station 5: THE WINDOW
CHECK OUT THE LITTLE OPENING AT THE END OF THE BAR
Back in the 50s, this was an industrial town. Cargill, S.E. Rykoff, S&W Foods, Schlage Lock. If you’re an O.G. from this town, you know. There were lots of truckers and factory workers — a Teamster bar — and 7 Mile House was in the middle of it all. The atmosphere is best told by Paul Pete:
Paul Pete and his wife, Thelma
“We would cash our checks here,” pointing to the window. “When we worked the graveyard, some got off at six-thirty and some at seven in the morning. That’s when our weekend started. So before going home and getting into bed, we just stopped here and cashed our checks and go about our business, a lot of guys, they had accounts, the whole bit, so this was a very popular place for us. There was very nice times. Very popular place.”
That window right there saw vast amounts of cash. There’s actually a huge safe inside that office but we don’t use it anymore. Hardly anyone pays in cash these days!
Camille Stuehler and Al Flynn in front of 7 Mile House
Not only were Camille and her son, Al Flynn, cashing checks, they were cashing in. My landlords told me that 7 Mile was raided by the FBI in the 80s. That’s how they uncovered that 7 Mile was the site of the largest illegal sports gambling syndicate west of the Mississipi run by Camille’s son, Al. Many likened Al Flynn to the Godfather. He was a big time bookie who took lots of bets from a phone booth in the corner. But he wasn’t the boss. Al worked for Ron “Cigar” Sacco, the biggest, most successful bookmaker in American history. Sacco was so big he made $100 million dollars a month or more than $1 billion a year as the top bookmaker in operation. Make sure to watch the clips on this page. It will give you a better sense of how big this operation was.
So you know how 7 Mile House was raided by the FBI? Well, they came into that office and confiscated $150,000 in cash. Little did they know that that money was actually dedicated to their legal business of cashing checks. The real stash was actually at their home in Daly City — all $2 million of it — in cash, safe and sound.
Time to go outside! Go towards the sidewalk at the entrance. There will be a QR Code near ou hours of operation sign. That’s Station 6: The Roadhouse.
Former owner of 7 Mile House, Al Flynn, housed the largest illegal sports gambling syndicate West of the Mississipi, while working for Ron ”Cigar” Sacco, the most successful bookmaker in American history.
Tour Map