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http://peacemission.info/father-divine/
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Rivera Hotel located on the corner of Clinton and High Streets in Newark, NJ. The Riviera was built in 1922 and became a Newark residence for businessmen and legal figures.
Crime boss Abner “Longy” Zwillman hung-out there in the 1930s.
http://www.libertynet.org/fdipmm/hotels/riviera.html
http://www.nj.com/travel/destinations/index.ssf/2010/09/hotel_riviera_offers_affordable_option_in_newark.html
http://www.newarkhistory.com/mlkblvd.html
http://hotelrivieranj.com
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Divine founded the International Peace Mission Movement, which amassed millions of dollars from contributions which it heavily invested in real estate. Among Father Divine's purchases were hotels in a number of cities that he called "Heavens." One such “Heaven” was the Rivera Hotel located on the corner of Clinton and High Streets in Newark, NJ. The Riviera was built in 1922 and became a Newark residence for businessmen and legal figures. Crime boss Abner “Longy” Zwillman hung-out there in the 1930s.
The Riviera never recovered from the Great Depression and in 1949 was sold to Father Divine, who added the "Divine" to its name. He bought the 250-room hotel for $550,000 in cash, which was brought to the closing by his aides in satchels. It took 14 bank tellers three and a half hours to count all the 1, 5, 10, and 20-dollar bills. For the next few years the Divine Hotel Riviera was run as one of Father Divine's "Heavens." There was no alcohol sold and men and women were lodged separately.
The International Peace Mission Movement’s web site promotes the hotel as, “an example of the true American way of living. It was purchased, owned and operated on a strictly cash and carry basis and incurring no indebtedness whatsoever.” Father Divine passed away in 1965, but his wife, known to followers as Mother Divine, continued on with his mission. The movement still functions and his followers still operate the hotel.