Sheriff Eugene W. Biscailuz takes the first swing with the ax as his department destroys various confiscated pinball machines and other gambling equipment on Nov. 10, 1955.

The crackdowns on pinball machines began in the mid-1930s. California Attorney General Ulysses Webb declared that organized crime was using pinball and related marble games for illegal gambling. He called for local lawmen to enforce his edict against them.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Eugene Biscailuz became an enthusiastic advocate of the crusade. He called for a county-wide campaign against the games in March 1937.

He faced some resistance from game operators, merchants and manufacturers, who argued that they should be considered games of skill.

After several attempts, the city of Los Angeles passed an ordinance banning the games via a 1939 referendum election. The ban took effect in 1940. It took the county supervisors until 1947 to pass a similar law.

These laws remained on the books throughout the country for the next couple of decades. But manufacturers updated the machines. They added elements of skill to the games. This change allowed the players more control over outcomes.

In 1972, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George Sax ruled on the pinball ban. It was still in effect in the city of L.A. It no longer was valid. This was due to the changes in the nature of the games since it took effect in 1940.

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