| Anthony Cornero operated three gambling ships, the S.S. Tango, S.S. Rex, and S.S. Lux, off the coast of California between 1934 and 1946. The most luxurious was the Rex, which had a capacity for 2,000 passengers and a crew of 325, including chefs, a full orchestra, broadcasters manning a commercial radio station, and, of course, working girls. The casino offered craps, roulette, blackjack, chuck-a-luck, poker, faro, 150 slot machines, and a 400-seat bingo parlor. The horse book received its results via short-wave radio. The games were reportedly honest, and Cornero posted a $100,000 reward for anyone who could prove that they weren't. The Rex was so successful that Cornero and his partners netted upwards of $300,000 a month.
The B. C. Wills Co. ordered at least 4,200 of the Crest & Seal chips in three denominations from the USPC Co. (Cinncinatti, OH) for Cornero on 4/1/1938. No order card for the large crown chip in the preserved T. R. King records. |
