C.O.C.A. Times

Issue: 2010-March - Vol 13 Num 1

3712 W. SCEN1C AVE., MEQUON, WISCONSIN 53092
Phone: (262) 242-3131 OR E-mai l: Bedvibr8or@aol.com
In this Issue.·
As the newly elected President of COCA, I would like to reflect on how far our organiza-
tion has come since its beginnings almost l O years ago . That progress has come about as
the result of many hours of work by a lot of dedicated volunteers. I want to express my
sincere thanks to Frank DeMayo, Paul Hindin, Alex Warschaw and Bill Petrochuk for
their service to COCA and for leaving the organization both fiscally sound and continuing
to grow. I also want to thank all of our past officers as well as our current ones : Marsha
Blau, Doug Cain and Lester Aaron as Vice President, Treasurer and Recording Secretary,
respectively. Last but certa'inly not least, Ken Durham has done an excellent job keeping
the web site running well while Paul Hindin and Randy and Sue Razzoog continue to tum
out beautiful and informative magazines for us all to enjoy.
Looking forward, I plan to work closely with our officers, volunteers and members over
the next two years to keep our organization growing and to continue expanding knowl-
edge of our hobby among the general public. My plans are to focus on the following
three tasks that are of critical importance to us all:
• Modify and add to the web site as necessary to make it more useful and of greater value
to our membership and to enhance the appeal of the hobby to the general public.
• Work with the board of directors and officers to formulate and begin execution of a
strategic plan to "market" our hobby to the public.
• Work with the officers on our various corporate affairs, including but not limited to
financial management, records, insurance and IRS non-profit status.
All of our past presidents have been very accessible to the membership and I plan to
continue that tradition. Please email me at erickjohnson@cox.net with any recommenda-
tions, suggestions or comments you may have. I will respond personally to every email I
receive from our membership. If you see me at the Chicagoland show or at the upcoming
convention (July 23 - 25, 2010) in North Carolina , please introduce yourself if I don ' t
already know you.
Our next meeting will be held on Friday, April 9, 20 IO at the Hilton Garden Inn St.
Charles. The cash bar wil l open at 5:30 p.m . (note the later start time), with din-
ner at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Please email Marsha Blau
(foxsnake@aol.com) if you have any questions regarding the meeting.
• An Upright Delight
Cover Story ...
by Frank Zygmunt .................. 4
• Talking Scale, cl904
by Jim & Merlyn Collings ...... 7
• An Important Stop for Historians
by Marshall Fey ................... 10
• Chicagoland
by Jack Kelly ........................ 18
• Bally Draw Bell Restoration
by Sam Mazzeo ..................... 20
• Honors Box
by Roger Smith ..................... 24
• Frank Zygmunt Profile
by Rich Penn ........................ 29
• Making Some Predictions
by Tim Laganke .................... 33
• Anatomy of a Clown
by John Peterson .................. 37
If you are receiving this magazine, that means you are a member of COCA. Since our
club is what we make it, I want to encourage you to participate as much as possible in our
events and to bring new members into the club whenever you can.
Thank you all in advance and I look forward to serving you all.
Erick Johnson
COCA President
DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: MAY 9, 2010
3
• COCA Hall of Fame
Frank De Mayo ..................... 41
I wanted to share with
Two months later we got
you one of the greatest finds
the call from the owner and
I have ever had in my 38
reached an agreement on the
years of collecting. Over the
sale price of the machines. I
past 20 years I have heard
felt like a kid at Christmas
rumors that there was a
morning. I have never had
great collection of uprights
this type of find on such a
hidden in Central Califor-
wonderful collection of up-
nia. The rumor had it that
rights. To say I was excited
among these uprights there
was an understatement.
was a Triple and Double
As many people in the
Victor in the collection.
business know I have worked
After years of following
with my son since we start-
Cover Story
leads and constant digging
ed this business. Frank Jr. as
by
Frank
Zygmunt
we found out who owned
he is called in the business
the machines. The owner
had his own son Frank who
passed away 26 years ago
always wants to go on ev-
and his mother held on to
ery trip with us to see ma-
the machines at her house.
chines. He is only nine but
The family decided it was
is also around the business
finally time to sell the ma-
and always wants to help.
chines about six months
Frank the Third as we call
ago. The family still had
him has a hobby. He wants
sentimental ties to the ma-
to visit every baseball park
chines and struggled to sell
and collect a team ball
them.
from each stadium. Our
My son and I flew out
home team the White Sox
there to try and buy the ma-
just happened to be play-
chines. We ate dinner with
ing in Oakland that week.
the owner then went to see
We got on the internet and
the wonderful collection.
booked three tickets to fly
Once we got there the ru-
out there.
mors proved to be true.
So the three Franks
There was a Victor Triple, Victor Double, and Victor got on a plane that Thursday and flew out to Oakland.
Single. Also in the collection was four other uprights. Friday morning we made the deal and loaded the ma-
I was in total shock when I first saw the machines. Up- chines. The uprights even looked better once they were
right Slot Machines are my passion and never thought out of the garage and in the outside light. After loading
that there were collections this great existed. All the the machines we celebrated with the owners son as he
machines worked and were in great original shape.
took us to his favorite restaurant. Afterward I, my son
We made a great offer but the owner was not ready and grandson went to go see our White Sox play the
to make a deal just yet. She struggled with emotional Oakland As. If you could have seen his eyes when we
ties to the machines and also needed to make sure she got to the park. I think his eyes were bigger then mine
was getting the most money for the machines. I am used when I saw the triple.
to closing on deals but she just was not ready to let the
I got to share my biggest passion that day with the
machines go. I told her my offer would be the highest purchase of the machines with my grandson and son. In
and confident nobody would pay more. She promised us return got to experience my grandsons biggest passion
once she was 100 percent ready to sell she would let us the same day. This business has brought me some won-
know and give us last shot at the machines. Both my son derful finds and joy over the years but to experience this
and myself were disappointed on the flight home but day was one of the greatest in my life.
were confident we would eventually own the machines.
An
Upright
Delight
4

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