Poker Game Busted By Police

Top Remodeling's Organized Poker Game Busted By Police: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

Top Remodeling's Organized Poker Game Busted By Police
Updated: Tuesday, 12 Jul 2011, 11:06 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 12 Jul 2011, 10:33 PM CDT

By Darlene Hill, FOX Chicago News

Chicago - It's a home remodeling store by day. But at night, Oak Lawn Police business really picks up.

"Do you ever see customers going in and out of the remodeling shop? Never the front door,” Gus Kukowski said about the business next door to his guitar store on Southwest Highway. “I see once in a while, people going in the back. I don't know who they are."

For nearly a week, area business owners said when most stores close for the day, the True Remodeling shop has been open.

At about eight o'clock Monday night, Oak Lawn Police busted up a poker game. Twenty five men were arrested and charged with gambling.

The salon owner next door said he saw about 50 cars in the parking lot when he left work and asked the landlord all about it.

"Yeah I see poker tables inside the property, I went in there to carry beet with him and I see the tables and I questioned him and said, how come they have their games here?” Michael Alexander, a salon owner said. “He said, you know and I see the chips.”

In all, police picked up about $1200. Law officials say in Illinois, unless you have a state issued license to gamble, you're going to jail. Business owners along Southwest Highway said they hope the other tenant has folded his cards for good.

"It's not right,” Alexander said. “They have to respect everybody's business you know because this is a good neighborhood."

Police said the investigation continues. They're trying to figure out how long the games have been going on and they're also trying to figure out who the joker is who's been setting them all up.