"Catalina was Hollywood's home away from home, and casino gigs were highly sought after. The concerts were broadcast across the country on radio, enhancing the venue's popularity. Thousands of concertgoers paid $2.25 each to take the Great White Steamer from San Pedro on the mainland to Avalon. Then they danced to big band music, thanking their lucky stars that the concerts themselves were often free, thanks to the building's founding father, chewing gum mogul William Wrigley Jr."
Rosemary McClure in the Los Angeles Times marks the eightieth anniversary of the Avalon Casino on Catalina Island.
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