Below is some research I had done on the 31st and Troost area Of KC.
Fellow collector/club member Chuck Smith did the research.
I was actually doing research on a chip I found.
All the joints in the area were tied to a few men.
1936 John Murray
1936 John Dolan Liquor *
1939 Loan Star Cement Corp.
* In 1936 there was a George Jones who was a driver for the Loan Star Cement
Corp.
I have chips delivered to both of these guys.
Chuck went above and beyond to get this info.
This may be a little more than you are asking for.
Geez, do you think Harry Truman was involved?
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I was recently reading a little paper back from 1951. Its a little yellowed
book called, America's Cities of SIN. "The real uncensored story of crime in
america". There happens to be a small chapter on KC. I have to admit I was a
little suprised by some of the stuff. KC must have been one heck of a town
back then. Sorry I missed it, it was the year I was born. Here is a small
sample, one that is fit to print...

"When Wolf Rinman, slot machine king, was shot to death in broad daylight on
14th Street, with hundreds watching the event, the memories of the Union
Station Massacre, the reighn of Ma Barker in crime, and the slit-eyed Creepy
Karpis came to life again. Kansas City has more homicides and unsolved
murders in proportion to its population than any other city in the country."

"It was three o'clock in the morning when Bill and I walked north on Broadway
into the heart of what had been the old red light district. This was a bawdy,
oldtime Kansas City I had known so well. The Castles, (fancy whore houses
catering to each a differen't taste. I hadn't heard of these until reading
the book), The Last Chance Tavern--those were new frills that seemed
foreign.--- The best known gambling spot is the Last chance Tavern. This
famous establishment has the unique distinction of being directly on the
Kansas-Missouri State line. This gives it an unusual advantage. The floors
are constructed so that if the missouri police raid the place, the gambling
rooms are swung into kansas. And vice versa. The exterior of the Last Chance
Tavern isn't very impressive and you don't have the idea you're walking into
a high-figured gambling place. Even inside you have the feeling that there is
nothing unusual. The owners apparently want the impression to persist among
the casual visitors. But if these visitors ever made the main gambling room,
which only those with real money--or those with pull would ever see, they
would have faced something differen't. When I walked into the room, I saw
women--beautiful and elegantly dressed. They were crowding around a roulette
table on which lay thousands of dollars. Men in evening dress, lost fortunes
at the turn of the wheel.

I wish the book had been a little more clear on the location of this place.
It clearly must have been someplace on State Line Road. It would be fun to
know its location.
With all of the gambling that was going on, there must be a lot of chips out
there someplace.

Anyway, I hope you found this interesting. If you are interested in future
tid bits of info that I come up with, let me know. I don't want to clutter up
your email with unwanted stuff....regards Chuck Smith

Kansas City, A While back

In the 1860's, Kansas City was a wild and wooly place. It had a rowdy
reputation to live up to and did its best to prove it. In gambling halls,
they played faro and chuck-a-luck. Another favorite was monte-bank. This game
was popular, as it required no skill. In an area called Battle Row, men
squeezed into Main Street Saloons and drank whiskey.

Annie Chambers came to KC in 1869 and opened up a brothel. This was at Third
Street and Wyandotte. It was called the "the Southwest's best known sporting
house". Decade's later Annie Chambers found religion and donated her
building to the City Union Mission. This was used for years to house homeless
women. Another bordello was next door called Madame Lovejoy's. Well into the
20th century, the City Market area had more than 40 houses of prostitution
employing at least 250 women. By 1887 Kansas City had about 7000 prostitutes.
Due to disease, drug abuse and suicide, a prostitute survived only about four
years after joining the profession.

In 1855 local leaders drafted anti-gambling laws. The 1870's had scrapped
these laws. One gambling house catered to mostly women, but the name of it is
presently not known. Missouri outlawed concealed weapons in 1875, gambling in
1881. Bob Potee's faro hall at No.3 Missouri Ave. closed. It and the Marble
Hall on Main Street had been Kansas City's most popular gaming parlors.

Despite being illegal, gambling went on with the full knowledge of just about
everyone. A popular location in 1938 was the Baltimore Recreation in the
basement of the Dixon Hotel at 12th. And Baltimore Ave. This was a mostly a
Black Jack parlor and Horse Race wagering center.

A New York Herald Tribune reporter wrote in 1934, "with roulette, cards,
dice, the races…ask a patrolman on the Kansas City Streets, He'll guide you."

Just east of downtown stand the 14th Street prostitution houses, which the
city not only condones, but also inspects for venereal diseases. The jazz
promoter John Tumino said in Gin' to Kansas City, "Bingo upstairs and tables
downstairs…Every place had a slot machine." Nude women waited on tables at
the Chesterfield Club, a restaurant at 320 E. Ninth St. catering to
businessmen. Gambling, prostitution and organized crime flourished under the
racketeer Johnny Lazia, one of Pendergasts men.

Organized crime in Kansas City dates back at least to the turn of the
century, when the Black Hand Society ran number rackets in the North End.
Betters chose three numbers; if they were among 11 selected by the spin of
the wheel, the better won. Gambling was one of the prime sources of profit
for mobsters, particularly after the end of prohibition. In the 1940's,
Kansas City gambling came under the thumb of political operator Charles
Binaggio. He was shot April 6th, 1950 at the 1st. District Democratic Club on
Truman Road. The killing drew the attention of the Estes Kefauver U.S.
Senator. This new attention cooled gambling for 2-3 years.

In 1983 Carl Civella, Carl DeLuna and Charles Moretina were convicted of
skimming $280,000 from a Las Vegas hotel and casino. In 1986 the Missouri
Lottery began. In 1989 the Woodlands dog and horse racing track opens. In
the 1990's the Riverboats opened.

Much of this was derived from the book; "Kansas City", by Rick Montgomery and
Shirl Kasper. I thought you might be interested in a little "KC History".

Harper & Under
1818 Main
Kansas City, Mo.

This building is on the East Side of Main Street. The front is re-bricked,
appearing much newer than the buildings around it. It was probably rebricked
20 years ago. There appears to be nothing in it. Beside it is "Tootsies New
Place." It's an impressive small building that appears to be made out of
sandstone. Above the door is "AD MCMXV" carved out of stone. I drove around
the back and did not see anything significant. This area is south main. Main
runs for about 40 blocks north and south. The north end is down town Kansas
City. As you know, there were many illegal gambling places in this location.
The south end extends south and eventually runs into residential areas. This
address is about 20 streets north of the other address on Westport.

Webb Means
427 Westport Rd.
Kansas City, Mo.

This address is 20 streets south and four blocks west of 1818 main. This is a
very old part of town. Now a popular bar and shopping area. The 20-30ish
group frequents it. It is extremely crowded on weekends by young people. This
address has a bar and a Japanese restaurant on either side of it. The actual
front of the building is boarded up and painted red. It appears to be owned
by the Mastu Japanese Restaurant. I think that part of the restaurant extends
into it. The cross street location is Pennsylvania and Westport Road.

I know that this isn't a lot of information, but I hope it helps some.

Chuck Smith
Until I mentioned it to my wife, I didn't know what a criss-cross was. My
wife Susan explained it to me and we headed to the the local library branch.
If you have any other address you want us to research, just let us know. Our
local branch has directories back to 1938. I haven't had a chance to go to
the main Kansas City Library down town KC. I'm sure their records go back
much further.

We first went to find the building. It is attached to the Kansas City Star
newspaper building. The other side of the building has a small road that goes
back to the alley. The front is very narrow, but the building is fairly deep.
The sign on the front says "PYRO". I think this must have been a rock club
or something like that. It is vacant at this time. Incidently, this location
is very close to Walnut St., where there was another well known casino that
we had checked on before. If you still have the address of this place, I
would be glad to check the records.

1938 John Dolan Liquors
1939 Loan Star Cement Corp.
1941 - 1942 Vacant
1959 Vacant
1971 Vacant
2000-2001 Vacant

We checked on the name George Jones. In 1938, there were five George Jones
but none at that address. There was an attorney listed a few blocks down (808
Grand).

Chuck
Smith

Susan and I went to the main KC public library after work. Here is a little
more information:

1118 Grand:

1927 Block Tire Co
1928 Block Tire Co
1933 Ashbury Real Estate
1936 John Dolan Liquor *
1939 Loan Star Cement Corp.
1941 Vacant
1942 Vacant

* In 1936 there was a George Jones who was a driver for the Loan Star Cement
Corp.

I thought this looked like a interesting connection.

This you may already know. During the 1930's A guy named Pendergast ran
Kansas City..I think it was called the Pendergast Machine. One favorite thing
that he was into was cement. So much that many of the local down town
creeks/streams have cement paved bottoms, just like the roads. The main one
that everyone knows about is Brush Creek. If you wanted a job in Kansas City
at the time, you had to get permission to see Pendergast and ask him for a
job. This is how President Truman got his first job as a clerk in the
Independence, Mo court house. He asked Pendergast and was given the job. I
have always wondered how much influence Pendergast had on Truman during the
presidential years? I think that there is a pretty strong link to Pendergast
and George Jones and the coment company and illegal gambling. I think that is
is safe to say that Pendergast had a lot of influence in illegal gambling and
most things illegal and non-illegal. It would have been something to have
been alive back in those days.

Chuck
Smith