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TX4016
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GALVESTON, TX ILLEGAL CASINO, WESTERN ROOM
This 25 cent chip is from the Western Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. The chip was made in the radian diamond mold with hot-stamped lettering. It is in very good condition. Sam and Rose Maceo ran the Western Room on the third floor of the Turf Grill Building in downtown Galveston during the 1940s and 1950s. Illegal gambling was openly conducted with very little interference from law enforcement officials that were paid-off. The Western Room was the gambling home away from home for wealthy oil and cattle men from Houston, Dallas, and surrounding Texas cities. It was not unusual for a well-heeled cowboy to drop $10,000 on one roll of the dice at the craps table.
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GA3002
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RARE BLACK EDGEWATER CHIP, GALVESTON TX
This is an important chip for your collection. There are very few $100 Edgewater's available. I believe I am the only person who has had this $100 chip for sale. This is a Jack Todd made chip (made in Kansas City) with the circle of diamonds. The chip was made in 1940 - 1954. It is black with gold lettering. It has the denomination on one side and Edgewater Lounge on the other side. The Edgewater Lounge was owned by Anthony Fritta and was located at the entrance to Clear Lake from the Houston ship channel through Kemah. The chip measures 1-9/16 inches in diameter and is 1/8 inch thick. It is in excellent condition and has excellent color. This and the $40 Edgewater are a must for any good Texas collection.
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TX2529
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BEIGE TAC-BR $1 CHIP
this beige, $25.00 chip, with radial diamond (Jack Todd) mold and hot-stamped lettering, is from the Balinese Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. The chip is in excellent, near-mint condition. The Balinese Room was a gambling casino located on a pier that extended into the Gulf on Galveston, Island. Run by the Maceos and Fertittas, the Balinese was a luxurious night club with first class entertainment by bid band orchestras. The long breezeway out to the main rooms made the Balinese nearly "raid-proof";, and was known as "Ranger Run" because even the fastest Texas Ranger could not get to the gaming tables before they were converted to pool and bridge tables during a raid. We have a large collection of chips from the illegal casinos of Galveston - some of which we are selling on Ebay. Contact us about any particular chips you may be missing from your collection.
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TX3528
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BLACK TAC-BR $25 CHIP
This is a black, $25.00 chip, with small Greek key mold and hot-stamped lettering, from the Balinese Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. The chip is in very good condition. The Balinese Room was a gambling casino located on a pier that extended into the Gulf on Galveston, Island. Run by the Maceos and Fertittas, the Balinese was a luxurious night club with first class entertainment by bid band orchestras. The long breezeway out to the main rooms made the Balinese nearly "raid-proof", and was known as "Ranger Run" because even the fastest Texas Ranger could not get to the gaming tables before they were converted to pool and bridge tables during a raid. We have a large collection of chips from the illegal casinos of Galveston - some of which we are selling on Ebay. Contact us about any particular chips you may be missing from your collection.
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TX2527
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TURF ATHLETIC CLUB, GALVESTON, BLUE $25 CHIP
This is a $25.00 chip, with squares in circle mold and hot-stamped lettering, from the Balinese Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. The chip is blue and in very good condition. The Balinese Room was a gambling casino located on a pier that extended into the Gulf on Galveston, Island. Run by the Maceos and Fertittas, the Balinese was a luxurious night club with first class entertainment by bid band orchestras. The long breezeway out to the main rooms made the Balinese nearly "raid-proof", and was known as "Ranger Run" because even the fastest Texas Ranger could not get to the gaming tables before they were converted to pool and bridge tables during a raid. We have a large collection of chips from the illegal casinos of Galveston - some of which we are selling on Ebay. Contact us about any particular chips you may be missing from your collection.
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TX4003
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BLACK $25 WESTERN ROOM CHIP, TAC, GALVESTON
This black $25 chip is from the Western Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. Sam and Rose Maceo ran the Western Room on the third floor of the Turf Grill Building in downtown Galveston during the 1940s and 1950s. Illegal gambling was openly conducted with very little interference from law enforcement officials that were paid-off. The Western Room was the gambling home away from home for wealthy oil and cattle men from Houston, Dallas, and surrounding Texas cities. It was not unusual for a well-heeled cowboy to drop $10,000 on one roll of the dice at the craps table. The chip was made in the Mason mold with gold, hot-stamped lettering in the center. It is in excellent condition.
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TX4002
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TAN $1 TAC WESTERN ROOM CHIP, GALVESTON
This $1 chip is from the Western Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. Sam and Rose Maceo ran the Western Room on the third floor of the Turf Grill Building in downtown Galveston during the 1940s and 1950s. Illegal gambling was openly conducted with very little interference from law enforcement officials that were paid-off. The Western Room was the gambling home away from home for wealthy oil and cattle men from Houston, Dallas, and surrounding Texas cities. It was not unusual for a well-heeled cowboy to drop $10,000 on one roll of the dice at the craps table. Mason mold. The chip is in excellent condition.
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TX4001
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$1 TAC WESTERN ROOM CHIP, GALVESTON
This $1 chip is from the Western Room of the Turf Athletic Club in Galveston, Texas. Sam and Rose Maceo ran the Western Room on the third floor of the Turf Grill Building in downtown Galveston during the 1940s and 1950s. Illegal gambling was openly conducted with very little interference from law enforcement officials that were paid-off. The Western Room was the gambling home away from home for wealthy oil and cattle men from Houston, Dallas, and surrounding Texas cities. It was not unusual for a well-heeled cowboy to drop $10,000 on one roll of the dice at the craps table. The chip was made in the reverse T mold (distributed by Taylor & Co., Chicago) with four green inserts and hot-stamped lettering in the center. It is in excellent condition.
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TX2001
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ORANGE TAC BALINESE ROOM CHIP,GALVESTON
This $5.00 orange chip is from the Turf Athletic Club Balinese Room in Galveston, Texas. The hearts and squares mold is a rare Jones mold that was only used on a few of the chips for the illegal casinos in Galveston. The hot-stamped lettering is charactistic of the chips for these clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. This chip is in excellent condition. The Balinese Room was a gambling casino located on a pier that extended into the Gulf on Galveston Island. Run by the Maceos and Fertittas, the Balinese was a luxurious night club with first class entertainment by big band orchestras. The long breezeway out to the main rooms made the Balinese nearly "raid-proof," and was known as "Ranger Run" because even the fastest Texas Ranger could not get to the gaming tables before they were converted to pool and bridge tables during a raid.
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614
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$500 BALINESE ROOM CREST AND SEAL CHIP
This is a $500 denomination crest and seal chip from the Balinese Room, an illegal casino in Galveston, Texas, in the 1940s - 1950s. The chip is in excellent condition and measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. This chip ranks in the top 10 of Galveston chips and is a must for any Texas collection. The infamous Balinese Room was perhaps the most exotic of all 1940-1950s casinos on the Gulf Coast. Galveston Island's "B-Room" was the jewel in the crown of the Maceo syndicate's illegal gambling empire. Like the Sui Jen before her, the B-room sat on a pier at 21st and Seawall Blvd. in the Gulf of Mexico. These quality, superbly-crafted crest and seal chips from our collection are featured on the front cover of Gaming Times magazine, November issue. They were present on the gaming tables of the casino when such famous headliners such as Sophie Tucker, Burns and Allen, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Phil Harris, Gene Autry, Joe E. Lewis, and Jack Benny played the B-Room. The length of the long breezeway that led to the club out on the pier was known as "Ranger Run." During a raid, the buzzer sounded in the gaming room out above the gulf waves, and chips, cards, dice, and slot machines were stowed away in a walk-in safe in less than two minutes before the fastest running Rangers could reach the gaming room. Often the band struck up the University of Texas alma mater, "The Eyes of Texas," and patriotic Texas casino guests rose to their feet in the restaurant while Rangers attempted to force their way through the crowd. According to one former Maceo employee, the B-Room was raided on 64 consecutive nights without a single bust.
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1240
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GALVESTON ILLEGAL CASINO GAMBLING POKER CHIP
This is a $25.00 chip, with radial diamond (Jack Todd) mold and hot-stamped lettering, from the Studio Lounge of the Turf Athletic Club. The chip is a dark purple color and in MINT condition. The Turf Athletic Club Studio Lounge was located on the fourth floor of the Turf Grill Building, 2214 Market Street on Galveston Island. The Studio Lounge offered craps and blackjack and liquor by the drink, all illegal and all run openly during the gambling days of the Maceo Syndicate. The public was well aware of the illegal gambling activities as well as the local police force and court system. Gigilo Maceo sponsored ladies' society fashion shows in the Studio Lounge every other Friday afternoon during the late 1940s.
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1242
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GALVESTON $1 GRAY TAC, BALINESE ROOM
This $1.00 light gray (or tan) chip is from the Turf Athletic Club Balinese Room. It has the radial diamond (Jack Todd) mold with hot-stamped lettering. It is in excellent condition. The Balinese Room was a gambling casino located on a pier that extended into the Gulf on Galveston Island. Run by the Maceos and Fertittas, the Balinese was a luxurious night club with first class entertainment by big band orchestras. The long breezeway out to the main rooms made the Balinese nearly "raid-proof," and was known as "Ranger Run" because even the fastest Texas Ranger could not get to the gaming tables before they were converted to pool and bridge tables during a raid.
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1244
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DICKINSON SOCIAL CLUB, TAN $1.00 CHIP
Tan $1.00 chip from the Dickinson Social Club. It has $1.00 on one side and "EE" on the other side. The squares-in-circle mold with hot-stamped lettering is charactistic of many of the illegal Galveston clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. It is in very good condition. The "EE" stands for the Emmite brothers, Sam and Carlos, who operated the Dickinson Social Club. It was also known as the D and S. The gambling club was located on Farm to Market Road 417 in Dickinson, Texas, a part of Galveston County on the "mainland." Partners in the club were Vic and Anthony Fertitta and the Salvato brothers, Joe, Pete and Mike.
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1245
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GALVESTON DICKINSON SOCIAL CLUB, YELLOW CHIP
This yellow or gold $1.00 chip is from the Dickinson Social Club. It has $1.00 on one side and "EE" on the other side. The squares-in-circle mold with hot-stamped lettering is charactistic of many of the illegal Galveston clubs of the 1940s and 1950s. It is in very good condition but does show use. The "EE" stands for the Emmite brothers, Sam and Carlos, who operated the Dickinson Social Club. It was also known as the D and S. The gambling club was located on Farm to Market Road 417 in Dickinson, Texas, a part of Galveston County on the "mainland." Partners in the club were Vic and Anthony Fertitta and the Salvato brothers, Joe, Pete and Mike.
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598
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$25 EDGEWATER CHIP, TEXAS
This is an important chip for your collection because there are not many $25 Edgewater's available. The other important Edgewater Club chip is the $100. This is a Jack Todd made chip (made in Kansas City) with the circle of diamonds. The chip was made in 1940 - 1954. It is a light terra cotta color and has the denomination on one side in gold letters and Edgewater Lounge on the other side. The Edgewater Lounge was owned by Anthony Fritta and was located at the entrance to Clear Lake from the Houston ship channel through Kemah. The chip measures 1-9/16 inches in diameter and is 1/8 inch thick. It is in excellent condition and has excellent color. This and the $100 Edgewater (which is black) are a must for any good Texas collection.
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