Ron Dunn's Slot Machine Story

Thursday, August 06 2009 @ 09:00 PM CDT

Contributed by: Admin

Back in the 30's and 40's the state of California allowed some gambling in the state, but left it up to the counties to decide what they would allow. Mono County said that it would allow Draw Poker and Slot Machines, as long as they were not in Bridgeport [the county seat]. Right about 1945, Ron Dunn's father Louis Dunn, Bill Treglown [owner of Bills Grill] and Jim Bowen bought out the small operation of Ted Bloomer, an d started Mono Amusements co. They built this up to about 150 slot machines and had them in all the places they could in the county.
Late in 1940 or early 1950 the powers to be in Sacramento claimed that slot machines were no longer legal, so they sent several Limo's over and conficated all the machines that they could carry. The rest of the machines were destroyed, dumped into June Lake and the dump. No monies from the conficated machines were ever returned to Mono County, as required by law. A neighbor of the Dunn's was Chuck Addison, who was 1/4 owner of the Pioneer Club in Las Vegas , and also Joanne Ronci's grandfather told Ron's dad " There's no way that it can be proved, but Nevada interest’s wanted to stop gambling in California so we got a lot of cash together and Bought BROWN " who was the Attorney General of California at the time to clean up the State.

Ron donated several change coin bags that were used for picking up slot change and percentage allowances.

Ron was a slot machine mechanic for about 10 years. The small old building north east of the Sierra Inn was used as a slot machine workshop. Ron said the machines came from the manufacturer set to pay 60%/40%. 60% went to the customer who normally put the 60% back into the machine.

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Authored by: Louise mumbleau on Sunday, November 29 2009 @ 04:50 PM CST

Hi Ron;
I read your story on the slots I was trying to get touch with you as I am writing a book on June and my family,s life up at June. I did a story on the slots .and needed your in put your story help me a lots I remember your dad when he came to check them out and his people who counted the money Bill,s uncle worked for your dad. Here is the story were the machines went we put ours in the frozen food lockers and Bill put there in the ice storage room under the saw dust .Many were put into Hmiltons general Stores tin shed in back of our store were the state stored them after they ceased them they contacted my dad Louie to haul them down to Wilmington to the smelt .He took them to the place and they told him all the wood base had to be removed so dad brought them to our friends Lomita home were we took them apart to remove the bases .Pretty soon money was coming out as we worked so we got coffee cans to store our find we had to get the job done in 5 days which we did and the metal was hauled away that is were most of them went.Bill said they found some at the dump and Marshall Berry man and they killed them for the money that spelled out Not many were in the lake as we must to have 150 to 200 the state paid my dad for the job think I have the contact some where or did we had so many fires I will have to go thru things. But I remember that job well. My mom ,Myself and our girl friend B.J. did the work

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