Some of the below was in a post before the June convention, after the FB Lazy Diamond chips were found.

Frank Bohart certainly deserves his own “Illegal of the day” post. It was like he had his own little fifedom in Illinois.

I really enjoyed talking to Dennis Bohart and the old timer quoted below. Old timers are a dying breed. They are getting scarcer every day. The history in their memories dies with them. I guess there isn’t a fix for that!

Enough of that.

Illinois:

Mike Vuolo found these back before the 2010 convention.

Frank Bohart
White Court Tavern
Canton, IL
1940’s

Frank had several illegal operations in Canton, Quincy, Springfield, and Peoria, IL. He also mixed business with pleasure as he had several girly/strip joints.

Business card from Bohart's Playhouse at 303 N Adams St, Peoria.
Had to do a little photo shop on it.

Two blocks down the street was Boharts Casino at 501 S Adams. Business card with fairly bold advertising, if you ask me.

Info from Dave Brown. RE: FB Lazy Diamond mold chip.

Other than the recent ebay auction, I haven't seen them before. However, based on the other chips in the auction, and the location, I have a pretty good guess. Peoria and Springfield aren't really that close, and to have chips in a single hoard from both places wouldn't be that expected. The only guy I'm aware of with gambling connections in both of these areas also has the initials "FB".

Frank Bohart was involved in known gambling operations in both Peoria and the Springfield area (Canton, Quincy). The Schreck's Tavern and "B&C" T-molds came from the Peoria area as you know.

Frank Bohart, Bohart's Casino, 501 S. Adams, Peoria, IL
Frank Bohart, 1323 N. Monroe, Peoria, IL (from 1940 Peoria directory, as a liquor retailer)
PEAK & BOHART, Frank Bohart, 20 White Ct., Canton, IL (harp mold chips, ca1946)
Lyle Peak, 825 Spruce St., Quincy, IL (Bohart's partner in Peak and Bohart)

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Info from a “Friend Of The Hobby” -Thank you friend.

Peter Frank Bohart, died 1974 in Iowa age 75. Bohart was married twice: to Edith in the mid 1920's and to JoAnn in the mid 1940's. However, I found no indication that he had children with either wife (he may have, but I didn't come across any info).

Bohart seems to have gotten out of the liquor/tavern business in the late 1940's and got into the auction business (apparently he got out about the same time as Bernie Shelton's murder).

My note: The Shelton gang will be another story for another day.

In the 1950's-70's, he and his wife JoAnn traveled all over Illinois and Iowa running auctions under the name Bohart & Bohart.

I mention this because Frank had a brother in Peoria named Leslie (bootlegger 1930; died 1990)--Leslie's son Jerry started an auction business in Peoria in 1964 called Bohart Auction Sales. Jerry died in Peoria in 2007. His son Dennis Bohart, age 55, is now running an auction business--I assume he knew his great uncle Frank Bohart. Bohart Auctioneers of Peoria, Illinois:
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I called Dennis Bohart at Bohart Auctions in Peoria.
Nice guy, does not have a computer. He confirmed all of the information we had on his great uncle Frank Bohart in Peoria, Quincy, and Canton, IL. Dennis said Frank’s favorite line was:

“Gambling was the easiest in Canton as gambling was legal there.”

My note: I think we all know what Frank left off his quote, “as long as you pay the cops.”

Dennis did not have any chips and never seen any as far as he remembers. He would have been 19 when Frank passed on. He did give me 2 phone numbers of old timers that worked for Frank.

Struck out with the 1st call. He is in a rest home and not coherent.

Bingo! The 2nd one had a box of chips and memories of the “good old days” including the Peak and Bohart harp chips, Schreck's Tavern chips, and a number of generic poker chips used in several joints. In his mind those were the days Frank ruled the city.

No, he does not want to sell his chips. The “Gem” in his little box of chips was 3 red FB Lazy Diamond mold chips. He is 90 and has lapses; I asked him if they were Frank Boharts chips. He said who else around here in the gambling business had the initials FB?

He said they played poker with the “red chips” at the White Court Tavern.
I am putting this one in the “IDed” file. Considering whether to put it with the Peak & Bohart Harp molds. They both have his name on them.
Frank Bohart 1899-1974

More Frank Bohart chips:

More from our friend:

BTW, when the Peak & Bohart chip was delivered to 20 White Court, Canton, IL in 1946 it was the address of the White Court Tavern, which was operated by Melvin Peak. Bohart had a liquor store at 1323-25 N. Monroe in Peoria for several years--for a while the tavern was known as the Monroe Club. In Peoria, he also seems to have been associated with a place called Sunset Gardens in the 30's and a burlesque place called The Playhouse in the 40's.

My note: No known chips from the Monroe Club or Sunset Gardens, I know of.
The Peak and Bohart chips should actually be attributed to White Court Tavern.

I am not sure at this time what connection there was between the Shelton gang and Frank Bohart. I believe they were intertwined. Remember Frank got out of the gambling business right after Bernie Shelton's murder.
Did he think he was next?

I will put the connection on my things to do list. Dave Brown, chime in if you have info.

Palace Club
205 1/2 South Madison St
Bernie & Carl Shelton
Peoria, Il

Schrecks Tavern
10 S 4th St
Pekin, IL
1947
10 S 4th St-Illegal gambling operation near Peoria, IL. From an area controlled by the notorious Shelton Brothers gang.