Atlantic City’s Fish Heads Restaurant Defies Eviction Order

Today’s deadline has come and gone and Fish Heads Seafood (truck) restaurant is still standing in its Gardner’s Basin, Atlantic City location.

A very interesting scenario is playing out, as Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small previously ordered Gregory “Dredgie” Wood to vacate Gardner’s Basin by no later than today.

However, yesterday, on WPG Talk Radio 95.5, New Jersey state senator Vince Polistina gave Wood free on-air unsolicited advice and encouraged him not to move his restaurant at this time.

Polistina is working with New Jersey state officials to try and work out approval for Fish Heads to continue to operate exactly where it has for the past 6 to 7 years.

Wood has operated his establishment in Atlantic City for the past 25 years.

We just spoke with Wood, he confirmed that he is not moving his restaurant truck. We have confirmed that it remains in place as we file this report.

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Polistina doesn’t believe that proper written notice has been provided to Wood, justifying why he must depart his long-standing location.

The consensus in Atlantic City is that Mayor Marty Small is retaliating against Wood because of a verbal altercation last summer, and John Devlin, Craig Callaway, and Wood have gone on the record to say that it was Small’s wife La’Quetta who instigated the incident.

For his part in this, Small is laying the blame squarely on the New Jersey department of environmental protection.

Locals aren’t buying it. They believe that Small brought the DEP in to hatch the eviction plan and then blame the state for it.

Adding credence to this working theory, the City of Atlantic City released this joint statement just as we were publishing this update.

Polistina remains hopeful that he can work out an appropriate accommodation for Wood and Fish Heads.

Polistina strongly disagrees with a previous determination that Gardners Basin is bound by certain state Green Acres parameters.

Polistina also emphasized that Gardner’s Basin is pristine waterfront property, that residents and visitors alike should be able to enjoy at a maximum level and not be restricted by senseless bureaucratic priorities.