The SS Rex was a gambling ship that sat off the Santa Monica coast during the late 1930s. At the time, gambling was illegal in California but technically, the Rex was operating within the law because it sat more than three miles off the coast and therefore outside the jurisdiction of law enforcement. As you might imagine, the aforementioned law enforcement were not pleased and it took them years to dislodge him. In this 1939 photo, the Rex’s crew prepare to repel the approaching police with water cannons, which is a pretty ballsy move. Then again, the operation was run by local organized crime figure, Tony “the Hat” Cornero, who was probably no stranger to ballsy moves. They managed to close down Cornero’s operations but “Tony the Hat” fled to Las Vegas, where he opened the Stardust Hotel.
Slot machines confiscated from the SS Rex gambling ship are being tossed overboard into the sea, November 29, 1939:
They advertised in the legit press with legit advertisement display ads:
This advertisement for the SS Rex gambling ship off Santa Monica is from the Daily Racing Form in 1939:
My Dad was one of their suckers.
Was he really? I’d love to have seen what it looked like on the inside. I’m guessing not as glamorous as these ads would have it seem…
Gambling ships like the Rex were the inspiration for the 1943 movie “Mr. Lucky” staring Cary Grant and Laraine Day and spawned a TV series 1959-60 of the same name. I have seen both and remember regretting that the TV series lasted only one season. It was one of my favorites at the time.