Marketplace

MARKETPLACE
Keep your eyes and ears wide open. Politicos with absolutely no answer to the public's
clamor to douse high prices and galloping inflation are trying to distract the people
with phony issues. Among these has already appeared such wild statements that "gambling"
costing the public a zillion-billion dollars a year. Look out! Politicos desperate . Be-
cause '76 elections are serious problem for both parties. This is the time to proceed
q uietly and cautiously. The time, as reported in very first paragraph of this issue, for
intelligent public relations effort. Your own public relations in your own community.
(For over 40 years we have urged creation of a "National Coin Machine Public Relations
Bureau".) ••• Did you know you can be held liable, as a creditor, if you give "unreason-
able publicity" to a person's overdue debt? ••• Bally Mfg.Corp. reported 3rd quarter '74
revenue of over $36.2 million, net income of over SJ.1 million for 57¢ a share compared
to same quarter '73 revenue of over $32.5 million, net income of over $3 million and also
for 57¢ a share.
Bobby DeClementi, who operated with his papa in New Jersey as a youngster, fell in
love with Miami,Fla. Few years ago Bobby told us, "Miami's for me." Came a bit of a prob-
lem in Jacksonville,Fla. and Felix Whatley of Rowe-Miami decided to send Bobby to Jax
"to train a new manager". Instead Bobby fell in love with Jax. Has moved his family there.
Now Bobby says, "Jacksonville's for me."
Sorry to hear Al Denver of Brooklyn,N.Y. not
feeling as well as he should these days. Al is one concerned old timer who has worked hard
for all operators over past quarter of a century •••• You saw 'em wearing their "2000
Club" lapel pins at the past conventions. If you're a member of the "2000 Club" order your
lapel pin quick while they're only S5.50 each. Mail your check to: Marketplace, 185 North
Wabash, Chicago 60601. Wear your "2000 Club" pin every day •••• Nice note from young
Jack O'Brien of Putman & O'Brien, Red Creek,N.Y. who, by error, was called - "Ed" - in
article that appeared in past issue of "Marketplace". (Betcha me, Jack, same person won't
make same type mistake again.)
A na.me can, many times, help popularize a product. One of the best na.mes and that per-
fectly fits the product is, "Money Honey". That's the na.me of one of Bally's slot machines.
What's more, the picture of "Money Honey" appeared in the very outstanding "Smithsonian"
magazine of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington,D.C. It happened at the "World Popu-
lation Conference" in Bucharest, Romania, attended by 4,000 delegates from all the world's
nations. "Money Honey" is installed at one of the numerous hotels occupied by the dele-
gates to the conference. The caption for this photo was, "A Third-World delegate curious-
ly contemplates a gambling ma.chine during a break in the meetings." ~That's money, honey,
in our opinion, would have been a much better caption.)
On your next trip, and even if you have to drive a few hundred miles out of your way,
stop off at the "Sportsmen's Club" on Hwy 150 South in Oelwein, Iowa. That is, if you
want to enjoy the best Italian meal of your life. And that includes any Italian meal you
may have eaten in Milan, Florence, Rome, Venice or Naples. That's Dominic Pirillo's most
beautiful and most modern restaurant. So any day but Tuesday make your way to the "Sport-
smen' s Club". Wear your 11 2000 Club" lapel pin. That'll bring Dom, himself, over to your
table to bring you a very special treat. Dom, by the way, is one great operator. Just
wrote us, "Enclosed is my $35 for 'Marketplace'. Whenever I feel down and out or like a
sluggish coin rejector, I read 'Marketplace'. It picks me back up again. It's better than
going to a doctor and taking pills."
Miami Beach,Fla. looks forth to a better winter season due to the number of reserva-
tions already received by the leading hotels. But the Beach businessmen aren't happy.
They've been openly debating in the local press the need for state controlled legal gamb-
ling casinos to bring back the big spenders. Those "for" and those "against" have varied
arguments. One state legislator reports there are no "casino experts" in the legislature
to "know how" to put into effect "strict state controls". One businessman answered that
with - then put slot machines in a.11 retail stores that want them and let the state ca.sh
in on part of the income. (To us, that's more like it, bless his little heart.)