One of the many infamous clubs along this road was the Club "30"
I was too young to enter it and it was long gone by time I was driving age . But you hear plenty of story's (wink wink ) about why these clubs where all along this stretch of road and what was really going on.
Well to start with at the time the drinking age was 21 in Pa. and 18 in W.Va. so if you where young and wanted to drink legally W.Va. was the place to go . How ever if you wanted a little action the Club 30 was where you could gamble and where the local sheriff looked the other way.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19870305&id=9tQ0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=6G0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5290,1708156
The gambling was controlled by the Larocca Crime Family a branch of the Lacostra Nostra as was gambling in Nearby Weirton W.Va and Stubenville Ohio which are located along US 22
My father and father in law have memories of those days My wife is from Steubenville area and my dad would often drive young guys from Pittsburgh to Steubenville or club 30 looking for a nights entertainment and my father in law often talked about the bookies etc along water street in Steubenville when he was a young man he would pass on his way to work as a chemist .
The gambling was controlled by the Larocca Crime Family a branch of the Lacostra Nostra as was gambling in Nearby Weirton W.Va and Stubenville Ohio which are located along US 22
My father and father in law have memories of those days My wife is from Steubenville area and my dad would often drive young guys from Pittsburgh to Steubenville or club 30 looking for a nights entertainment and my father in law often talked about the bookies etc along water street in Steubenville when he was a young man he would pass on his way to work as a chemist .
Of course by time My wife and I grew up this whole era of clubs and illegal gambling was all but over . Between the FBI raiding them and politics changing and a national age of 21 to drink legally
It pretty well doomed the operations but story's of illegal activity's going on persist. and there was just a big illegal gambling raid in Steubenville.
But lets face it here in the tri-state many people like to gamble.Why do you think the mob set up shop here in the first place. We now have legal casinos etc. but its still the thrill of a Football Pool or playing the number or betting on football game with a bookie .
I choose not to gamble and I am not here to judge those who choose to what you do in your private life is your business,and thats the way it was with the clubs and bookies etc. The Larocca Crime Family always liked to run a clean game and keep a low profile.
It was not till Mr. Larocca passed away and the gang got involved in Drugs that it caught the attention of the FBI and feds in general.Which doomed the gang and its large bookmaking days but rumors persist it still goes on in Washington County by a couple of the very old made men who are left from the gangs heyday.The former site of club 30 now sits in ruins. While other clubs still operate under new names and owners but much smaller operations than days past.
UPDATE:
In 2022 The old club building and bosses house where torn down and property leveled when US 30 was realigned near Pa and WV line
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