BREAKING NEWS: New Harlingen Area 8-Liner Gambling Joint Hit Overnight!

BREAKING NEWS
An illegal 8-liner gambling joint, operating just 100 feet outside of the Harlingen City limits, next to the Alamo Fireworks Building, just off of Lewis Lane, was hit by burglars last night sometime between the time the sleazy joint closed and upon opening this AM January 27th.  Over 175 of the one armed bandit machines were stolen in the overnight heist.  My sources tell me that this is not the first time one of these valley 8-liners has been burglarized and the machines and other items stolen.

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"These machines are very large and heavy and it most likely took 2 or more individuals using moving dolly's to move and load the machines into a truck.  That many machines being stolen at one time would take several hours to accomplish," said an official who wished to remain anonymous.  Other anonymous reports have been given to this writer that the machines are owned by local Harlingen businessmen with ties to Harlingen City Commissioners.  The owner of this particular sleaze joint most recently operated an illegal gambling house in the former Cactus Jack's Bar building on Business 83 just west of Altas Palmas Road.  

That same establishment abruptly closed its doors earlier in January 2011, the day after the Harlingen Planning and Zoning Board refused to give them an SUP (Special Use Permit) to operate within the city limits of Harlingen.  The P and Z Board voted 4-3 to deny the SUP.  

Within hours of that refusal the same bums opened up their new gambling joint just east of the Alamo Fireworks Building on the Interstate 83 frontage road.

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Over 20 of these illegal gaming joints have opened in the La Feria area in the past few months.  Word on the street is that both Mexican and RGV organized crime syndicates are pushing very hard to break into the lucrative Harlingen market.  

One source reports that a RGV area mayor is actually renting these 8-liner machines to some of the La Feria area illegal businesses.  He has been seen moving machines into one of the local gambling dens.  Several of these hell holes have been robbed in the past by outlaws brandishing firearms and making threats.

Rumors abound of other side activities that take place both inside and outside of these establishments including: loansharking, prostitution, illegal drug use and sales, beatings, thefts from cars, extortion, and jaywalking.  At the present time the Cameron County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office have not been interested in cleaning up these illegal gambling joints.  That is why they are flourishing with impunity near La Feria.

These one armed bandit gambling shops and their owners are robbing family's of their paychecks and deny their children proper food, medicine and clothing, and is a pox on the Rio Grande Valley!

MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON OUR SOULS!

READ ARTICLE:  Dickinson Texas Addresses Gambling Joints!