Many things were banned in New York City for much of the 20th century but are legal today. Pornography. Recreational marijuana use. Pinball?
As if his namesake airport isn't bad enough, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia led the crusade against pinball in 1941 on the supposed grounds that it was a mob-backed gateway to get kids hooked on gambling. Pinball was seen as a game of chance, not skill. La Guardia told cops to make the seizure and destruction of pinball machines their "top priority," and cities across the country followed his lead.
