Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian was slapped with a $600k suit over Wonderland debts
The suit seeks payment for a 2024 court judgement related to Gillian’s Wonderland Pier. Gillian, who is seeking a fourth term, declared bankruptcy earlier this month.
Ocean City Mayor Jay A. Gillian has been slapped with a civil suit for nearly $600,000 for an unpaid debt.
Filed in Cape May County Superior Court by the 1st Bank of Sea Isle City and the Patricia Gillian Irrevocable Trust, the suit seeks payment for a 2024 court judgment related to Gillian’s closed Wonderland Pier amusement park.
“Nothing has been paid on account of the Judgment,” the suit states, according to court records.
Gillian, who has been mayor since 2010 and is now seeking a fourth term, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. He could not be reached for comment about the suit.
The Gillian family had owned Wonderland from 1965 to 2021, when it had defaulted on $8 millions in loans, and sold the amusement park to developer Eustace Mita, of Icona Resorts.
Mita, who has had plans to transform the site into a $150 million luxury hotel, and eventually townhomes, is also named in the suit. He told the Press of Atlantic City that he is not liable for Gillian’s Wonderland debts from before Mita bought the property.
After a City Council vote earlier this month, the property remains under review by the Ocean City Planning Board to determine whether it should be rehabilitated or rezoned for new development.
Patricia Gillian was married to Gillian’s father, Roy Gillian, former mayor and founder of Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, who died in 2024 at 94.
The complaint argues that the bank and the trust are owed nearly $600,000 that went to Gillian after the sale of the boardwalk property.
Earlier this month, Gillian described his declaring bankruptcy as an “extraordinarily difficult decision,” due to a combination of business decisions, personal financial obligations, and outside circumstances, which led to “serious financial strain.”
» READ MORE: Ocean City’s mayor files for personal bankruptcy but he plans to stay in office
“Like many individuals and families across our nation who encounter unexpected hardship, I found myself in a position where traditional methods were no longer viable,” Gillian said. “It is my hope that by being transparent and direct, others facing similar hardships will feel empowered to seek help, take responsible action, and work toward rebuilding.”
Staff writer Henry Savage contributed reporting.