Preview of things to come. Illinois, Cicero, Al Capone, etc.
Anyone care to guess the ID on the BC chip? The 3 that got them at the convention can not guess as I told them my overnight findings. Take a look at the Taylor record and take your best shot.

Enough of that:

I got the cloverleaf chip a few weeks ago from the same husband and wife that had the Spur Inn chips from Karnac, IL, on ebay. Spur Inn was the subject of “Illegal Of The Day-Illinois 13,” posted on 5/28/11
Robert & Nancy Burfield of Ozark, MO (mobanx2@yahoo.com

They have some Indiana cloverleaf’s for sale if you need one.

In my “Illegal Of The Day-Kentucky 11” I posted on 1/23/11, I told the story of area between Evansville, IN and Henderson, KY known as “The Strip.” Kentucky 11 had the story of the KY side of “The Strip.”

Only a bridge and the Ohio River separated the many illegal gambling joints along “The Strip.” The Estes Kefauver Commission closed down both sides.

And now “The Rest Of The Story.”

Actually I think the story of “The Strip” will be never ending
As you will see we still have many more chips from there to find.

Enough of that:

Indiana: The Strip.

Club Trocadero
Clarence M Wood
Evansville, IN
Symbol – Cloverleaf
Route 41 – at Evansville, IN - Henderson, KY Bridge.
Cloverleaf chips delivered in 1942

CLOVER LEAF—Club Trocadero

Clarence M. Wood, a Kentucky native, died at Henderson, KY in 1981 age 74. The Club Trocadero was located in the area between Evansville, IN and Henderson, KY known as “the Strip. Wood was considered the boss gambler of this area in the 1940’s and his Club Trocadero was considered to be the premier night club. Oswald Coomes, who operated the Kentucky Tavern in Henderson at the time, told a reporter in 2007: “Everybody knew that Clarence Wood controlled everything. What they didn’t know, although a lot of them suspected, was that he was paying everyone from the governor on down.” The Trocadero reportedly had a reserved spot in their parking lot marked “sheriff.”

Note: No surprise the sheriff was welcomed and had his own parking spot.

Wood also owned a place called “The Dells” which was considered a more rough and rowdy place. It was at the Dells that Wood killed a man in 1942. A bartender at the Dells having stayed long after closing and being severely inebriated was arguing with other Dells employees. Wood told him to shut-up and go home. The guy continued arguing. Wood told him again. The guy then pulled a gun and yelling “I’m going to blow your damned brains out” fired a shot at Wood and missed. Wood pulled his gun and put a bullet in the guy’s head. Three days later these lucky four-leaf clover chips were shipped to Wood:

Note: “Three days later these lucky four-leaf clover chips were shipped to Wood.” Not so lucky for the bartender. The world moved on pretty fast, during “The Era Of The Illegals.”

These sent to Wood a year earlier (443 Lincoln Park Drive was Wood’s residential address):

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

A few more chip orders sent to the Trocadero:
Note: Looks like Wood got himself a new front man, Durant Axton.

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

The Trocadero opened in the late 30’s and closed in the early 50’s. The structure which housed the club was destroyed by a fire in 1990.

an ad from 1942:

another ad:

Here’s a 1993 article from the Evansville Courier which describes both the Trocadero and Dells:

Sounds like what KY people would describe when talking about Beverly Hills and comparing it to Screw Andrew’s old Sportsman Club before Frank “Chin” Conforti and Danny Andrews burned it down for the insurance. Chin was a friend for 45 years and had many stories to tell. He left the fire without eyebrows when the devise went off early. He was Screw’s nephew.

Stories about “The Era Of The Illegals” repeat over and over all across the country. Most stories could be adapted to a dozen different cities or states with only a name change or two.
I love the history and never get tired of collecting it.

I think and also hope all collectors of illegal chips feel the same about the history.