Interesting Old News About Rockola .......
Did you know........
During the 1920s, David Rockola was linked with Chicago organized crime and escaped a jail sentence by turning State's Evidence.
CHICAGO
In 1928, David Rockola was a smalltime slot machine operator and Henry Swanson had just been elected as the reform District Attorney of Cook County. Swanson had run on a promise of cleaing up illegal gambling, particularly slot machines.
As a brand new DA, Swanson was not only hampered by having a new and inexperienced staff, but also by conflicting local laws and regulations concerning slots. It was easier to run against them than to prosecute them because (a) Slot machines were legal in next-door Indiana and (b) The Illinois Attorney General had ruled that slot machines that did not give cash payouts were legal. (Some machines were set to give out tokens or vouchers that could be redeemed for cash).
In 1929, after several months of questioning manufacturers, owners, distributors and players, Swanson was able to force two small timers to testify -- David Rockola and William Keeney whose testimony led to an indictment of the Southside Slot Syndicate of James N. "High Pockets" O’Brien.
Keeney testified he did split profits with O’Brien on slots, however the machines were either the legal token type or were operating in Indiana. He also stated "High Pockets" (via his minion Rockola) introduced illegal mechanical additions to his machines that gave immediate payouts. Rockola testified that he had retrofitted payout devices on slots for the biggest slot companies in the world. Two in particular, Jennings and Mills Novelty, were companies with major ties to Frank Costello and other mob families in New York City as well as the Chicago mobs.
In return for immunity, Rockola testified about the slot machine racket in Chicago. Corruption was so rampant that he and an accomplice were able to get several truckloads of confiscated slot machines by paying $500 to one sergeant and two police captains. He was called "Crown Prince" of the slot syndicate by the Chicago press.
The future Jukebox King (and Lawyer)
(left) David Rockola
(right) Attorney Louis Piquette (later to be John Dillinger's last lawyer).
Click to Enlarge
Rockola was eventually convicted of several minor offenses. He avoided jail through a series of appeals. He received a pardon after a respectable period of time had elapsed. The ease with which he avoided jail and retribution have led some to believe that "High Pockets" was framed by rival gangsters and that Rockola was selected to give the damning evidence. Rockola had no trouble finding finance and connections for his subsequent foray into jukeboxes and vending machines.
Here's the link showing a picture of David Rockola and his Attorney
http://www.jitterbuzz.com/jukeboxes_...ies.html#chica
http://www.jitterbuzz.com/jukeboxes_...ies.html#crime
Both of these worked when previewed.
Let me know if you guys can see it.
Thanks,
Charlie-painter777
Invented by a con and built by a crook!
---------- Post added at 10:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 PM ----------
[/COLOR]Oh wow, Oh wow, Oh wow---as steve jobs said! that should make rockolas go up, never knew that
Gets more interesting if you read between the lines
Thomas Filben was involved in the slot-machine business, with connections to the underworld.
Younger brother, William Michael Filben developed a new mechanism for phonographs able to select 30 records, which was new to the coin-op phonograph industry, and this was of course of interest to David Cullen Rockola, when he saw the mechanism able to select each record in 6 seconds at the 1938 coin machine show in Chicago. The Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp. then signed a license contract with William M. Filben in September 1938 stating that the Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp. owned all rights to the mechanism..... :confused:
Note the early death of William Michael Filben who died in his home on the 1st May 1940 from instant coronary closure caused by overwork and worry for several years at the age of 47 years.
:bash:
Read More Here......
http://www.jukebox-world.de/Forum/Ar...20Products.pdf
Charlie-painter777
