as a cocktail waitress at the Trump Taj Mahal. It was 1989, Atlantic City was booming, and I was standing in a long line at the Trump World’s Fair, one of Trump’s lesser-known casino acquisitions.
Women in 5-inch heels and full-length furs surrounded me.
The smell of expensive perfume and hairspray was intoxicating. She shared her story exclusively with Refinery29. She worked as a cocktail waitress at the Atlantic City casino for 26 years, and is a Unite Here Local 54 union leader. Editor's note: The Trump Taj Mahal closed its doors once and for all in October, leaving nearly 3,000 employees permanently out of work, including Valerie McMorris.
