Maple Lanes, Brooklyn NY...

Is where I saw and played my first pinball machine. Strikes and Spares..Ever since then I was always fascinated with the silver ball.

As a kid growing up in the Brooklyn, my friends and I would routinely hop on the F-Train and head to Coney Island for some Nathan's Hot Dogs, Go-garts and Pinball. This was of course in the late 70's and early 80's.

My Dad owned a deli in Park Slope called Durel's. He used to give me two rolls of quarters some times from the register and off I would go! Back then the games were only a quarter.. well except Black Hole and I think even Black Knight.. so that was a lot of play time.

The big titles then were FLASH, BLACK KNIGHT, BLACK HOLE, FIREPOWER, THE HULK, GORGAR, BLACKOUT. I actually built a collection of my old favorites when I got first into the hobby. Now thay all have found new homes. (See my past collection status) I use to call it Williams row. I actually owned Firepower twice as well as Black Knight.

When I was 11, Pinball was huge! My summer camp was Brooklyn Day Camp (in Queens BTW ;-)They had a wall that was about 150 feet long all with EMs from the era. And that is when the real fasination set in. Sadly some vandals burned the whole place down. All those nice Slugfests, Gotlieb EMs, Bowlers, skeet ball...gone .. Such a shame. This place was pinball paradise to me.

Slowly though the pinball arcades became video game aracdes.. with less and less pinball.

Penn Station NYC also had one of the biggest arcades around. It had multi-levels and one side was totaly dedicated to pinball only.. on the right side you would have the video games.. I can recall seeing my first CFTBL there and also MM. But this was back in the heyday..didn't pay that much mind because who knew pinball was about to tank. I walk by this location routinely now in my every day commute. It is now a K-mart. Very depressing. The ramps still exist for the multi-levels. As I wait for my train, I usually stare in to K-MART, I can recall where the row of fresh pinball machines were located, now replaced by Freezers of frozen food.

Pinball is and will always be fascinating to me. Looks like we are on a comeback and I am glad my Kids can experience these exciting times ahead!

Thanks for listening!

-Joe