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This beautiful crest and seal chip is from the Hollywood Dinner Club in Galveston, Texas. It is an exceptional find and ranks easily in the Top 10 of Galveston chips. It is in excellent condition and a must for any Texas collection. The chip measures 1-1/2 inches in diameter and has the ribbed edge. The most exclusive speakeasy in the country at the time, the Hollywood Dinner Club was one of the first in the country to have air conditioning (called refrigerated air in the early days). The Maceo brothers and Jakie Friedman opened the Hollywood Dinner Club in 1926 at Stewart Road and 61st St. on Galveston Island. The first big band radio broadcasts originated there, featuring Guy Lombardo, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Glen Miller, and Spike Jones.
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| This high-quality crest and seal $100 chip passed on the green felt of illegal craps and blackjack tables, bet by rich tourists and even richer oil and cattlemen from Dallas and Houston. This is one of many Galveston illegal chips from our collection showcased on the front cover of the November issue of Gaming Times magazine. When Prohibition ended in 1933 and drinking was legalized, the illegal gambling at the HDC continued as strong as ever until 1939 when the Texas Rangers padlocked the doors. The Maceos continued to use the HDC as a warehouse for illegal gaming paraphernalia for their newer Turf Athletic Club (TAC) gaming empire. The HDC was raided one last time in 1957 during the Texas Rangers' "mother of all raids." |
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