Classic Mode

Marketplace

Issue: 1974 July 30

MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 9, JUL y 30, 1974
LAW Of"f"ICES
WARREN
I . WOLFE
NCORPORATEO
1900 AVE N UE
or
THE STA RS
LOS AN GflfS. CA LI FO RN I A 9 0067
TELEPHON E fZ13J 277 1042
July 5, 1974
Mr. Bill Gersh
Marketplace
185 North Wabash Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Dear Bill:
On June 21st the California Supreme Court recognized
flipper-type pinball games as a legitimate form of
recreation and amusement.
The high court held the games to be predominately of
skill and that any governmental attempt to ban flipper
g~es, while exempting other similarly skilled activities,
violated the equal protection guarantees of the United
States and California constitutions. The court could
find no functional difference between flipper games and
other skilled activities such as archery, baseball or
basketball.
It a ll started in 1939 when the City of Los Angeles adopted
an ordinance prohibiting pin games, marble games, etc. At
the time, a laudable effort to arrest gambling then pre-
vailing in Los Angeles . We know, of course, that many
American communities went through a similar experience in
the late 1930's and early 1940's.
The problem was that those early pin and marble games were
predominately of chance, and the City of Los Angeles refused
to recognize flipper games as a modern, benign species.
Several of my clients didn't quite see i t that way, so I
commenced a declaratory/injunctive r e lief action against
the City in 1970.
Four years later we received our justice, with the likeli-
hood of flipper game operation being lawful throughout
California.
Best personal regards.
______ _
-
~-:
. WOLFE
WIW/ jls
I
MARKETPLACE
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 10, JUL y 30, 1974
&Jreco Brothers
Amusement <90., Inc.
DISTRIBUTORS OF PHONOGRAPHS -
JULES OLSHEIN, Mgr.
POOL TABLES -
VENDING AND AMUSEMENT GAMES
1160 BROADWAY -
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12204
Phone (5181 465 -0228
May 30, 1974
Bill Gersh
Marketplace
Chicago, Ill.
Dear Bill:
Looking at your "Pictorial History" pages makes me both sad and glad.
I'm glad because I'm still here and can remember most all of the games
pictured. Sad because the years have gone by so fast.
I've been connected with the coin machine business since I was a kid
of 17. Even before that, I was servicing the Yu-Chu ball gum machines
working with Henry Seiden who was my brother-in-law.
I also remember watching Henry's brother, Herman Seiden, build the first
automatic payout unit for a pingame. I believe it was installed in a pin
game called, "Airway". I remember that I crated the machine very, very,
very carefully, shipped it via Railway Express to Chicago and insured it
for $5,000.00. In those days this amount was like $20,000 and the freight
company handled it like it was pure gold. Henry went to Chicago to sell
the idea. Mills refused it. Bally bought it. What memories.
I was surprised to see my letter reprinted in a previous issue of "Mar-
ketplace". I hope that the operators will make a sincere attempt to con-
trol percentages to locations. It is easy to foresee that, in the not
too distant future, all games like pinball will exceed the $1 ,000 figure
costwise for, with practically eve-ry new release, there has been a price
increase. If this does happen the operator will be forced to make the
percentage change in commission in spite of himself.
Thank:'s for listenin'!
0

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