Loading ...Is There Big A Pea Shake-Up Coming?
Remember back in February 2007 I wrote about a possible federal investigation of the city’s pea shake houses? Fast forward 18 months. My sources are telling me that a reported grand jury probe of some IMPD officers may involve Indianapolis’ pea shake houses. It’s still unclear what the charge is, although bribery, money laundering and tax evasion are the first things that comes to my mind.
A source close to the department would not confirm any investigation, but said “they would not be surprised”.
Please note, grand juries don’t just show up out of nowhere. Word is a number of individuals, including officers have already been questioned. I’m keeping an eye on this but it looks like some long-time chickens are finally coming home to roost.
It’s sad such a cleaning is necessary, but things should have never been allowed to get to this point in the first place.
Stay tuned.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
It’s about time!
August 26th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
If they’re probing the peashakes, no one seems to be concerned. I drive by one all the time, and it’s full steam ahead.
I had wondered if Ballard was goign to turn his head like everyone else has.
Let’s hope this stops it once and for all. But, I’ve been here a lot longer than you Abdul, and this crap has gone on for decades. Some politicians even defend the peashakes, which is ludicrous. The houses are neighborhood eyesores, they bring trash and drugs/guns into the neighborhoods, and violence.
I’m not holding my breath.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
For as long as I can remember (26 years and counting) we were told to stay away. Anybody who dared to do their job at one of these places were “talked to” immediately. Fear of retribution kept most officers away. Could it be that those in charge who wouldn’t let us do our job are the targets of this investigation? I certainly hope so.
August 26th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
What does it really matter any more?
Mitch has signed legislation to legalize gambling in every restaurant, club, and bar in the state. This has made a mockery of the previous crack down on illegal cherry masters, pea shakes etc..
Just wait, even John Neal will get off with a slap on the hand.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Bob, evidently you don’t understand the licensing process.
Only those bars and taverns which are already in good standing with their liquor licenses, can apply for these new cherry-machine licenses.
Peashakes are not licensed by anyone, except the Powers That Be In Center.
They’re a zoning nightmare. They bring crime and trash to neighborhoods. There is no other way to accurately or effectively regulate peashakes. They are housed in ramshackle buildings, windows blacked out, ratholes…
There is no comparison between the illegal houses of peashake crime and the potential new gambling licensees, whose liquor licenses must be renewed annually amid public proceedings. Violatons of any kind of law can forfeit a valuable liquor license.
All the peashakes have to do is make the Center power structure happy. Fill in your own blanks there.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I hear that Monroe Gray is being investagated in the probe also. All I can say is, it’s about time!
August 26th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Hey you guys, “they ain’t hurtin’ nobody”.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Legal discrimination in gambling: Black people are being arrested and labeled as criminal for supporting this form and are forced to support white-owned gambling parlors, while their white counterparts can enjoy gambling legally without fear of being arrested and prosecuted. Not only is this hypocritical, but it is definitely a double standard and a mockery of law enforcement. Every form of gambling is legal in Indiana except Peashake Pulls. Why?
I find it very interesting and racist that our legislature has legalized every form of gambling in the State of Indiana and the licenses are controlled by a majority of white investors and friends of politicians.
When the Catholic Church lobbied to legalize bingo while Bayh was governor, the lottery became legal, casino gambling is legal across the state, race track owners have off track pari-mutual betting parlors and now slot machines against the wishes of the casino owners. The tavern owners now have pull tabs and cherry pickers to compete with American Legion Posts, Knights of Columbus Halls and other non profit establishments. Peashake Pull is the only form of gambling that was not legalized and is supported primarily by the black community across the state. It appears that black people will have to spend their gambling dollars with white-owned establishments allowing them to reap all of the profits and become rich from every form of gambling.
If gambling is legal across the state, why wasn’t this game-of-chance made legal and taxed by our legislators?
August 26th, 2008 at 11:27 pm
“Not A Gambler
August 26th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Legal discrimination in gambling: Black people are being arrested and labeled as criminal for supporting this form and are forced to support white-owned gambling parlors”
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Not A Gambler, so are you saying that blacks CAN’T gamble in or AREN’T ALLOWED in “white-owned gambling parlors” so they have to have their own form of gambling? Seems like a pretty racist statement to me. I’ll bet you couldn’t find a “no coloreds allowed” at any legitimate (legal) gambling establishment.
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I’m not a gambler either and frankly I think it is a shame what our state has done with gambling but if it is legal it is legal and if it ain’t it ain’t and it should be cracked down on.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Response to Anon
The state and this city for years conducted raids on establishments conducting all types of gambling when it was illegal. The lobbyist for special interested wined and dined our legislators until they said yes. The owners and investors were millionaire businessmen who and were able to hire lobbyists to do their bidding. They no longer have to bribe police officers, pay attorney fees and bail bondsmen to get thier employees released from jail after police raids were conducted. How many gambling licences are held by black owned businesses? My point is, why wasn’t Peashake Pull added to the game-of-chance list. As far as I am concerned, gambling is gambling. Our police officers could spend more time arresting people who commit more serious crimes against the public instead of wasting manpower and manhours to arrest gamblers.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:18 am
It always bothers me when a question or a position is treated as a subject of race. Where we should devote our law enforcement resources is a proper debate.
The race of the victims or the perps, has, in my mind, no bearing.
Enforce the law or change the law. Citizens must inform themselves and proceed accordingly.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:43 am
Hmmm are they paying taxes? Of course not! As I recall that’s what took Al Capone down.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:33 am
Response to Think Again
Peashake houses are not the source for drugs and guns. Large quantities of heroin, marijuana and cocaine are not peddled by these places. If patrons who visit race tracks and casinos were searched, I am sure you would find that some of them may be in possession of drugs or guns. The two have nothing to do with the game. More than likely it would be the patrons peddling their wares.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Now if Monroe Gray is into this investigation when will the other two be looked at? It been more then 60 days since Doris went to jail and still no charges. Why hasn’t Abdul conver this or any other media outlet?
August 27th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Peashakes mess up a neighborhood and should be (and would be) in a commercial location if they weren’t rendered illegal by an overpowerful state.
Not A Gambler - Nail on the head. You don’t have to be black to see how weird this is. It’s a matter of crime (peashake houses are illegal, sure) but it goes beyond that.
Who controls that weird new slot thing at the horse track out I74 ? And all the casino-on-a-boat licenses ? White people.
Same reason we have liquor laws - to make sure black people have to buy their booze from the white man.
The deck is stacked. Weed was made illegal cause it became associated with black people (musicians). Crack cocaine carries higher sentences than powder.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:51 am
Jay –
You are an absolute idiot and/or racist.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:18 am
For every rat you see, there are 50 you don’t.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Exactly what do some of you people not understand about ILLEGAL NUMBERS RACKETEERING?
You see, that is what the people who run shakes houses are involved in. It takes a lot of bribes and kickbacks not to meantion political pull for the numbers racket to operate wide open in ANY city.
Organized crime does NOT like to pay taxes nor have their “games” regulated. They sure as hell don’t like background checks on their soldiers that run their ops. They don’t want to play by the legal rules sanctioned gaming houses have to.
Personally, I would like to see the Shakes legalized and run/monitored by the state but that’s NOT what the Shakes want. Legalization would cost them tons of money and in most cases the people running these ops would find themselves out of the game due to criminal histories.
The Shakes operate in the black community but anyone familiar with their organization will note that the $$ rake ends up in the white man’s pocket. The people at the top who run these operations in Indianapolis have always been white and most are not even in Indianapolis. The games were controlled for years out of Chicago by the late “Momo” Giancana’s organization.
Illegal profits in a racketeer’s hands ends up invested in other illegal operations. That’s the rub. Legalize the Shakes and for every ten legal houses running there will still be 10 illegal ones run by the same criminals running them now.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:00 am
This is crazy racism talk. Pea shakes are in houses in neighborhoods, legal gambling is in commercial buildings and regulated. Hard to compare the two, or say that because blacks can’t gamble illegally in neighborhood houses that the State of Indiana is racist. I thought you guys were smarter than that.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:10 am
The peashakes are illegal because the legislators of those districts do no enter legislation to legalize it. Why?
The current proprietors would not qualify for the license. Gambling is highly regulated and requires extensive background checks, submission of financial documents etc. This won’t happen because the owners, employees, and their families are felones, and drug/weapon dealers. They would have to update their facilities, in otherwords, move into or build modern facilities, provide security, file tax returns, pay uncle same, answer to the neighborhood associations, and contribute to the welfare of the surrounding neighborhoods, etc.
Secondly, all this will cut out the legislators, including city-county councilors of those districts who rely on masssive financial contributions and law enforcement for those beats as well as the leadership downtown at IMPD and the Sherriffs office who also get their share for protection money.
Its well known the assistant police chied Sunny Wyatt would contact the peashake houses the same day to notify them of a raid. The peashake owner would then remove all weapons,and the drugs the sell and have around 5 grand available for law enforcements.
These raids were conducted periodically simply to satisfy the federal requirement that LE was doing their job and there was no need to bring in the feds.
Will it stop? No, not if we have to rely on Brizzi and Newman who dabble in the underground world….
August 27th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Think Again,
Give us a break about the wonderful process behind basically giving every Indiana retail establishment a licence to provide gambling.
Everyone knows the process for getting these licenses is a complete mess with rules that will be rarely if ever enforced.
This was clearly a gift to operators of illegal cherry masters and pea shakes who were upset with the enforcement of the law in the Muncie/Anderson area.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am
If one recalls correctly, Greg Ballard stated in no uncertain terms that when he was elected Mayor he would close the Shake houses.
He has now been in office for 7 months and gained COMPLETE CONTROL OVER IMPD and yet HAS DONE NOTHING TO CLOSE THE SHAKE HOUSES!
Mayor’s aren’t excluded from Grand Jury investigations any more than crooked cops are.
For that matter, neither are Prosecutors.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:03 am
IRoc
Lest you forget each of these gambling operations were illegal in Indiana before the laws were changed. Drugs and guns are every where. You seem to want to associate drug traffiking with Peashakes. More than likely pushers used the houses to market their products with the flow of patrons if they were users, but gamblers are more interested is gambling not drugs or guns.
I remember the attorney who reached in his pocket while representing a drug pusher in criminal court recently and dropped a bag of cocaine on the floor by accident. Does that mean all criminal attorneys use cocaine?
August 27th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Calm down CJ. These places have been protected for decades by dirty politicians and crooked cops.You just don’t shut down organized crime overnight. Last year when we finally hit a couple of these places unannounced s#it hit the fan. Immediately a new un-precedented policy on search warrants was instituted. We now had to get all search warrants approved by the Deputy Chief of investigations before the warrant, which was already signed by a judge, was executed! And guess what happened? The first warrant under the new policy was executed by our swat team at 3700 N keystone Ave, and when we got there the place was empty because they all ran out the door five minutes before swat arrived. Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out now does it? If it’s true that the feds are finally investigating this it’s a good thing.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
IPDCOP
Yes, but the majority of big time gamblers and high rollers who happen to be white do not have to worry about raids or paying off corrupt politicians or police because all of their games-of-chance have been legalized which is my point.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Really? What about the poker bust a few months ago. It was a white-owned establishment.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
“If one recalls correctly, Greg Ballard stated in no uncertain terms that when he was elected Mayor he would close the Shake houses.”
Ballard never made that statement. However, Sheriff Anderson via Terry Forestall made similar comments and never followed through. But now that you have brought it up the peashake at 38th and Keystone has been closed under Ballard’s term.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
That is true.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I recall a few years ago when in Hamilton County there was a party at Hilberts where the people were putting in $1000 a car for a 500 pool. The local prosecutor said that nobody was being harmed. This gambling law is stupid. Repeal it. If not bust every game including the churches etc.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
What about the illegal office pools during the playoffs games for football, basketball, baseball world series, NCAA, 500 mile race, Brickyard 400, Kentucky Derby? Practically every office and factory in the state has betting pools for the winners of these sports. The games are not licensed nor do the players pay taxes on their winnings. Will these businesses be raided by swat teams in the future if reported?
August 27th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Probably not since office pools aren’t known for having guns or violence associated with them.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Sorry to call you out IndyErnie but Ballard did indeed make those comments as well as yourself and others who posted on Indyundercover when that blog first began to call out the Shake houses.
The operation at 37th and Keystone was not shut down, it moved.
August 28th, 2008 at 10:15 am
All the peashake houses are up and running again, my mom, a patron of the peashake houses, advised me they were closed for a couple of months then re-opened. Most are in the same place, some have moved.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Not a Gambler: A friend of mine lives one half-block from a peashake. It’s shut down twice or three times in the last 18 months or so.
When the peashakes are operating, he routinely picks up marijuana butts, condoms, beer bottles and some needles from his yard. There are often cars parked up and down the streets, often souble-parked, as if it’s their right. When they’re not operating, he doesn’t get any of this nonsense.
When they’re operating, he routinely hears gunshots from the premises 3-4 times a week. Shooting in the air? Maybe, but shooting, nonetheless.
You do the math.
There’s a reason these shops operate in boarded-up houses with elaborate security systems and multiple loaded weapons inside.
On a lesser note, lots of patrons go in and out each day, which makes them a commercial establishment. Most are not even remotely remodeled to code, which means, if there were an emergency, fire, or similar incident, the buildings could go up in flames quickly.
Cause I’m sure all that rewiring and remodeling was done properly, huh? Exits are all properly marked.
Gimme a break. Wise up pal. These places are dens of crime, and they’re protected by the powers-that-be. Evidently, including Ballard.
And that sucks.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Think Again
You will probably find the same trash on the ground around some liquor stores and nightclubs. My point point is gambling is gambling. All games-of-chance should be legal and taxed.
August 28th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I was at the casino on Sunday and there was no trash anywhere, there were no guns, and while there was alcohol, I didn’t notice anyone was drunk.
August 28th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Peashakes are lucky they don’t sell ‘adult-oriented’ merchandise, or they’d be hounded out of existence in a heartbeat.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
‘Pea Shake’ Charges Dropped Over Warrant Errors
Details about those flaws weren’t available. The prosecutor’s office didn’t say exactly how many people had charges dismissed, but it said the number could be more than 50.
August 28th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Is the glass half empty or half full? A shame for long-standing corruption to elude justice on bum warrants, but at least (knock on wood) not a murder per night for now.
August 28th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Melyssa is right.
The liquor stores who want to install these new gambling machines, must get local zoning, state liquor permits (annually renewed) and carry sugnificant liability insurance.
The peashakes operate under cover of darkness, with boarded-up windows, armed guards and evidently lots of money…
If they want it licensed, they can try, but it won’t fly.
August 29th, 2008 at 5:59 am
Melyssa
I don’t believe you would know if a patron was packing a gun or drugs especially if they are staying in one of the hotels.