The Santa Monica Pier Corporation will transform the historic Merry Go-Round Building into a Prohibition-era gambling den on Saturday, Sept. 19, when its second annual fundraiser, A PIERfect Benefit, invites guests aboard a re-creation of the legendary SS Rex casino ship for a night of gaming, live entertainment and bidding to support free public programming on the pier.
The immersive Casino Night will feature casino-style gaming, live Carousel Horse Racing on the pier's historic carousel, cocktails, culinary offerings and period jazz, all evoking the glamour of the 1930s gambling barge once anchored in Santa Monica Bay. Guests are encouraged to arrive in 1920s and 1930s attire.
"The story of the mobster Tony Cornero's gambling barge SS Rex is one of the most fun stories in Santa Monica Pier lore," said Jim Harris, executive director and historian of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation. "Who can resist a tale of Depression-era games of chance staged on a boat miles out in the ocean?"
The real SS Rex was a fishing barge that mobster Tony "The Hat" Cornero converted into a floating casino and anchored 3 miles off the end of the Santa Monica Pier in 1938, in waters then considered beyond the reach of state gambling laws. Patrons reached it by water taxi. After years of legal battles and an eight-day standoff in which his crew repelled boarding officers with high-powered fire hoses, Cornero surrendered, reportedly saying he "needed a haircut."
"We are thrilled to re-live it via A PIERfect Benefit by bringing back that great 1930s casino-vibe with games of chance, horse racing — an imaginative use of the pier's carousel — great food, and period jazz," Harris said. "Put on your fedora and come join us!"
The evening's centerpiece is an auction that organizers have stocked with luxury getaways, VIP outings and pier treasures. Highlights include a two-night Calamigos Ranch & Spa escape in Malibu valued at $3,500, oceanfront hotel stays, a VIP tour of the Los Angeles International Airport airfield, a VIP pass to Hollywood's Magic Castle and a Pacific Park package offering four annual passes for 365 days of unlimited rides.
"A PIERfect Benefit's auction is about more than taking home something special — it's an opportunity to experience the places, people and traditions that make Santa Monica and the pier so distinctive," Harris said. "Every bid supports our nonprofit mission and helps us continue creating experiences on the pier that are free and accessible to everyone."
Online bidding is already open at givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026, allowing supporters to browse the full catalog and place bids from anywhere, whether or not they attend. Bidding continues at the event, where guests can track favorite items on their phones until the auction closes. Winning bidders will be notified by email.
The fundraiser marks a step up in ambition from its debut. Harris said last year's inaugural benefit was "primarily an exercise in changing the public perception of what the Pier Corporation is."
"Most people assume that we are a branch of the City of Santa Monica, but in reality we are a nonprofit organization who produces a year-round slate of free public events on the pier," he said. Last year's event raised more than $30,000; this year's goal is $100,000.
Proceeds support the corporation, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that funds free, year-round programming including Youth Day, which welcomes underserved children from across Los Angeles County, and the annual Pier 360 Beach Festival.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath is again among the event's sponsors. "Supervisor Horvath has been a wonderful and loyal supporter of the Pier Corporation's free events through Los Angeles County grant funding, was a key contributor to our inaugural fundraiser last year, and is on board once again this year," Harris said. "We are ever so grateful for her support."
Given the casino theme and cocktails, the benefit is geared toward adults. "The event is more suitable to a 21-plus crowd, but not restricted to that age limit," Harris said.
Guests who buy gaming tickets in advance receive 50% off the day-of price, and winners at each table earn raffle tickets for additional prizes. Adele's of Hollywood is offering 15% off costume rentals and purchases with the code PIER.
Tickets, gaming packages, sponsorship opportunities and tax-deductible donations are available at givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026. The Merry Go-Round Building is at 200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica.
For more information, visit givebutter.com/pierfectbenefit2026.