Philly mob and money

[Cheech]

And all that video poker money amounted to little after it was all split up. First the bar and club owners got about half of the profits from the machines. Then just about every active member in Philly got a piece. For example Natale testified that in the mid 1990s the video poker money was split between 10 made members with each receiving about 1.000 per week (about 1,600 in today's money). And if any of these made guys had associates doing their collections they probably got a piece as well. Before the covid shutdown I would imagine that the video poker money is being split by even more made members considering that are more of them around than there would have been when Natale was on the street.


Pogo

It’s been a long time since I’ve read about this, but someone testified at the trial that the family could make $500-$1000 a week on a machine. The indictment initially charged 8 people with at least one count of being part of an Illegal Electronic Gambling Device Business. https://6abc.com/archive/8146349/

There's been a lot of figures thrown out about this. Natale said an operation with 50 or 60 machines could generate profits of about $20,000 a week. Or $80,000 a month. This would be $1,300 - $1,600 a month per machine. Other sources had even bigger numbers, saying a machine in a good spot could bring in $500 - $1,000 a week ($2,000 - $4,000 a month) in profit.

Regardless of hypothetical figures, we can look at the actual numbers involved in the case. After their warehouse was raided, and 34 machines seized, in 2001, the Philly mob moved in on machines owned by M&P, originally started by Tony Milicia and Louis Procaccini. They basically "made them an offer they couldn't refuse" - a lowball $63,000 for 34 machines in 21 locations. Procaccini understood he didn't really have a choice, even though the machines and stops were worth more than that.

In one place I read the company, which was started in the mid-1990s, also distributed video games and cigarette and snack vending machines. One article said M&P was taking in about $1 million a year. Another said the company was taking in about $70,000 a month (which would be $840,000 a year).

I don't know if Ligambi, Massimino, and Staino only took over a part of M&P's interests or what but the Staino sentencing memorandum said the 34 machines in 21 stops they took over from M&P took in $7,000 - $10,000 a month in profit in 2001. Or about $84 000 - $120,000 a year ($125,000 - $175,000 adjusted for inflation). This would be about $200 - $300 a month per machine. Again this was profit (apparently after the split with the owner of the stop) and was mainly divided up the principals in JMA - Ligambi, Massimino, and Staino.

JMA apparently did have more more than just those 34 machines because 50 of their machines were seized from 13 locations in 2009.

thats one avenue. and people were getting shot and killed over those machines lets not forget.

[NJShore4Life]

Let's please not forget about all those bar game machines like Photo Hunt, who do you think puts those bar game machines in bars in Jersey/Philly/NY?

Girls love those games at the bar , I always see a group of drunk girls sitting at the bar for hours funneling money into those machines to play games like Photo Hunt all night long. It all adds up.

[PHL_Mob]

They have the skill machines everywhere now. I see em more then the joker pokers. They’re basically slot machines you literally can be the dumbest person in the world to use one and I think they probably make more money for that reason... anyone can play and win. They’re technically not illegal too some loophole about the “skill” part

[Mikeymike12]

PHL, skill machines ? Which are those ?

[mlm0047]

PHL, skill machines ? Which are those ?

Seconded^^

[PHL_Mob]

They look like exactly like the joker poker machines except the games are “skill” games like shape or picture matching and they can payout based upon points accumulated with each turn or spin costing a set amount of credits bought by putting money in the machine. When you want to cash out your accumulated credits you print the slip and give to the bartender or store owner who pays you out.

[PHL_Mob]

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/01/p ... ality.html

[Atlantic City]

Educate me...this is something I never understood about the illegal machines....Shouldn't they be SUPER EASY for law enforcement to get off the street? I mean, as prevalent as they are (and ask a dozen people that drink at bars and get gas at gas stations and they'll probably be able to rattle off 50 locations in the city, easssy) why can't the cops just come in, unplug them and wheel them out at the very least? Or threaten/charge the store owner?

I mean, drug deals, shakedowns, loansharking, bookmaking...they're all businesses that take place "in the shadows" and are tougher to get a pinch on them.....these machines are sitting in the busiest gas stations and every small bar in the city. Why can't they get rid of them? Surely if they keep getting confiscated it will either be too costly or simply too hard to replace them continuously.

Does law enforcement just not care enough...then all the sudden when they're bored they do?

[Atlantic City]

Side note: My family is from Northeastern PA. Carbondale...near Scranton. Way back in the 50's and 60's my grandfather had a skill game in his small grocery store (with poker and dice in the back you already know!). It was like a pinball machine mechanism and youd have to use different levels of power. pulling back and letting go at right time with right force to land it where you needed it to go. If you won, my GFather paid you out of the register. I played it before at the local VFW. Lots of fun! Have never seen them elsewhere though.

My dad said there was a laborer that used to come down on his lunch break and wouldn't buy anything but would play the game and was a decent overall winner.

My father asked my Grandfather why he keeps letting him play it. My dad (basically a kid at the time) wanted to kick him out. My Grandfather (raised his family on gambling, that store was basically a front) taught him a good lesson...he told my Dad the guy won and sure it hurt, but his stories at the factory about what he won were worth it...free advertisements. Others at the factory would hear and get the itch to play to try to win themselves.

Just a cool little story that's a lil on topic.

Fast forward many years: My Dad was a Day 1 employee at one of the first 2 Casinos to open in Atlantic City and still works at the same place 41 years later...and I had 7 years in town working too before I switched to the online side of legal gaming 5 years ago, working with high end sportsbook and casino players currently.

GAMBLING! It's in the blood!!