Southport Gambling Club

Southport was one of the most infamous clubs in the area. It was owned by Carlos Marcello and is now a music venue called Southport Hall. It moved and changed names several times.

According to Al Kleindienst, in the early 1910s Joe Hiland became one of Southport's "gambling pioneers." He ran Hiland's Southport Inn, which was renamed Southport Club. He taught Mickey, Rudy and George O'Dwyer the business. "After some time he sold them the club. Sometime around 1916 they in turn sold the club to Charlie Kerner, who renamed it the Old Southport Club. In the meantime, George and Rudy built a club two blocks away on Monticello at Willow Street. They named their place the original Southport Club. They were in business here from 1916 to 1942, when a fire destroyed the club...In the 1930s there was a building between the Old Southport and the Original Southport which the O'Dwyers used briefly.

"This building was called Jefferson Inn. Sometime thereafter Carlos Marcello took over, and it was renamed the New Southport Club. This is the only gambling building which has survived, and it now serves as the Southport Hall, a night club, which can also be rented for weddings etc."