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Articles
and other media

Some articles, presentation and other media created over the years related to illegal gambling history.

The following articles have been published in the Casino Chip and Token News, the quarterly magazine of the Casino Collectibles Association, and will be added here periodically.  Email me if interested in something sooner.

Stag Bar: A Family Mystery

Havana, IL

Published: CCTN - Winter 2021

Mike Cunico: Cowboy Gambler

Taos, NM

Published: CCTN - Spring 2021

Bar X & the Dallas Rat

Dallas, TX

Published: CCTN - Summer 2021

On the Run with the Harry Lee Showboat

East Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi

Published: CCTN - Fall 2021 (AOTY)

Bueno Fortuna:

The Case of the Dallas Good Fortune

Dallas, TX

Published: CCTN - Winter 2022

Colonial Club and Beyond

Hot Springs, AR

Published: CCTN - Winter 2022

Sam Hare & the New Dells

Chicago, IL

Published: CCTN - Spring 2022

Montana Mystery Chips

Ashland, MT

Published: CCTN - Summer 2022

El Paso vs. Knickerbocker Club

El Paso, TX

Published: CCTN - Fall 2022

Buffaloed in Texas

Algoa, TX

Published: CCTN - Summer 2023

West End Club:

Mississippi's 24 Hour Meltdown

Lamar County, MS

Published: CCTN - Fall 2023

John Romeo & The Key Club

Biloxi, MS

Published: CCTN - Winter 2023

Tripo & The Sportsman

Galveston, TX

Published: CCTN - Winter 2023

Jo Jo Balch: Galveston's Male Madam

Galveston, TX

Published: CCTN - Spring 2024

Hamtramck: Michigan's Poorly Hidden Secret
Hamtramck, Michigan

Hamtramck, a suburb of Detroit, had its own world of vice. With mayors running their
campaigns from behind bars, its no wonder the lawlessness was rampant in the small town. Read about how one small enclave had an enormous history.

 

Published: CCTN - Summer 2020

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Omaha: Nebraska's Hidden History
Omaha, Nebraska

On a peninsula between two states, Green River Island used its unique position as a “no
man’s land” to ply its trade in illegal gambling.

 

Published: CCTN - Spring 2016

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Richard Canfield: Gentleman Gambler of New York
New York, New York

At the turn of the 20th century, Richard Canfield brought Monte Carlo type class to New York
City. However, not everyone enjoyed what he was offering. Read the story of Canfield vs the State.

 

Published: CCTN - Spring 2017

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Green River Island: Kentucky's No Man's Land
Evansville, KY/IN

On a peninsula between two states, Green River Island used its unique position as a “no
man’s land” to ply its trade in illegal gambling.

 

Published: CCTN - Fall 2018

Winner: Article of the Year (2018)

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J. J. Connors: Alabama's Gentleman Gambler
Montgomery, Alabama

J. J. Connors walked into the newspaper office with “the story of a lifetime”. His lifetime that is. But what he divulged was only part of the story. Read the entire, unbiased story of Montgomery, Alabama’s “Gentleman Gambler” here.

 

Published: CCTN - Spring 2020

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The Many Lives of Ken Eto
Chicago, Illinois

Ken Eto was not your typical Chicago gangster. Of Asian descent, he bucked the odds and
rose to be one of the top men in the syndicate. But when his gangster family turns on him, Ken must find a way to survive.

 

Published: CCTN - Fall 2018

CCTN - Ken Eto.jpg

Benny Binion & the Dallas Gambling War
Dallas, Texas

Before he became a Las Vegas icon, Benny Binion was the gambling kingpin of Dallas, Texas.  His war for supremacy tore the city's underworld apart.

 

Published: CCTN - Winter 2017 (Winner Article of the Year)

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Irene Kite and Her Ax
Central Illinois

Social activist Irene Kite uses a hand ax against illegal slot machines in central Illinois in 1937.

 

Published: CCTN - Winter 2019

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Chips from the Pomp Club and Their Second Life
Pompano, Florida & Illinois

A deep dive into a confusing chip record reveals a short-lived club and the life of its chips afterwards.

 

Published: CCTN - Summer 2019 (Winner Article of Year)

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