I have invited my collector friends and anyone that is involved in our hobby to send in any stories about their wayward ways and collecting of chips. Please be concise and very descriptive. Being weird, funny and crazy is up to you. Thanks guys for all the stories you have sent in thus far. Reggie

A GUEST AUTHOR’s HARVEST STORY

The Riviera (Florida)

By:James Eric Freedner

Here’s one I don't see on the Chipguide Florida page: The
illegal Riviera that was on one of the Sunny Isles near
Hallandale.
Red chip, 3 light blue inserts, hot-stamped "R" with
an odd hearts-and-squares mold.
The Riviera holds a special place in my memory: it was the
first casino I ever saw! I must have been about 6 years
old and visiting with my grandmother and grandfather, who
took my parents and I from their home in Hollywood to Miami
Beach via A1A. And we passed this creepy boarded-up old
building where the road going down the peninsula was fenced
off with a big chain between posts. My grandparents said
it was a casino that had been owned by gangsters, and it was
now deserted.
The building stood for quite some years (wonder who paid the
property taxes?) but became damaged in various hurricanes,
and by around 1964, I think, it was torn down. Don't
know what's there now as we moved from Florida in 1965.
Around 55 years passed, during which time I forgot the name of the
old casino, but eventually I took an interest in collecting
chips and decided to research it. "Riviera" it
was, same name but presumably not ownership, as another
Riviera Hotel in Miami Beach.
And when this chip came up on eBay, I decided to bid on it – and won!
A "red" chip would today be a $5 gaming piece, but I
don't know how it was played in the old days.
Reggie
- don't know if this counts as a "harvesting
story" but you are welcome to use it if you
wish.
J.
Eric Freedner