"Obviously a lot of gambling was going on in the Springfield area just after WW II."

That seems a very valid statement. According to my Mother, whose Father (my Grand Father) ran a couple operations in and around Springfield (my birthplace BTW), there was quite a bit going on. Springfield is the State Capital, but very few of the Legislature lived there. Most were in the Chicago area and would travel to Springfield when the Legislature was in session and genrally stayed at the nearby hotels, all within walking distance of the Capital Building.

My Grand Father was in the process of opening a place in the basement of a hotel the family owned and he had T-mold chips delivered to the hotel, in his name (Tull C. Lasswell, hence the TCL on the chips). Anyway, according to my Mother, Springfield was not controlled by any one group and I'm fairly certain my Grand Father was not backed by anyone, nor fronting anyone. In fact, he had financed the Mayoral race of a person whose name escapes me now, and that person won the election. However, my Grand Father died (of a heart attack) just before the opening of the casino and the election. (Chances are it really was a heart attack, as my Mother's heart condition resulted in a transplant for her and two of her three brothers died of heart disease.)

Anyway, after the daily sessions, the Congressmen would spend time at the local places, just steps away from their rooms and the Capital Building.

Delivered in 3 colors, red, black and yellow, I have yellow traders, as pictured here.

Thanks for looking,

Jim