Union Rocketeers Found Cuilty
01 Extorting Funds From Operators
NASSAU COUNTY, N. Y.-One of the
tentacles of a nation-wide racket, popular
with gangsterdom, was crushed here, free-
ing pinball operators from "tribute de-
mands" masked as union dues, as John
Peters, 27, and David Hendrickson, 29,
were convicted of conspiracy, extortion and
coercion _
District Attorney Neary, in a two-hour
summa tion of the case in which he prose-
cuted the defendants, referred to the lengthy
cost of the trial, declaring, "No matter what
it cost, it would be well worth while if it
drove out this slimy racket and these slimy
racketeers who have been preying on the
citizenry of this county_ If we can strike
out that threat, the mone'y will not be
wasted."
Justifying his case, he explained, "I'm
not here to try to justify the pinball indus-
try, but I do tell you that the industry is
legal until the machines are used for an
ill egal purpose by some store-keeper who
pays off."
Hendrickson and Peters had used the
fami liar method of cloaking their gangster's
game with the union fron t. Hendrickson
was president of the Nassau-Suffolk Recrea-
tional Associa tion of Lynbrook, which the
state contended was formed last fall along
with Local 1199 of the Internat ional
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers of
Hempstead for the sole purpose of coll ect-
ing tribute from operators in the pinball
industry by forcing them to join bo th
groups, under threat of picketing, and pay
1.00 per month per machine for the priv-
ilege of operating without molestation. Pe- -
ters was business agent of the union local.
Most of the 60 pinball operators in the
county had been forced into the combina-
tion before it was broken up in the cour e
of an investigation conducted by District
Attorney Neary and Assistant District At-
torney Frank A. Gulotta after several op-
erators fi led complaints in February_
Judge Johnson, in charg ing the jury, told
them: "You should determine whether
threats or acts of picketing were primarily
made and done in good fai th and in a gen-
uine attempt to improve the wages, hours
or working conditions of employees of the
pinball industry . . . If, on the contrary,
such threats were not for such purpose,
but carried out by these defendants for the
purpose of extorting money from the pin-
ball operators who were conducting their
b usiness in the county of Nassau, then such
picketing was not lawful and these defend-
ants cannot claim any exemption under the
labor law, the general business law or any
other statutory provisions regulating labor
or the relationship between employer and
employee."
Because the jury voted "Guilty," Peters
faces a possible sentence of from twenty-
four and one-half to forty-nine years. Hen-
drickson faces a theoretical maximum of
double that amount, due to a previous con-
viction of an admi tted felony_
•
Joponese Emborgo
Cuts Off Chorms
WASHI GTO , D. C. - Vending ma-
chine operators of the United States who
ROAD MAN WANTED
We are interested in obtaining the services of a competent and capable
Coin Machine Salesman to travel the Coast States representing products
manufactured by several of the outstanding manufacture rs in the Industry.
A background of experience calling on the operators. jobbers and dis-
tributors is essential and only men who are fre e to travel and remain away
from home fo r an indefinite period will be considered.
We have an exceptionally fine proposition to offer the man we will select.
A liberal commission will be paid on all sales and an ade quate drawing
account will be available immediately.
If you have the ability and e xperience we s e ek we shall welcome your
le tter giving full information as to your past activities in the Coin Machine
Industry. and character refe rences.
BOX 360
COIN MACHINE REVIEW
Los Angeles.
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Deigb-bo!! Deigb Do!
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Vacationing
W.
go!
The REVIEW offices will be open for business as usual be-
twe en the h ours of 8:30 and 4:30 starting on Se ptember 1st.
August 10th to 30th have been selected as the vacation
dates for REVIEW employees in Los Angeles and during
this 3-week period there will be only one employe e to take
care of absolute emergencies.
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use Japanese made charms in their mer-
chandise vending machines to bolster
grosses will have to be content with Amer-
ican made charms. The Federal Embargo
placed on Japanese made products on July
25th will prohibit the further importing of
this type of merchandise.
Also affected will be travelling crane
operators who have found the flashier and
cheaper Japanese trinkets especially desit-
able for use in crane and digger type
machines.
The Federal Bureau of Home Industry
states that American manufacturers have
been supplying charms of superior quality
to the Japanese product for some little
time but opera tors have been slow to use
them because of the slight additional cost
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over the imported ones.
Robinson Cuest
Of Monufocturers
CHICAGO -
Carrying out his well-
mapped program of "Big Four Harmony",
"Curley" Robinson, managing director of
the Associated Operators of Los Angeles
County, paid a four-day visit to manufac-
tu rers here in late J uly. For years, Robin-
son's policy has been to "create harmony
among the four branches in the coin ma-
chine fie ld-the manufacturers, the distri-
butors, the operators and the location
owners."
In a two hour summation, July 21, "Cur-
ley" discussed problems and poli cies which
are important to those four divisions in
that they are co-related, presen ting data
and material from his association's files.
The California director left with promise
of ac tive support to operators, dist ributors
and loca ti on owners from the manufactur-
ers_
Listening to Robinson at the meeting
were: John A. Russell, attorney; James A.
Gi lmore, secretary-manager of the Coin
Machine Industries, Inc., and Manufac-
turers Dennis Donohue, Mills Novelty Co.;
Jack Keeney, J. H. Keeney & Co.; Dave
Gensburg, Genco Mfg_ Co.; John Chrest
Exhibit Supply Co.; Harold Baker, Baket~
Novelty Co o, Inc_; Ray Moloney, Bally
Mfg. Co.; Sam Wolberg, Chicago CQin
Machine Mfg. Co _; David Gottlieb Dave
Gottlieb & Co.; Walter Tratsch, A: B. T.
Mfg. Corp_; Al Douglis and S. Helfenbein,
Daval Co.; R_ W_ Hood, H_ C. Evans & Co.;
Richard Groetchen, Groetchen Tool Co.;
and Dave Rockola and T_ 1. Maurada,
Rock-Ola Mfg. Corp.
Enthusiastic about hi meeting with the
manufacturing representatives and his trip
to Chicago, "Curley" declared, "I had a
grand time and enjoyed myself immense-
ly_ I feel that the personal touch is neces-
sary occasionally for the understanding and
co-operation for which the AOLAC is con-
stantly working. And, when I go and talk
the way I did in Chicago, I believe I'm just
saying all the things the boys would say if
they had the time to go and discuss matters
of every-day concern with the manufac-
turers."
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Get Your
SEEBURG
Equipment at
C. WALTERS &. ASSOCIATES
2201 BEVERLY BLVD., LOS ANGELES
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COIN
MACHINE
REVIEW
9
fOR
AUGUST
1941