The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-29
Il SLOT MACHINES
ARE BURNED HERE

Operators Are Found Guilty
Following Trial In Re-
cOrder's Court
More than $4,000 worth of slot
machines went up in smoke yes
terday afternoon when the IL gam
bling devices confiscated at the or
der of Judge Alton A. Lennon
Thursday were dumped into the
city moderator.
The operators were found guilty
yesterday morning in recorders
court, one was fined $40, and the
others had their fines RENTED.
The machines were broken open
and the coins removed in tn court
room yesterday afternoon. T h e y
had not been counted last night
but it was estimated the coin box
es contained between $500 and 5000
worth of nickels. e..
The funds will be divided be-
tween the raiding policemen and
the Associated Charities.
After the trial yesterday, Judge
Lennon lectured at length regard
ing the necessity for further en-
forcement of the anti-gambling
laws and told the policemen to
make arrests every time in the
future they see a gambling game
in operation. 4
The exception where the fine
was not RENTED was in the case
OF Jimmy Saffo, who had been in
court previously on a similar
charge and whom the court held
would know better than the other
defendants that the machines in
question were gambling devices.
The machine which was seized
in Saffo's place was the only one
concerning which a question arose
as to its being a gambling ma.
chine. -
The state, in attempting to prove
it was a gambling device by virtue
of the fact that when certain scores
were made the player received
free games, found itself lacking
Tor an expert witness. Police
officers put a handful of nickels
into the machine without hitting
$4,000 which was later proven to
be the score necessary to obtain
free games. The score was finally
obtained when the top of the ma.
chin was removed and the electric
contacts were punched by hand.
Those convicted, fined and who
had their fines RENTED were:
Tony Ma%rvonicolas, 1O3 Princess
street; Monk Rogers, Ninth and
Orange streets; John Markiton,
Sixth and Castle; B. F. Rhodes, us
Castle street; G.. Petolas, TNlth
and Dock street; d. ]. Bradshaw,
Seventh and Castle street; Mike
Petalos, and Charles W. West
brook, 1901 Castle street.
The two men whose testimony
about an alteration in which they
allegedly were involved and which
they said arose from an argument
caused by one of them playing a
slot machine with slugs instead
OF nickels we're found not guilty.
They were Mike Petalos, charg-
ed with an assault with a deadly
weapon, and c. l.. Parket, ia
South Seventh street, charges with
%disorderly conduct.
In making his extended remarks
at the close of the case, Judge
Lennon said he did not consider
the machines gambling devices
personally, feeling they we're only
Sucker machines" because any
person playing them would even
tually lose.
When asked why, if he was sure
the companies owning the ma
chimes would pay the fines of the
men convicted, he did not get some
of the sucker money" for the
county by refusing to remit the
fines, he replied that he feared
if a fine were imposed on the men
the companies would run out on
them" and leave the men to pay
their own fines.
He had previously told the con-
victed men they were being used"
by the companies owning the slot
machines and that they should not
allow themselves to be used as
tools lust for a little easy
money" 2