I got the P hub back in January 2015, along with quite a few other illegals and T mold samples including floor sweepings. They came from the daughter of an old gambler. She had 1000's of chips. Once again no "Club" name on the Mason record. Our "Friend Of The Hobby" went to work and got us a "Club" name. I am not sure how this one was forgotten for 16 months. I plead old age!

Take it away "Friend."

Paul Butkovich
302 Main St
Wood River, IL

Just 100 chips, 1947

After Research:
Boody's Bar also called Butkovich’s Tavern

Attached is an article from 2005 about the guy who ordered the P hubs.
Below is another article about him from 1998.

Both articles work hard to promote the idea that Butkovich was a laborer by day and an artist by night. Although both say he liked to paint racehorses, neither mentions anything about his gambling activities. The one below says that while Butkovich worked as a laborer his wife managed a tavern owned by his brother.

My note: Looks like the source was wrong or just plain lying about Pauls gambling.

May 13th 1961:

1958

1971

1971

Butkovich around 1940:

pic from the mid 1940’s when Paul bought the P Hubs, Butkovich’s Tavern on Main Street in Wood River; Paul behind the bar holding son, wife Mildred behind bar to left:

My note: There was enough gambling going on that Paul was mentioned in the Kefauver Commission hearings in the early 1950's.

Chairman Kefauver mentions a “Butkovich Tavern” while questioning Dallas Harrell, the former sheriff of Madison County, where Wood River is located (Harrell was sheriff from 1946-50):

Butkovitch’s son Pete, age 70, who’s mentioned in the articles lives in Cromwell, Connecticut:
My guess is that the P hubs were used at the tavern; perhaps Paul had a poker game there? P for Paul. When the chips were delivered to Butkovich in 1947, 302 S. Main was both the location of the tavern as well as Butkovich’s residence.
Here’s a pic from 1988 when the place was known as Scottie’s (the building was torn down around 2007-08).

current view:

Here’s a recently made artistic recreation of what the place looked like in 1953 (not sure who made it, but from here: http://www.iyway.com/samples/graphics/woodriver/photoshop.html

The place was known as Boody’s, a nickname of Paul’s brother John (Boody) easier to say than Butkovich).
I’ve attached a pdf from 1988 about the place.

ad from 1948:

My note: Looks like he also sold gambling supplies.
Also saw this ad from 1947 which was in Billboard Magazine (same year as the chip order). The ad is hard to read but the address is 302 South Main in Wood River and the name of the company, Butzz, is the same as the pen name used by Paul Butkovich (mentioned in one of the articles I sent earlier). hard to decipher, but mentions “all colors” “all size tables up to 70 1/2” “guaranteed washable” “special price to jobbers”

This is "Illegal Of The Day" #312, in the never ending search for the history of our chips.