THE GHOSTS OF DICKINSON’S PAST

By Criss Brown

"Hand me one more, Rick! We're almost there! This is our tallest one ever!"

"Here you go Criss, but be caref.....CRASH! Oh man! You musta bumped it!"

"Doggone it, I didn't bump it! You did!"

And so went a typical Saturday morning between two brothers around 4 and 5 years old, in the late 1960's in Dickinson, Texas. Of course, the argument lasted much longer followed by the brotherly wrestling match, which I could never seem to win. But enough of that. What were these interesting round things that looked like some sort of money? We were old enough to know they weren't, but yes, we would pretend they were gold coins, and we were rich beyond our wildest dreams. If only. They were all different colors with different names or initials, and some of them had $5, $10, $25, $50 and even $100 inscribed on them. We seemed to have an endless supply. Boxes upon boxes of them. These ingots of gold, as it turns out, were gambling chips. Well-used gambling chips that came from Illegal gambling establishments throughout the city and county. Little did we know at our young age, that we were but a few years removed from a Golden Era. We would soon discover the rich and interesting, and oh-how-scandalous, history of illegal gambling in our city of Dickinson.

As we got older and able to venture out farther and farther away from the house (you could do that back in those days) it didn't take long to discover the spooky two-story building at the end of Rose Street. It loomed high above highway 3. Somewhat unassuming during the daytime, but at night, it took on a life of its own. Ghosts and monsters and spirits prowled the grounds, protecting it from unwanted intruders. Bats and owls screeched and fluttered around in the night sky looking for their next unsuspecting meal. Ok, the ghost part wasn't true, but sometimes we whole-heartedly convinced ourselves they were very real. And just how cool was it to grow up with an actual "haunted house" in your neighborhood? Very.

According to the ever-faithful Wikipedia, Dickinson is located on a tract of land granted to John Dickinson in 1824, but settlement had not been established on the banks of Dickinson Bayou until one day just before 1850. I'd wager (no pun intended) that illegal gambling began sometime that evening, but by most accounts, the large-scale, swanky establishments didn't begin popping up until around 1920. That werewolf and vampire lair as it turns out was one of those establishments, The Rose Garden. Owned and operated by the Giamfortone family, it was a popular restaurant and night club, and yes, gambling joint. It was visited by locals and Houston-Galveston travelers alike, looking for a heaping plate of genuine Italian spaghetti or a drink of liquor or even a high-stakes game of poker, slots, craps or roulette, if you please, just to name a few. Now, some of you might be thinking "How could there be drinking of liquor when prohibition lasted from 1920 to 1933?" Well, what happened on the mainland, stayed on the mainland, so to speak. It's not because we are situated north of the famous Maceo-Dickinson line. No, they had their share of high rolling visitors as well. It's been written that if you were drinking liquor in southeast Texas during that time, it most likely came from Dickinson.

Dozens of these lucrative, and yes, illegal, gambling businesses came and went throughout the years. A block to the north of the Rose Garden, stood the Silver Moon. Arguably one of the classiest establishments in town. Owned and operated by the Falco family. Several blocks south, at the intersection of FM517 and Hwy3 stood the Golden Pheasant. Some of the others include, the Dickinson Social Club owned by the Emmitte family, Cedar Oaks owned by the Salvatos, Edgewater Lounge owned by the Fertittas, and the Seventy-Five Club, just to name a few. These weren’t just back room 24/7 poker games. These were built for purpose, beautifully decorated, and in some cases even lavish establishments owned and operated by professional businessmen.

Now, let’s talk about that word “illegal.” It’s important to understand, that during that time, law enforcement on the mainland was scarce. They didn’t venture off the island unless it was necessary, leaving the northern part of the county to run pretty much by its own rules. Not the Wild, Wild West by any means, but you get the picture. It was a different time, played by different rules. Needless to say, these businesses were all but overlooked by law enforcement during those years. As a descendant of one of these families, I completely understand that they did what they had to do to survive and put food on the table. They were industrious. They were entrepreneurs. They were handsome Italians, sharply dressed and very well trained in the art of upscale service and hospitality. Of course, that heyday came to a screeching halt in the spring of 1957 when the Texas Rangers began to systematically shut down these establishments in Galveston County. It was, indeed, the end of The Golden Era, most likely never to return. And just how cool was Dickinson’s Golden Era? Very.