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Balinese Room

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	Topics Balinese Room Topic Home The Balinese Room was a well-known nightclubNightclub A nightclub is an entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark.... in Galveston, TexasGalveston, Texas Galveston is the county seat of Galveston County located along the Gulf Coast region in the U.S.... built on a pier stretching 600 feet from the Galveston SeawallGalveston Seawall The Galveston Seawall, constructed in 1902, is a seawall that was built after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for protection... over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For decades a dance hall and illegal casino, the Balinese Room was remodeled and reopened in 2001 (minus the gambling). It also operated for a time in the 1970's or 1980's. In 1997 it was listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesFacts About National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places is the United States' official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and... . The Balinese Room is again on the market. A real estate sign was noted May 30, 2007. History Operated by SicilianSicily Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 km and 5 mi... immigrant barbers-turned-bootleggerRum-running Rum-running is the business of smuggling or transporting of alcoholic beverages illegally, usually to circumvent taxation or... s Sam and Rosario MaceoSam and Rosario Maceo Salvatore Maceo and Rosario Maceo Sr. were born in Palermo, Sicily, and arrived in Galveston in 1910.... , the Balinese Room was an elite spot during the 1940s and 1950s, featuring entertainment by Frank SinatraFacts About Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra was an American singer and actor.... , Bob HopeBob Hope Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG,, born Leslie Townes Hope, was a famous British-born American entertainer who appeared in vaudevil... , George BurnsGeorge Burns For other people named Burns, see Burns.For the Jewish philosopher and Sionist figure, see Nathan Birnbaum.... and other top acts of the day. Patrons of the private club included Howard HughesHoward Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. was a pioneering aviator, engineer, industrialist and film producer.... , Sophie TuckerSophie Tucker Summary Sophie Tucker was a singer and comedian, one of the most popular entertainers in America during the first third of the 20th ... and wealthy oilPetroleum Petroleum or crude oil is a black, dark brown or greenish liquid found in porous rock formations in the earth.... barons from nearby HoustonHouston, Texas Houston is the largest city in the state of Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States.... . The Balinese Room was originally opened in 1929 as "The Grotto," one of the many entertainment venues that had begun popping up along the Galveston Seawall (along with bathhouses, dance and supper clubs, many of which were illegal casinos). In 1932, the Grotto was remodeled into a ChineseChina China is a cultural region and ancient civilization in East Asia.... restaurant called the "Sui Jen" (pronounced Swee Rin), and a 200 foot pier, stretching out over the Gulf, was added to the building with a T-head at its end. After the Japanese attack on Pearl HarborPearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is a simple embayment on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu.... on December 7, 1941, the name was changed to the Balinese Room, and the decor modified accordingly. The pier was also expanded to its current 600-foot length. The Balinese Room's private back room was equipped with the most modern gaming equipment, and the Maceos' advertisements invited high rollers to "Come Down and Play on Galveston Island." The club's illegal gambling made it a hub of mobMafia The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as Cosa Nostra , is a secret society formed in the mid-19th century in Sicily.... activity. It was well-known that the casinoCasino A casino is a facility that accommodates certain types of gambling activities.... , at the far end of the pier, was operating in violation of the law. But the Maceos had many allies in the local government and on the police force, so charges were never filed. The sheriff of Galveston County at the time, when called before the Texas LegislatureTexas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S.... to testify about why the club remained open, replied that he wasn’t a member of the private club so he couldn’t get in. In 1956, Will Wilson was elected as Texas' attorney general after campaigning to "close down Galveston" and its illegal casinos using the Texas RangersTexas Ranger Division The Texas Ranger Division, commonly known as the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdictio... . The Rangers set up shop in a hotel near the club, and raided the casino often. But their efforts were thwarted by the length of the pier — by the time they ran down to the tail end of the long, narrow club, tables, cards and chips had disappeared into secret wall and floor pockets. The band often would strike up the song "The Eyes of TexasThe Eyes of Texas "The Eyes of Texas" is the alma mater of the University of Texas at Austin.... " upon their arrival. The Rangers did eventually shut the club down, but not through heavy-handed tactics — they simply sat in the casino all day, every day. Customers, intimidated by the Rangers' presence, began to stop coming. As a result, business was so bad that the club eventually closed its doors on May 30, 1957. Present day After sitting vacant for 20 years, the Balinese Room and its pier are now owned by the state of TexasTexas Summary Texas is a state in both the Southern and Western region of the United States of America.... . A local attorney, Scott Arnold, took out a 60-year lease on the pier, and as of 2001 had reopened the Balinese Room for business. In addition to the Balinese Room itself, which is used for live music, parties, and weekend public dining, the pier has a salon, retail shops and a massage therapy room with a glass floor. It is located at the intersection of 21st Street and Seawall Boulevard. External links "Summer Fun". . Retrieved Jul. 20, 2005. The Casino Wars and Ranger Johnny Klevenhagen. Retrieved July 26, 2005.