BB in Circle (New Style Monogram)
Charles W. Gabel
1014 W. 26th Street
From Mason records in 2006 when I got the chips.
Erie, Pennsylvania
500 White
500 Chocolate
Ordered January 8, 1936
600 Lavender 50¢
Ordered November 20, 1936
100 White
100 Chocolate $1
Replacements 11/20/1936
Inveresting that they do not show any 25¢
I suspect they card just was not written correctly for the 25¢

We now have a name for the joint it was used in.

BB in circle:
Charles William Gabel died 1957 in Erie age 70.The chip delivery address, 1014 W. 26th St., was Gabel's residence.
The "BB" on the chip probably stands for Brunswick Billiards, which was owned by Gabel. Brunswick Billiards or Brunswick Billiard Parlor was located at 721 State St.; the structure in which it was housed no longer exists.
Gabel was involved in the operation of a billiard hall in Erie as early as 1917. In 1938, 721 State St. was one of the locations in Erie which subscribed to the race wire service (just like the other Erie 1130 Hub chip you asked me about, which was located at 1130 State St.).

Here's a postcard showing State St.--721 is located in the cluster of buildings to the right of the "Bakers" sign: Wonder what year that was taken?

Some of the below is from my memory of Erie in the 1960's-70's
Most history from a "Friend Of The Hobby."
Mentioned above is a Race Wire.
Following is about another joint and the operators of the Race Wire.

Erie, PA always was and still may be controlled by the Mafia out of Pittsburg.
It was last time I was there in the early 1970’s.
Anthony “CY” Ciotti was a Capo in the 60’s- 70’s. I knew him from the Sandwich Shoppe in Newport, KY. His crew had a crap game there. We have chips from that era.
Cy fled to Sicly sometime in late 80’s to avoid a lengthy jail sentence. Cy was the stereotypical Mafia Don, looked like and acted like an actor from “The Godfather”
Long and styled grey hair and had an unlit cigar at all times. He also owned a piece of a night club in Ft Mitchell, KY just up Rt 25 from the old Lookout House. No gaming there.
None of the above pertains to 1130 chip, just history on Erie and ties to N. KY.

Another possible connection to the 1130 chip.
There was a guy in Erie named Dominic "Dee" Adiutori (La Cosa Nostra, according to FBI).
He had a place called "The Spa." The Spa was located at 1132 State St.--next door to 1130.

I played poker at the Spa in the 1970’s.

The Spa was at that address in the 1930's when Heiman's was in business, but I don't think Adiutori
was running it at the time. There's evidence that The Spa had gambling. In the 70's it was apparently
frequented by Erie bookmakers--one, "Pooches" Kaminski, had a place on lower State St. which was
near a poker room.

In my opinion:
Best ID we can put to 1130 chips is Heiman’s Jewelry Store. Possibly used at the Spa.
Heiman was involved with the Race Wire Service across the street, L Walsh worked for him. Race wires were huge revenue source for the Mafia in those days and usually had side gambling, craps mostly.

1130 Hub ID

L Walsh
1130 State St
Erie, PA

150 Red
250 Dk Brown
100 Orange $5 (probably dk yellow)

October 1936.

When the chips were ordered, 1130 State St. was the location of Heiman's Inc. Heiman's was primarily a
jewelry store but they also sold radios and electrical appliances. Heiman's was located at that address as
early as 1932 and as late as 1941. The structure which housed the address no longer exists.

While there were several Walsh's in Erie in the 1930's, I found none whose first name started with "L." There was
a Louis Edward Welsh living in Erie in the 30's (died Erie 1965 age 85). However, I found no evidence of Welsh
being connected with 1130 State St. or with gambling.

In 1938 there was a crackdown in Pennsylvania on the race wire service (run by Moses Annenberg: owner of the
Daily Racing Form and the Philadelphia Enquirer--where his attacks on FDR and the New Deal got him into trouble).
Erie was part of the crackdown. In 1938 the race wire HQ in Erie was in the Commerce Building located at 1125-31 State St.
Directly across the street was 1130 State St.--which was one of the addresses which subscribed to the race wire.

I found no evidence of any other business or public enterpise of any sort operating at 1130 during the mid-late 30's except Heiman's.
Haven't been able to determine if the gambling/bookie operation was run by people associated with Heiman's or was something else entirely, but perhaps
located in the same building??

Here's a 1939 ad for Heiman's: