5.12 - Was pinball really banned in New York City?
Description
This article is from the General Pinball FAQ, by Keith Johnson keefer@access.digex.net with numerous contributions by others.
5.12 - Was pinball really banned in New York City?
Yes, for quite a long time: January 21st, 1942 up until 1976. The mayor at
the time (Fiorello Henry LaGuardia, as in LaGuardia airport) made a big
spectacle by smashing up a large number of pinball machines in front of a
fairly supportive crowd! Anyway, the ban was put into place because the
machines were seen more as a game of luck than of skill. (And games of luck
== gambling, apparently!) However, in 1976, one Mr. Roger Sharpe went up to
the NYC City Council when they were having hearings on the ban. He said
something to the effect of: "I can pull back this plunger and make the ball
go into the lane I want at the top of the machine." He proceeded to plunge,
make the lane, and right away they voted to end the ban. Neat story, huh?
If you didn't know, Roger Sharpe is the Major Marketing Dude at Williams now.
-- Thanks to Scott Piehler <rosco29@mindspring.com> for information.
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