When your side business threatens your main business, the odds may not be in your favor.
At 7230 Madison Street in Forest Park, Illinois, the Brass Bowl Tavern was one of the neighborhood’s many watering holes. But in the early 1960s, the establishment became entangled in a federal gambling case that threatened more than just its reputation.
Herman Kolle, associated with the Brass Bowl, was convicted in federal court of operating a handbook without the required federal wagering tax stamp. A handbook was essentially a bookmaking operation that recorded and managed wagers—often on horse races and other sporting events.
Kolle wasn’t the only Forest Park tavern operator facing trouble. Art Wilkes, owner of the Sunset Lounge, was also convicted of a similar offense. Both men received probation, but their legal problems didn’t end with their federal convictions.
According to a February 1, 1962, report in the Forest Park Review, the two men subsequently faced hearings before Forest Park Mayor William Meyer, who also served as the village’s liquor control commissioner. Their taverns’ liquor licenses could be suspended or revoked.
For a tavern operator, losing a liquor license could be devastating. For a bookmaker, having the authorities decide your livelihood was a different kind of gamble.
Of course, there’s no evidence that Kolle actually offered odds on the outcome of his own hearing. But considering the circumstances, it’s hard not to wonder what the line would’ve been.
Historical source
Forest Park Review, February 1, 1962, “Hearing on Two Taverns Found Guilty in Federal Court.”
