what arcades were really 'fronts' for other DARK SIDE activities?

vintagegamer

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what arcades were really 'fronts' for other DARK SIDE activities?

I remember reading articles some time ago about how some arcades really had some other shaaaaaaaaaaady business transactions going on behind the veil of being an actual arcade . For those of you who know ops, I'm sure you've heard some stories..

Please share with the rest of the class. ;)
 
I remember reading articles some time ago about how some arcades really had some other shaaaaaaaaaaady business transactions going on behind the veil of being an actual arcade . For those of you who know ops, I'm sure you've heard some stories..

Please share with the rest of the class. ;)

no storys but i can see how it would be an easy way to launder money
 
Arcades were places of peace, joy and purity. Anyone who posts otherwise is a dirty liar.

funny-pictures-beaver-cant-hear-you.jpg
 
I know the Tilt in the mall in my area was basically taken over by heroin dealers in it's latter days, but to my knowledge the owners/operators responsible for that location didn't have anything to do with them and didn't like them because they scared off the rest of the people who were going there.
 
One of the dives I frequented and later ended up with the place's neon sign is called Pogo's Arcade and they made "illegal" buttons. Remember when everyone had a million buttons on their jackets? Especially punks/skateboarders?

All the art was unlicensed and stolen.
The dude, Phil Ceccola, ended up being sued for a million dollars
or so the legend goes. His attendants used to sit at a counter
and punch the buttons all day with a press and hand out change
as needed. The button business is where he made all the dough.
 
Stuffing a couple of wise guys, into an old cabinet and then pushing it off a bridge, was quite common here in MI.

Don't mess with a God Operator...
 
One of my old hang out place arcades was shut down because there was some Bubble Bobble Prostitution Scandal thing going on in the back room at any given time. You could hear the popping noises for miles and eventually they got kicked out of the mall for it... some cop heard it when he was driving by a couple miles off :D
 
So basically, Jimmy, my business is video game arcades, laundry, cigarette machines, and trucking. I dabble a little bit in personal loans and politics.



Love a good excuse for a movie quote...
 
I saw quite a few plastic baggies get exchanged for dollar bills in many arcades back in the day. Usually between the op and the customer.

Learned real quick that if you stared too long, you either get thrown out, or beat up, or both. So I quickly learned to just ignore it, for my own safety... :rolleyes:
 
I love Rice Chex.

So basically, Jimmy, my business is video game arcades, laundry, cigarette machines, and trucking. I dabble a little bit in personal loans and politics.



Love a good excuse for a movie quote...
 
Supposedly, some quick drug deals went down in the "Memory Lane" section of the Family Fun Center in Omaha, NE in the mid 90s. The place is still there but that section is now full of pool tables.
 
Getting back to wht I think the original poster was looking for, most of the large arcade chains were either allegedly fronts for the mob or were mob owned. Rumor had it that Bally/Midway was run by or heavily affiliated with the Arcardo family. Williams was also allegedly financed by one of the Chicago families.

Remember it was a cash business and coin counters can get broken or reset in the case of the William's bookkeeping (which was in software) and quarters can get lost somewhere :rolleyes:.

The mob was heavily into the machines that were the precursors to the modern pinball machines also (commonly referred to as bingo machines). Early pinball machines would also be used for "payouts" where money would be exchanged when certain scores were reached.

It is probably not a coincidence that both Bally and Williams eventually drifted into slot machines......

ken
 
There was this big arcade up in NY owned by a guy named Eddie. Got shut down after he got arrested for trying to kidnap some tv celebrity and attempted murder. From what I heard he was involved with some bad company.
 
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One of the dives I frequented and later ended up with the place's neon sign is called Pogo's Arcade and they made "illegal" buttons. Remember when everyone had a million buttons on their jackets? Especially punks/skateboarders?

All the art was unlicensed and stolen.
The dude, Phil Ceccola, ended up being sued for a million dollars
or so the legend goes. His attendants used to sit at a counter
and punch the buttons all day with a press and hand out change
as needed. The button business is where he made all the dough.

There is still a Pogo's in operation here in Boise.... as a matter of fact, it's up for sale at $450K...
 
How legal is it to stuff a bunch of cats in to a cab. Talk about transporting pu##y.

Somebody knows what I'm talking about:)

Are we talking about live cats, or dead cats? :D
 
It is probably not a coincidence that both Bally and Williams eventually drifted into slot machines......

ken

Not to mention that people still put money into slot machines, while the arcade games had dwindled to almost nothing.

The video slot is basically a video arcade game with a cash payout, something that can't be duplicated at home by the consoles. I think that Bally and Williams being able to continue with their business has more to do with them switching to slots than any alleged mob ties.
 
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