Coin Slot

Issue: 1976 March 016

Coin Slot Magazine - #016 - 1976 - March [International Arcade Museum]
WANTED: large lots of games, gambling devises complete, parts, castings etc.
I have $25, 000. 00 to spend on any of the above. Please submit your best offers ■
with photos detailed description of items. I am a Nevada resident. Please
write care of The Coin Slot Department C. W. J. M.
WANTED
Information on Ceiling fans, brochures, circulars, pamphlets etc.
Please write The Coin Slot Dept. DB
•Sun. Jan. 11,1976 los 3ngtleS Ctmttf
Deputies Hit the Jackpot:
50 One-Armed Bandits
BY KEVIN KODE&ICK
ranged to use the unoccupied house
as a repair shop.
Portesi
said
Kenzer apparently
bought the machines from mis
state somes, refurbish the^^|i*
planned to sell them to locaToistoi-
ers. He dealt only iricash to avoid
Times Staff Writer
tradng, Portesi said. <
Kenzer was booked for investiga
.com
value of $500 to $700. Some of
the
m
tion of misdemeanor charges of slot
:
u
what sheriffs investigators described
m
older, more
ornate models
could be
e
o
machine
possession and possession ^
s
as the state's largest haul ever of the
d fr de-mu
repair the devices. Bail wais set^t
e
d
Jerome Kenzer,
a 48, Deputies
a arrested
Lt. Lou Portesi of the sheriffs
lo vice
contractor who lives
n machines
"Some of the older, woofjeii^lot
a an rc electrical
bureau said the illegal slot
.
w
o
w
machines may even be handmade
were discovered D
in a private home
w
w
/
and are in pretty good shape," ofce
equipped to make extensive
so-called "one-armed bandits" to an
detective said.."Toobad they have lo
ttp:/ of repairs
on them. A large h
number
parts
be destroyed."
such as wheels, levers and electrical
At least 50 antique slot machines
were seized in Van Nuys Saturday in
gambling devices.
of $50,000 and carry an average
worth as much as $2,500, Portesi said.
$500.
next door to the raided home, after*
he allegedly tried to sell one of the
undercover agent.
components also were seized, he said.
Portesi said the machines, dating
back to 1915, could be worth a total
Portesi said Kenzer possesses ex
tensive knowledge of slot machine
operation and apparently had ar
© The International Arcade Museum
Some of the models carried mark
ings from Las Vegas hotels and casi
nos where they were used long-ago.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Coin Slot Magazine - #016 - 1976 - March [International Arcade Museum]
By MICHAEL POLLOCK
to resume his pastime.
A Van Nuys slot machine collec
tor, whose hobby came to an
abrupt end in January when sher
iff deputies arrested him and con
fiscated his machines, may be able
At least that's the way it appears
after Municipal Court Commis
sioner Herbert Hargrave ordered
authorities to return to Jerome
Kenzer approximately 50 of the al
leged gaming devices — repre
senting a $30,000 investment.
One drawback for the 48-year-
old Kenzer is that Hargrave stayed
execution of the order to allow the
city attorney's office to file an ap
peal with the appellate depart
VALLEY
NEWS
and GREEN SHEET
Friday« Msrch 28, tit Ai
ment of the Superior Court.
In addition, Hargrave's order af
fects all of Kenzer's machines ex
cept one the defendant allegedly
agreed to sell to an undercover
sheriff deputy.
Still, Kenzerof 14322 Valerio St.,
an electrical contractor who has
collected slot machines for more
than 15 years, is happy with the
court order, even though he re
mains facing charges of possess
ing and selling gambling devices.
The Commissioner based his de
cision on a finding that Kenzer's
slot machines are collector's items,
have artistic value and were not
being used for gambling.
Hargrave further held that the
machines have historical signifi
cance of early times in California.
The defendant, who said his ma
chines "are beautiful antique
works of art," was originally re
ported by sheriff deputies/to be in
the business of repairing and sell
ing the machines.
Deputies also said they seized
the devices, valued from $500 to
$700 each, from a warehouse next
to Kenzer's home.
Kenzer said, however, that he
acquires and repairs the machines
for himself.
He also maintained that "the so-
called warehouse" is really an ex
tension of his home.
"I acquired the property next to
my home some time ago and it is
used to house the machines, an art
studio, for my wife and living
quarters for my sons,"
The defendant added that he is
spearheading a drive to persuade
area legislators to amend the Cali
fornia Penal Code dealing with the
possession of slot machines.
"They are valuable because
they are part of Americana," he
added.
He maintained further that the
mere possession of slot machines
should not be a crime.
"It is a crime to use them for
gambling, but we collectors
wouldn't gamble with our ma
chines," he said.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
© The International Arcade Museum
'One-armed bandits'may be freed
.com
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d fro de-mus
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