IV
Mille
Shaw
INDUSTRY, MOB TIED IN NEW YORK 'STING' • LICENSE FEES 'OPPRESSIVE,' JUDGE RULES • ATARI WORKERS
REJECT UNION • MICHIGAN OPS WANT GAMING, NOT 'GRAY AREAS' • KONAMI AnACKS U.S. PIRACY • ATARI
OPENS CHICAGO DISTRIBUTORSHIP • SALE OF 'MINI VEGAS' HALTED • KIDDIE RIDE MANUFACTURERS JOIN
FORCES • NEWS BRIEFS • TOURNAMENTS • M.A.C.H. 3 SOARS ABOVE THE PACK • ATARI OPENS
'HIGHER LEVEL' GAME CENTER • THE GLOB FEATURES A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE
INDUSTRY, MOB
TIED IN
NEW YORK 'STING'
Video gambling opera1ions in New
York received a severe blow Novem-
ber 9 with the arrest of a reputed mob
captain and six other men, including a
coin-op distributing executive. ( See
related story. page 4 7.)
The arrests were the culmination of
a 5-month New York City police "sting"
operation designed to attract orga-
nized crime figures by setting up a
retail store , Rainbow Yogurt , that
housed a video game room.
"We attempted to set up a legal
video parlor ... we couldn't get very tar
without falling into illegal activities."
Brooklyn District Attorney Elizabeth
Holtzman announced at a press con-
terence following the arrests.
Among the men arrested was
Richard Bartlett, 34, manager of the
New York R.H . Belam ottice. He was
charged with possession of a gamb-
ling device and promoting gambling
in the second degree. misdemeanors
carrying a mmdmum sentence of one
year in prison. Police said Bartlett and
an associate. Jack DiCristatalo, located
and shared in the profits from illegal
gambling devices at Rainbow Yogurt
in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn.
Holtzman said Bartlett was intro-
duced to the undercover agents as
a video game supplier who could take
care of rigging video games so that
they would pay ott. Allegedly, he had
one game doctored with payout
devices. then placed it and two slot
machines in the back room of Rain-
bow Yogurt.
PLAY METER, February 1, 1984
Bartlett denied the charges. saying
he has been mistakenly connected to
the operation through DiCristatalo.
"He is just one of about 900 cus-
tomers." Bartlett told Play Meter."They
found some coin wrappers that had
the Be lam name on them in his ware-
house. The whole thing is just a fishing
expedition." Bartlett fumed. " They
have nothing."
On October 18 police raided
DiCristatalo's employer. Sentell Main-
tenance Ltd., a Brooklyn store which.
according to the district attorney's
ottice. "is in the business of converting
otherwise legal games into gambling
machines." In that raid. police seized
25 games equipped with chutes and
hoppers. rigged. police said. to issue
"direct payouts." ( Hoppers are per-
milled on some arcade games in New
York tor the purpose of awarding
merchandise.)
Among the games confiscated from
Sentell were eight video card games,
I 0 slot machines. and tour horse
racing videos. Most of the games had
no manu1acturer identification and
their serial numbers had been scra1ch-
ed out. police said.
On October 19. police raided the
Belam oftices, seizing gaming equip-
ment documents.
Belam officials said they do not sell
gaming equipment in the United
States. The firm is an exporter of
gaming equipment.
In addition to gambling charges.
claims of loon sharking-undercover
agents arranged a $2,000 loon at 130
District Attorney Elizabeth Holtzman announced thearrestofseven men
after a 5-mon th undercover investigation into criminal activities related
to slot machine and video game business in Brooklyn. Standing with
Holtzman are Captain Terrence Randall. commander of the district
attorney's Office Squad, and Robert Winter, chief of the distr ict a ttorney's
Rackets Bureau.
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