Raymond Moloney
Raymond T. Moloney | |
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| Born | November 2, 1899 Cleveland, Ohio, USA |
| Died | February 26, 1958 (aged 58) Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American |
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Raymond T. Moloney (November 2, 1900 - February 26, 1958) was an American businessman, and the founder of Bally Manufacturing Corporation. He was instrumental in popularizing the pinball machine, and was regarded, at the time, as "Mr. Coin Machine Industry".[1]
Biography[]
Born in November 11th, 1899 in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Daniel J. Moloney, a steelworker, and Gertrude Smith, he spent his early adult life tackling for a variety of jobs, from the oil fields of Texas, to harvesting crops in California, or working sugar refineries in the South. Ultimately, he returned to Cleveland to work with his father at the steel mill, as a foreman.
In 1921 he relocated to Chicago, and started working in a print shop, making punchboards. He was eventually put in charge of the punchboard operation, for which a subsidiary, Lion Manufacturing Company, was created. Later, Midwest Novelty Company was established as a subsidiary of Lion, to distribute coin-operated products, such as slot machines and trade stimulators via mail order. Moloney served as president of Lion and Midwest Novelty.
When Gottlieb's Baffle Ball started to become popular, Moloney tried to secure a steady supply of Baffle Ball cabinets for Midwest Novelty. Frustrated with Gottlieb's inability to supply the machines fast enough, Moloney decided to start producing pin games himself. He acquired a pingame design from freelance designers Oliver Van Tyle and Oscar Bloom, and designed a colorful playfield based on the cover of the December 1931 edition of satirical magazine Ballyhoo.[2]
To avoid risking the existing business, a new company was incorporated by Moloney and his partners, dedicated to the production of pinball machines. It was named Bally Manufacturing Company. Ballyhoo was released in January of 1932, with a price of $16.50 per machine, a relatively affordable price for operators at the time. The machine was a great success, selling 50,000 units in its first seven months. Before the end of the year, a second hit, Goofy, was released, and a third game, Airways, was release the next year, proving highly successful too, and expanding the popularity of pinball to Europe.[3]
References[]
- ^ "Raymond Thomas "Ray" Moloney Sr". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
- ^ "Bally MFG Company, est. 1932". Made in Chicago Museum. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
- ^ "Pinball before WW2 (prewar pinball) - 1932 to 1937". Pin Repair. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
External links[]
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