Pinball Outside the Law

Robert Lestón

CUNY, NYC College of Technology

Sittman and Pitt, Draw Poker, 1891

To make the odds better for the house, two cards were typically removed from the deck: the ten of spades and the jack of hearts, which doubles the odds against winning a royal flush. The drums could also be rearranged to further reduce a player’s chance of winning.–Wikipedia

Mills Slot Vending Machine

HIDDEN PAYOUT–1936 Western Equipment & Supply Co. Center Smash Pinball

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Jimmy Walker, Mayor NYC, 1926-1932

Resigned after accepting bribes for doling out municipal contracts.

Frank “The Prime Minister” Costello

Costello, who would later become the leader of the Luciano family, saturated NYC with slots in the early 30s before La Guardia would come to power. It is reported that he placed 5k machines around town in bars, barbershops, laundry mats , speakeasies, cafeterias and candy stores where kids hung out.

Slot Smash

03 Oct 1934, Manhattan, New York, New York, USA — Mayor Destroys Last of Slot Machines. A modern St. George conquering a moral dragon. Mayor LaGuardia, of New York City, has the personal satisfaction of destroying some of the 2000 slot machines which were loaded on a municipal barge, towed out to sea, and dumped. They are believed to have been the last machines in the city. The money remaining in the machines at the time of confiscation will be turned over to the police pension fund. Watching the Mayor are Police Commissioner Valentine, (center), and State Senator, Joseph Esquirol, sponsor of a bill outlawing the evil. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

From left, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine, District Attorney Thomas Walsh, attorney Dodge and Paul Moss, commissioner of licenses, pitch in to throw confiscated arms and slot machines into the sea off Eaton’s Neck, L.I. Copyright 2000 by Daily News LP. For more photographs visit www.dailynewspix.com.