You may have forgotten, or, never knew that one of the greatest action movie stars in Hollywood history lived and worked in Atlantic City, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

I became reacquainted about this on the “I Grew Up Or Lived In Atlantic City, NJ” Facebook page.

Thank you to Rusty Pettet for this great featured photo (see below).

I Grew Up Or Lived In Atlantic City, NJ - Rusty Pettet.
I Grew Up Or Lived In Atlantic City, NJ - Rusty Pettet.
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The photo is of Charles Bronson and his wife, Harriet Tendler. At the time, they were in Atlantic City, New Jersey and right behind them is a famous VanSant boat.

The boat was more famous than Bronson in the late 1950’s.

Before there was Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger … there was Charles Bronson.

During Bronson’s peak as an action movie star, Bronson was as famous as Clint Eastwood.

In 1971, Bronson won a Golden Globe Award as the most popular actor in the world.

Bronson was also wildly popular in France, where he was known as “le sacre mostre” … which translates to the sacred monster.

In Italy, Bronson was known as "Il Brutto," which means the ugly man.

According to an article in cambriaancestry.com at the time of his death on August 30, 2003 at age 81 … Bronson both lived and worked in Atlantic City and Philadelphia.

Bronson died from pneumonia at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Cambriaancestry.com reported that Bronson went to Atlantic City, where he worked bingo stands with Jack Klugman, the future star of television’s “The Odd Couple.

Steven Perlstein wrote on the “I Grew Up Or lived In Atlantic City, NJ” Facebook page that “He (Bronson) worked at the bingo place ( for Ed McMahon's father) on the boardwalk at Missouri & Arkansas Avenues” in Atlantic City.

Here is just a partial list of Bronson’s vengeance movie credits:

  • The Valachi Papers.
  • Chato’s Land
  • The Mechanic
  • Valdez
  • The Stone Killer
  • Mr. Majestyk
  • Breakout
  • Hard Times
  • Death Wish

SOURCES: I Grew Up Or Lived In Atlantic City, NJ Facebook page & CambriaAncestry.com

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