I need to make it clear that this type of research is way above and beyond my kind of research. I tend to get on the telephone, start calling until I get a hit, ask questions and hope notes/memory don’t fail me.

My friend of the hobby appears to have access to internet data bases, I have no knowledge of. I’ve tried some of the data bases and after a few minutes, I am ready to pull out what little hair I have.

I would never have this kind of information without him. I am happy to be the one that has bits of information that starts the process. I am happy to be the one that collects the information and attaches it to chips I have.

Thank you my friend.

No chips in this post, sorry just history. I am sure all the KY boys have chips from the Clubs mentioned below.

I hope Porkchop Pam takes notice of this post. This one is really for her and for the fabulous pictures/information she posts for us. Pam you can thank Jim Linduff for this information. Without his request for info we would never have found your guy.

Enough of that:

Kentucky/Ohio/Las Vegas:

If you read the “Illegal Of The Day Washington DC, you should recognize this chip.

In that thread Jim Linduff asked:

Gene,
Was the John Croft in your DC research the same John Croft who was in Newport during the 1940's who had points in the Yorkshire? Maybe the Beverly too.
Jim

My reply:
We did not do any research on the DCE/John Croft/Ritz Hotel chip as the record card had a Club name on it. Might be worth looking into.

Well it was worth looking into. Unfortunately we did not get an answer one way or the other. We did not find anything on a John Croft in 1933 Washington DC that would carry over to Newport in the 1940’s. But anything is possible. Still could be him.

I couldn't find any evidence that the John Croft of DC was the same as the John Croft who was involved with Newport gambling. The Newport Croft was John Louis Croft: born 1896 Indiana, raised in Muncie, moved to Ohio in the 1920's where he became a major figure in the Cleveland syndicate's gambling operations by the late 30's. In the early 1940's he moved to Cincinnati where he reportedly was the Cleveland syndicate's front man for their gambling operations in Northern Kentucky.

Croft testified before Kefauver Commission on organized crime in 1951. He died at Ft. Lauderdale, FL in 1972.

As far as I can tell, Croft was in Ohio when the DC chips were ordered in 1933.

Here's a 1950 article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer which gives a newspaper's account of how the Cleveland guys moved into Kentucky (mentions Croft):

Yorkshire
Merchants club
Glenn Schmidt’s
Beverly Hills
Latin Quarter
Lookout House
Kentucky Club-I did not know Cleveland had their hooks in the KY Club.

John Croft is described as The Cleveland Syndicate’s “Palace Guard” of Newport, Ky. He handled Cleveland’s 6% to 15% in each joint.

Sorry you will have to strain a little to read it as it would not upload the size I received it in, but well worth it if you are a history buff. I can email a little better copy but you still need to strain, but not quite as much. I’ve sent the scan to several people that might be able to make it more readable.

Jim Linduff has more on Croft including an obit.

Here's an article which mentions Croft, McGinty and Moe Dalitz:
Cleveland Plains Dealer--5jan1939:

There are several new Ohio joints in the article. At least they were new to me. Any of you KY/Ohio boys heard of them?
Arrow Club
Thomas Club
Ohio Villa

Ok Pam here is the bonus that showed up by chance and a researcher that can rack his brain at the drop of his hat. I sure hope it is who we think it is. If not we have egg on our face.

For the rest of you, Pam showed some Desert Inn pictures on the BB some time ago asking for ID of a guy in the pictures. He was in golf and showroom pictures Pam had. If Danny Nason had not just passed on, I feel certain he would have had the answer. Rest easy my friend, Danny.

Is this your guy Pam?

While I was looking for info on Croft I came across these pictures of another Cleveland syndicate member, Thomas J. McGinty, who testified before Kefauver Commission on organized crime 1951:

My note: Once again he racks his brain and comes up with a hit! My brain just racks!!!

When I saw these pictures I knew I'd seen the guy before. Within the last year or so, someone on The Chip Board posted a message about finding several photos of a guy in Las Vegas that they were unable to ID--I'm pretty sure this is the guy. Don't know if the poster was ever able to ID the guy (there were several photos, some at a golf tourney in Vegas— Thomas J. McGinty was part owner of the Desert Inn and was involved in their golf tourney).

OK Pam let’s see your pictures again. Do we have a hit?

My note: Here is his obit: Should help you date your pictures. No mention of Cleveland Syndicate, Moe Dalitz, Illegal gambling joints, etc, etc, etc.

Palm Beach Daily News--19march1970:

Disclaimer: I emailed Pam hoping to hear back before I posted this. If we are wrong I claim Alzheimer’s.