Screendoor Smitty was a hustler, rounder, bouncer, minor enforcer, degenerate gambler, and a colorful rogue in Newport for many years.

Martin Miller and Joe Berman ran the Yorkshire for Cleveland in those days. They were brothers.

Joe changed his name after leaving Kansas City. Small matter of a murder charge. Harold Nason and Sam Nason (Walk A Show in Elmwood and Arrowhead Inn, Branch Hill) took Joe in when he arrived in the area, late 1930's. Harold Nason and Joe Berman were two of a kind, once again, not nice guys.

Martin Miller and Sam Nason were also two of a kind. Real gentlemen. I did not know Sam but Martin was one of the nice guys. Sam's nephew (Harolds son) tells me Sam was the brains in Elmwood and one of the nice guys.

I've played in many a poker game with Martin and Joe. Martin gave me my 1st chips and told me to hang onto them. I did. Many of them were LV chips. Martin loved LV. He was a degenerat craps shooter. I kept in touch with Martin right up until he died.

Although Red Masterson is generally credited with owning The Merchants, Martin Miller and Joe Berman ran it. Red was mostly responcible for keeping Clevelands buisness in N KY running smoothly in any way, necessary. Example: Red burned Beverly Hills when Peter Schmidt would not turn it over to Cleveland.
Red was not a nice guy. Seems like I keep saying that!