Riley's Lake House (Delmontico's)

Riley's Lake House is one of Saratoga, New York's, most famous historical spots. Built by James H. Riley, a champion rower, in 1889, it served as a quaint hideaway as the Lake Side House until 1931 when it burned to the ground. The house was rebuilt by Louis J. "Doc" Farone in 1934 in the most lavish manner possible. Fountains containing statues of dolphins in the front and nothing but the best furniture and interior decorating would turn this once quiet home into a place of excitement and entertainment.

Doc Farone wanted Riley's to become the premier vacation spot for wealthy tourist and he stopped at nothing to attact the elite. Big name entertainers such as Sophie Tucker received huge salaries to play there. A revue show, Minsky's Follies, played there boasting the use of eighteen beautiful girls. For food, gourmet chefs would be hired during the summer to fix nothing but the best food. The restaurant in the building, Delmontico's, is synamous with Riley's for excellence.

If all this relaxation and pampering seemed too tame for the rich, then the back room would probably fit their style. Situated in the back of the house was the casino. Big time gangsters were attracted to Saratoga for their gaming, and Riley's was no different. Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano had a piece of the gambling operations which were run by a man from Troy, New York, by the name Peter Sullivan. (Which accounts for the "PJS" on the chips.)

The casino was run only in the month of August and contained six roulette tables, two craps tables, two card tables, and one bird cage. One of the most intriging aspect of the casino was their version of the "eye in the sky." During restorations of the house, the workers uncovered stairs behind a wall. They lead to a chair which was bolted to the ceiling. Sitting in the chair, they could see the entire casino through a grate and watch the patrons and dealers! Further inspection found another of these chairs on the other side of the casino.

Riley's Lake House was not without it's problems however. They kept officials on the payroll (estimated at $8,000 a week!) and had to contend with the occassional harassment from do-good police. In 1942, Riley's closed the doors due to slowdown caused by World War II. It reopened in 1948 but was again forced to close it's doors because of the intense heat of the Kefauver campaigns against illegal gambling. In 1953, the owner, Doc Farone was convicted of illegal gambling. Without it's leader, Riley's survived a timid three years before closing down for good in 1956. Ending the story of one of Saratoga's most famous casinos.