By Jacob Nakamura, Johnnie Rosario, Eric Rosario, and Troy Torres
(East Agana, Guam) Guam's gambling lords are in retreat. Last night the owners of King's family restaurants removed the poker-style Liberty slot machines from their Harmon location following a criminal complaint filed against them and the owners of the machines by justice advocate Jesse Mendiola.
Today, the gambling lords removed the gambling machines from Linda's Coffee Shop in East Agana. This location is significant to the cause of bringing down this gambling monopoly. Linda's Coffee Shop also is partly owned by the gambling lords.
The area, where the machines were, has been replaced with dining tables and chairs; the exposed outlets and electrical pipes that used to be disguised by the vertical slots now fully in view for patrons to charge their phones or their children's tablets.
The sign above where the machines once stood still has not been taken down. It reads: "Security Notice: We aren't responsible for machines being left unattended."
(WATCH: Undercover footage from King's Restaurant in Harmon this morning, showing the empty recesses, where two Liberty slot machines were located just yesterday)
Mr. Mendiola yesterday filed his written criminal complaint against the registrants of the machines, Guam Music, Inc, and its officers - gameroom gambling lords Gil and Connie Jo Brennan Shinohara, John and Sheila Torres, Tom Tajalle, and Lauren Bromley. The complaint also was made against Kings owners Lucy and Dave Alcorn and Clifford Guzman. Mr. Mendiola cited Guam law, which makes it a crime punishable by jail time and fines to operate these gambling machines on premises, where there are children.
Several other establishments are known to carry these machines on premises, with children; most notably the FunLand amusement park at the Micronesia Mall and a few laundromats throughout the island.
We suppose Mr. Mendiola's heroic actions forced the gambling lords to take action against their own terms. Ironic.
Way too go Jessie Mendiola and thank you Kandit news for sharing 😘