Madam Marie (Marie Castello), was an American fortune teller and psychic reader who worked on the Asbury Park, New Jersey, boardwalk from 1932 until 2008. Madam Marie was the longest running tenant on the Asbury Park boardwalk.
Castello was a fixture in Asbury Park for decades, telling fortunes on and off at her tiny booth on the boardwalk which is nicknamed The Temple of Knowledge. She read the fortunes of celebrities ranging from Judy Garland to Bruce Springsteen. Castello reportedly told Springsteen that he would be a huge success. Springsteen later said that she told all her musician clients the same thing.
Springsteen mentioned Castello in his 1973 song, “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)“, which earned her a certain amount of fame among his fans. Springsteen wrote in the song’s lyrics of Castello, “Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin’ fortunes better than they do.”
Bruce Barone 