Marie Castello

Lore & Background

Marie Castello was born in Neptune City, New Jersey, on May 25, 1915. Her Irish father built items including pots, hand fans, and baskets; her mother was from Canada, and her maternal grandfather was originally from Australia. She married Walter Castello, a car salesman, and they were married for over seventy years. The couple had four children and fourteen grandchildren. Walter Castello died in the late 1990s. Castello claimed that the family surname was given to her husband's grandfather by American immigration officials at Ellis Island when he arrived from the Russian Empire; she was unsure of the original family name.

Madam Marie began telling fortunes at her twelve-foot-square booth, called the Temple of Knowledge, in 1932. She recalled that in the 1930s the boardwalk was formal: no bare feet, no bathing suits, and no drinking, with customers often in dresses, evening gowns, and tuxedos. During the 1960s she became known as 'the gypsy queen of the boardwalk,' a nickname she did not mind because mystery was good for business. She read fortunes for celebrities including Ray Charles, Woody Allen, Perry Como, Diane Keaton, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Elliott Gould, Gorilla Monsoon, Vic Damone, and Diahann Carroll. She also read for Bruce Springsteen when he was about 17, reportedly telling him he would be a huge success; Springsteen later said she told all her musician clients the same thing.

Castello remained on the boardwalk through Asbury Park's decline in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the few businesses that stayed. She closed her regular daily business in 1997 and continued reading fortunes in nearby Ocean Township, New Jersey. She returned to the Temple of Knowledge on July 4, 2004, after a seven-year hiatus, giving readings on weekends for $5 to $35. She worked until her death in 2008, despite arthritis. She died unexpectedly on June 27, 2008, at age 93. The American flag at the Convention Hall-Paramount Theatre was lowered to half staff. Her family continues to give readings from her booth.

Reader's Guide

Marie Castello's significance lies in her seven-decade presence on the Asbury Park boardwalk and her role as a local fixture who became nationally known through popular culture. As the longest-running tenant on the boardwalk, she witnessed and outlasted the area's transformation from a formal seaside resort to a declining tourist destination and then to a period of renewal. Her mention in Bruce Springsteen's 1973 song '4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)'—with the line about police busting her for telling fortunes—turned her into an icon, as noted by Asbury Park deputy mayor Jim Bruno. Springsteen continued to reference her in his 1987 single 'Brilliant Disguise' and visited her when in Asbury Park. Her legacy is carried on by her family, who still operate the booth. Castello's career also illustrates the legal status of fortune telling at the time: she was cited in 1967 for telling fortunes under a New Jersey disorderly conduct statute and fined $50, but was never arrested. Her endurance as a small business owner on a changing boardwalk, combined with her cultural immortality through Springsteen's music, makes her a notable figure in both local history and American popular culture.

Did You Know?

• Madam Marie's booth was nicknamed 'The Temple of Knowledge.'
• She was cited in 1967 for telling fortunes, a violation of New Jersey's disorderly conduct statute, and fined $50.
• Bruce Springsteen visited her when he was about 17 and often played his guitar outside her booth.
• Her family continues to give readings from her booth on the Asbury Park boardwalk.