The BAMA chips came from a friend. I have 2 to trade. They will be in my trader box at the convention and “Illegal Seminar Of The Year,” Ed Hertel and myself are hosting.

The date is January 1959. A green teenaged “Know it all” enlists in the US Army. They ship him to Ft Knox, KY for processing and in a few weeks he is sent to FT Benning, GA for 6 full months of boot camp and helicopter assault training. The US Army was preparing the last of the “Gyro” units to rotate to Germany to replace the 10th Airborne. It only took our “Know it all” a few days at FT Benning, to realize he did not “Know it all.” He had to grow up pretty quick if he wanted to survive.

Six months later we were prepared and had a big parade for the generals. We had 30 days to get the unit and its equipment ready to board ships at Savanna, GA for the “Gyro.” But 1st there was a 3 day pass!

For those six long months we had heard all sorts of stories about Phenix City, Alabama. It was the “Sin City” of the south. The stories that interested us centered on “GIRLS-GIRLS-GIRLS.” The only problem was Phenix City was “Off Limits” to US Army personnel. We figured there was 1,000’s of us getting leave at the same time and there was not enough MP’s in the world to catch all of us. The odds were in our favor and this was our last chance to see it. That might have been my 1st gamble.

Early August 1959 a few days after my 17th birthday and I am standing on a corner in Phenix City in awe of what I saw. The thought never occurred to me I was about to enter a world that would influence the rest of my life. I was moments away from stepping foot in my “1st illegal casino.” I wish I could remember the name of the 1st one we entered. It did not seem important at the time.

I was born and raised in Covington and Newport KY but way too young to know what went on, on Monmouth St. Three years after my visit to Phenix City, I stood on Monmouth St (once again in awe) and saw the same things I saw on Dillingham St in Phenix City. This was in April 1962. Fresh out of the army, a friend wrangled me an invite to a private poker game at the Merchants Club. Later that night I knocked at a rear door and Martin Miller let me in. A 50 year odyssey in the world of poker had begun.

Phenix City was raided by the Alabama National Guard in the mid 1950’s. This is the 3rd state I know of that the National Guard was brought in to shut down the illegal casinos. Hot Springs, Arkansas and Newport, Kentucky were the other 2. Twice the guard was brought into Newport and twice they failed to shut it down. The mindset of the locals in the area beat the guard both times.

The girly joints were running wild in Phenix City, 1959. Some had hustlers outside hustling gambling but the girls are what concerned us. No one asked for ID’s or proof of age. We were in a lot of joints and I feel certain we were in the Bama Club but the names of the joints are lost in this old memory. 53 years is a long time.

Enough of that:

Alabama:

The Bama Club and Corral’
Phenix City, Alabama

Tons of stuff has been put together about the story of Phenix City—articles, books, movies, documentaries, etc. The Bama Club--located at the corner of Dillingham and 5th, just across one of the bridges over the Chattahoochee from Columbus, Georgia—was one of the best known places in town.

Here’s a pic looking west down Dillingham from the bridge. Bama sign visible on far right:

another pic showing the sign and front entrance:

This book, Phenix City: The Wickedest City in America was published in 1955 and written by two reporters from Birmingham:

They give this description of the Bama Club:

My note: Hoyt Shepherd and Jimmy Matthews ran the Bama Club. As you can read above they took on all comers with honest games. It may have been the only joint in Phenix City that had games with the true odds.

Phenix City had the usual rules that were the norm for other large illegal hubs we have read about, bribery, bootlegging, fixed games, mayhem, and murder.

Here’s a pic of J. Hoyt Shepherd, the original owner of the Bama:

another pic of Shepherd and his partner Jimmy Matthews:

My note: How old do you think the National Guardsman in the picture is? I’m betting he is a teenager.

In 1955 this film was released:

Turner Classic Movies is showing the movie this Thursday, May 10th at 8 PM Eastern Time. Here’s a link to their promotion:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/485129/Now-Playing-Ben-s-Pick-Movie-Promo-May-2012.html

Here’s a list Phenix City’s “houses of fun and frolic” from Phenix City: The Wickedest City in America (1955):

Take the time to read the list and some of the author’s comments. I especially like this one.

Vero’s Trailer Park: Pro$titution on wheels.

I bet there are Club names on the list that are not in TGT.

Note: Some of you old timers will noticed I enlisted in the US Army at the ripe old age of 16 ½ and question my story. I assure you it is true and will tell the “Rest Of That Story” another day.