Casino-style gambling was illegal during the Roaring Twenties and Threadbare Thirties. To circumvent the law, offshore casino boats were operated three miles out at sea, safe from local jurisdictions.
Beginning on Christmas Day 1930, patrons of the SS Monte Carlo could embark from the Jungle Pier on small boats that took them through John's Pass to a "palatial gambling boat" three miles offshore.
 |
| Passengers entered through the side of the liner, where speed boats tied up. |
"The guests were taken to the big craft in small boats. On board they found the ship elaborately equipped for dining, dancing and every form of gambling from black-jack to roulette."
‒ St. Petersburg Times, Dec 26, 1930.
 |
| In the April 1931 edition of Science and Invention magazine the ship was called "the most elaborately equipped gambling house in the world." |
click on image to enlarge
An article by Scott Deitche on the Mob Museum website claims "the ship, the S.S. Monte Carlo, was rumored to have been financed by [mobster Johnny] Torrio and, some say, Al Capone."
The SS Monte Carlo ceased operation in 1932, a casualty of the Depression.
 |
| Jungle Pier, departure point for speed boats to the SS Monte Carlo. St. Petersburg Times Mar 23, 1924. |
Publisher's note: The SS Monte Carlo in the Gulf should not be confused with the more well-known SS Monte Carlo which operated from 1932-1937 and is shipwrecked off of Coronado Island, California. Here is the article about that casino ship on Wikipedia.
