Casino Connection Atlantic City

Forever Young

Tropicana employee does not act her age

by Dave Bontempo

Numbers reveal the saga of Tropicana employee Betty Graves. First, she's surrounded by them eight hours a day. Graves works in hotel income control, auditing daily revenue totals, reconciling discrepancies and leaving the property financially balanced. Then she walks 20 minutes home, completing a 40-minute round-trip daily exercise. In a 20-year career, Graves can't remember the last time she called out sick. Her consecutive-days worked streak is approximately four years, a record that would gratify most employees. It is especially significant considering the big number in Graves' life. She is 81. Eighty-one? At a time when most people are happy to be playing with their grandkids, she's becoming a latter-day Cal Ripken. Graves is perhaps the oldest employee in the industry, certainly one of its most loyal. She could have retired 16 years ago, joined the legions of Atlantic City gamblers or simply basked in 24-hour leisure. It wasn't in her makeup. "I really love to work," Graves says. "It's been that way my whole life. I grew up on a farm, worked all the time, ate very well and kept busy. Fortunately, I've had good health and I can continue to do the things I enjoy. "I played a lot of golf and tennis when I was younger, and I always kept moving. This is what I love. I'm not a TV addict. I love coming here, being among all the people, sharing things every day. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't come in here." Graves' productivity began on the farm in Besmet, South Dakota, the same hometown as Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder. The journey continued through Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, spanning milestones like Standard Oil Company and a marriage of 15 years. Twenty-five years ago, the death of her husband prompted a profound choice: face the Golden Years alone or embrace them amid extenuating circumstances. Graves sought the burgeoning casino business and came to Atlantic City in the early 1980s. At a time when many of her peers were leaving businesses, Graves entered one. She displayed resilience by plunging into new activities. Graves worked at the Deuville before its demolition, then joined Tropicana. Her jobs ranged from the coatroom to microfilming and finally to hotel income control, where Graves audits the cashiers. "It's challenging work to balance everything; it's like finishing a crossword puzzle," Graves says. "You make sure everything comes out satisfactory. It's nice to put all the pieces together. It's a great feeling for me when I complete an audit." When they've been completed and the job has been well done, Graves dabbles in her hobbies. Bingo occupies one day a week. Holidays invoke a sense of community spirit. Graves has become the unofficial Madame Minolta of her work group, photographing scores of friends and employees. "Betty has made a lot of friends with her enthusiasm," says Lisa Reilly, assistant vice president of finance for the Tropicana. "She is extremely reliable, someone you can always count on. Betty doesn't just give you the discrepancies, she follows up on them. She is an inspiration to us all."

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