Sebastian Maniscalco Surprises Impersonator Contest in Atlantic City, Then Delivers Comedy Set at Ocean Casino

Sebastian Maniscalco surprised fan impersonators at a contest in Atlantic City, crowning a winner who bore a striking resemblance to the hit comic. "It’s very flattering," Maniscalco told an amped-up crowd at the Ocean Casino Resort's Nola Bar before announcing the winner. "I felt like I was looking in a mirror." The moment capped a night at Ocean Casino Resort that also featured the comedian performing later in Ovation Hall as part of his It Ain't Right tour.

Eight contestants competed, including a woman who went by the name "Chelsea Spaghetti" and performed their take on the Italian comedian’s most iconic riffs. Maniscalco, 52, then took the stage in Ovation Hall for the main set, delivering material about parenting and middle age. "I went to my son’s soccer game, I don’t bring a chair or nothing, he’s six. Everybody is bringing a campsite. Blankets, umbrellas, Thermoses. What the hell are you doing?" he quipped. His set also included a riff about a family trip to Universal Studios, joking with the crowd: "I go up to the guy to buy tickets. This tall, guy, you are looking right at him. I didn’t measure him with a measuring stick before I came to the park. We barely got his socks on. What is this? Two feet? You got anything for two footers?"

During opening comic Pete Correale’s set, a medical emergency briefly interrupted the program, and the lights came on as he appealed for doctors in the crowd. "It’s a live show, this is why AI will never replace live entertainment," Correale quipped when the program resumed. Maniscalco acknowledged the moment on stage, joking, "I heard we stopped the show, I hope they are OK. I don’t know if it was a medical thing or somebody threw up on themselves. Somebody could be drunk already." The venue later said the person was dehydrated and was OK. Correale, who had earlier judged the contest, said he would be back performing at the hotel starting September 25, with his own return date set.

Ocean Casino Resort rolled out the red carpet for Maniscalco’s appearance, installing a giant billboard on the side of the hotel and dedicating an area with cannolis and Italian food beside the pop-up merch and food stands for the comedian. The hotel also showcased life-sized cutouts placed around the property, with at least one drunken casino guest reportedly stealing a cutout in the early hours and bringing it back to his room. The resort has built a broader brand around big-name acts, branding and experiential touches that extend beyond the stage.

The hotspot recently hosted a high-profile Reform Alliance event linked to Jay-Z and Michael Rubin, drawing celebrities such as Beyoncé, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, Kevin Hart, Travis Scott, Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Jamie Foxx, Winnie Harlow, Odell Beckham Jr., Meek Mill, Robert Kraft and Michael Novogratz. That history underscores Ocean Casino Resort’s strategy of pairing headline entertainment with immersive guest experiences to drive both attendance and social buzz.