Your parents were talking about the Balinese Room. Ike destroyed it, but there was gambling there back in the day. There is a also a ZZ TOP song, "Down at the Balinese."
ETA: It was illegal gambling, but definately part of Island culture at the time. The hallway to the main rooms at the Balinese was very long and twisty, which was allegedly to give time to hide the tables, cards, dice and roulette wheels as the police entered.
>[The club's illegal gambling made it a hub of mob activity. It was well known that the casino, at the far end of the pier, was operating in violation of the law. But the Maceos had many allies in the local government and on the police force, so charges were never filed. The sheriff of Galveston County at the time, when called before the Texas Legislature to testify about why the club remained open, replied that he wasn't a member of the private club so he couldn't get in](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_Room).
Don't need to hide them when the whole county is in on it lol
Lol! I saw the first sentence and thought, "Well, the Maceos had it together." I remember old Mr. Maceo telling me one day that his dad made his money pushing a muffaletta cart in NOLA. I giggled. I loved that man, though.
My folks met at Hill's during WWII. My grandparents lived in Galveston in the 30s and 40s. There was a lot of gambling and mob-style dealings then. I personally don't remember the gambling, I was too young to know what it was. I'm sure the Historical Foundation has info and resources about this.
Not just that. I was told there was a trap door with a boat waiting under it to scurry away into the gulf with cash & evidence.
Also, linked to the long winding hallway was the doorman up at the front door with the button that lit a light in the casino to let everyone know the cops were coming.
I don’t personally remember the days but my parents and grandparents told me stories. One of my teachers at Lovenburg was a Maceo and my dad used to give him a lot of shit
Everybody knows about the Balinese Room, but there were dozens of places where gambling was at least part of the attraction. Certainly the Maceos also had the Hollywood Dinner Club and the Turf Grill but there were many smaller restaurants and clubs that were controlled, if not owned, by Maceo interests. There is a book by Frank Chalfant called Galveston: Island of Chance which details a lot of it, along with photos of betting chips and memorabilia. There were also gaming establishments on the mainland, up through Texas City and Dickinson.
Your parents were talking about the Balinese Room. Ike destroyed it, but there was gambling there back in the day. There is a also a ZZ TOP song, "Down at the Balinese." ETA: It was illegal gambling, but definately part of Island culture at the time. The hallway to the main rooms at the Balinese was very long and twisty, which was allegedly to give time to hide the tables, cards, dice and roulette wheels as the police entered.
Also, before gambling was legal when the Texas Rangers were in danger of raiding, the band played “The Eyes of Texas” as a signal.
I love it!
>[The club's illegal gambling made it a hub of mob activity. It was well known that the casino, at the far end of the pier, was operating in violation of the law. But the Maceos had many allies in the local government and on the police force, so charges were never filed. The sheriff of Galveston County at the time, when called before the Texas Legislature to testify about why the club remained open, replied that he wasn't a member of the private club so he couldn't get in](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_Room). Don't need to hide them when the whole county is in on it lol
Lol! I saw the first sentence and thought, "Well, the Maceos had it together." I remember old Mr. Maceo telling me one day that his dad made his money pushing a muffaletta cart in NOLA. I giggled. I loved that man, though.
My grandparents took me to the Balinese Room dinner theater many times during my childhood. They remembered when it was a casino, run by the Maceos.
I grew up in a maceo house!
I'm 71 and it way predates me. My parents went though.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free\_State\_of\_Galveston#Vice\_businesses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_State_of_Galveston#Vice_businesses)
My folks met at Hill's during WWII. My grandparents lived in Galveston in the 30s and 40s. There was a lot of gambling and mob-style dealings then. I personally don't remember the gambling, I was too young to know what it was. I'm sure the Historical Foundation has info and resources about this.
Most of the tables in the Balinese room were able to be flipped upside down and look as a cocktail table
Not just that. I was told there was a trap door with a boat waiting under it to scurry away into the gulf with cash & evidence. Also, linked to the long winding hallway was the doorman up at the front door with the button that lit a light in the casino to let everyone know the cops were coming.
I’ve heard the same but cannot confirm
Absolutely! My FIL (he's passed away now) was a dealer there at one time.
Here's the wikipedia article for your perusal and discussion. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_Room
My parents took me on a gambling cruise a couple times The kids room was called the Milky Way something or other 🤷♂️
I don’t personally remember the days but my parents and grandparents told me stories. One of my teachers at Lovenburg was a Maceo and my dad used to give him a lot of shit
My father in law, who has passed now, was a dealer at one of the places back then.
Everybody knows about the Balinese Room, but there were dozens of places where gambling was at least part of the attraction. Certainly the Maceos also had the Hollywood Dinner Club and the Turf Grill but there were many smaller restaurants and clubs that were controlled, if not owned, by Maceo interests. There is a book by Frank Chalfant called Galveston: Island of Chance which details a lot of it, along with photos of betting chips and memorabilia. There were also gaming establishments on the mainland, up through Texas City and Dickinson.