Tommy's Place

Tommy's Place is a true story based on a Cleveland Irish boxer Thomas J. McGinty. In the early 1920s, Tommy was a lean, mean fighting machine and went on to promote boxing and bicycle racing events in Ohio. Tommy soon found himself another job, this time as a bouncer, during the "Circulation Wars" in Cleveland, Ohio. Then, during Prohibition, Tommy became a significant player in the bootlegging business, until it ended on December 5, 1933. Like most criminals after Prohibition, Tommy got into the profitable business by operating gambling joints, as some became the most high-profile clubs. The Arrow and Pettibone Club, The Harvard, and Thomas Club. Then in 1931 his own money-making machine, "The Mounds Club," was located on a quiet secluded county road named Chardon in the small township of Willoughby in Lake County Ohio. At the same time, he built a major racetrack in Bainbridge, Ohio, just past the Cuyahoga County line where betting on horse races was illegal. He operated freely for many years without any interference from the county or the state. The Mounds Club (aka Tommy's Place) became an elite and high-class gambling joint with some of the best dining, alcohol, and entertainment in northeastern Ohio. For over 16 years, the club flourished untouched by the local sheriff until September 27, 1947, when the "robbery of the century" took place. Upwards of 14-men armed with machine guns came into the club with guns blazing and robbed the club and over 250 patrons of what was estimated to be worth $500,000 in cash, jewelry, and furs. Together we will investigate the robbery, how it happened, who was involved, and if the money was ever found. By the early 1950s, the club closed and was sold. It became a well-known party center for private affairs and weddings. Tommy McGinty was one of the original owners of the fantastic Desert Inn hotel in Las Vegas in 1950, along with a few of his close friends and business partners. At this same time, Tommy and most of his family were living in the luxurious Palm Beach, Florida area. Tommy continued to build his empire with gambling clubs and racetracks and was even in business with Meyer Lansky in the Hotel Nacional in Havana, Cuba. Up until their deaths, Tommy and his second wife Helen became a staple in the society pages and enjoyed their charitable work for the community of Palm Beach Florida.