The Columbo Hotel, built in 1929, has been the site of several clubs over the years. Pick Hobson was
licensed there in the early 30s and Mike Gallo of Hawthorne had it in 1944. The Happy Buddah, Mint
and China Mint were there also. I remember going in there when it was a strip club called Basin Street
in the 60s. When I started collecting chips, I asked the owner, Al Figoni, if he had any. He owned the
Mint Club and had them in a closet. After moving a Barboot table he gave me one of everything he had.
Later on, he owned the Oak Room Casino and I would talk to him on my break when I worked at the
Overland Hotel. One time he took me in the basement of the Oak Room where there were a bunch of
$50 and $100 Colbrants chips scattered about and told me to take them. Al was a great guy.