1721 Dixie HWY
Covington, KY
Owned by: Jimmie Brink & The Cleveland Syndicate
Opened: 1938 Closed: 1952

I have only one to sell - $70 shipped - PayPal only, please. First SOLD sign posted to this link gets it. I'll be back in an hour to see if there any takers.

I think I ran across this short story when buying a post card from this place. Thought it was kind of neat so I thought I'd share it. If it is inaccurate please let me know.

-NOT MY WORDS-

Located in Ft. Wilder, just outside of Covington, Kentucky, the Lookout House was another of the area's famous places for illegal gambling. From the very beginning of the history of the large frame house, the club boasted an interesting story.

Back before the Emancipation, the house stood above one of the central points of the slave's underground railroad. Stories of ghosts and weird happenings were always associated with the club.

During the boom of gambling in the Covington and Newport areas, the Lookout House was transformed into one of the most elaborate carpet clubs. It had a good restaurant, a couple of bars, and of course a large casino. People would visit from all around to check out the Hollywood acts or the Vegas-like gaming. The casino was run by an old bootlegger named Jimmy Brink. He offered games such as roulette, blackjack, craps, and bird cage. All this went on for years without much intervention.

In 1938, an injunction was passed against the club forbidding gambling, but since most of the police were on the casino's payroll, no effort was made to enforce it. Like most casinos in Covington and Newport, the Cleveland Syndicate kept a close eye on it. They decided that the competition was hurting their clubs too much and decided to take it. Jimmy Brink was a smart man and knew that a life of always looking over his shoulder was no life for him. He sold out to the Cleveland mob and was allowed to keep 10% of the Lookout House, as well as 10% of the Beverly Hills Country Club and $125,000 as a gift for not fighting the perspective owners. The Cleveland "boys" wasted no time in bringing in their best people to run the club. For years it raked in money until 1952 when the Kefauver Commission on Organized Crime came knocking on the front door.

On March 6, police raided the club and burned $20,000 worth of gambling equipment. In 1973, the house finally burnt to the ground.

44 Club chip not for sale.