California’s legislative decision to make gambling a misdemeanor in 1913 quickly forced gambling, drinking, and racetrack industries to Tijuana in the 1910s. Due to moral outcries from Christian groups and the government's insistence on its citizens’ moral behavior, California drove out these industries leaving wealthy individuals and patrons to look for other venues to gamble. Thus, Tijuana and other border towns along the southwest quickly adopted these industries. Prior to 1913, Tijuana primarily had a ranching and agricultural economy. The land largely consisted of the Argüello family rancho named “Tia Juana.” The rancho eventually gave rise to the community of Zaragoza in 1889 when the Argüello family made a legal distinction between
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Since Withington’s brothels drew in most of his revenue, he headed south to replicate his business without the legal obligations in California. The Tecolote, or The Owl, opened with renowned notoriety that attracted Southern Californian tourist. With great success, Withington enlisted the help of Marcus Allen, liquor specialist and Withington’s associate from Bakersfield, and Frank “Booze” Beyer, a venture capitalist, to expand their gambling business. Together they formed the Allen, Beyer, and Withington syndicate (A.B.W.) to establish casinos, cabarets, and brothels along the U.S.-Mexico border. The A.B.W.’s influence reached Tijuana’s early entertainment industry as they opened the Monte Carlo casino. Soon thereafter, horse racing aficionados began gaining interest in Tijuana to build a racetrack after California’s reform on horse race betting in 1911 closed the Santa Anita racetrack and San Francisco’s Tanforan racetrack. By 1916, the Tijuana Jockey Club opened for its first season and various casinos transformed Tijuana into a gambling and touristic town.
The first lure of Tijuana came in 1915 during the San Diego-Panama exposition that boosted tourism towards the “Feria Tipica Mexicana.” Headed by Antonio Elozua, The Feria, or fair, displayed “typical” Mexican pastimes that were outlawed in California. Boxing matches, cockfights, bullfights, and casinos are only a few attractions that the Feria marketed towards tourist. The first site of “vice” in Tijuana was then an example of Mexicans capitalizing on the wealth coming from San Diego tourist. Tijuana, or “Tia Juana” to American tourist, is was then transformed from a ranching town to a vice
Since Withington’s brothels drew in most of his revenue, he headed south to replicate his business without the legal obligations in California. The Tecolote, or The Owl, opened with renowned notoriety that attracted Southern Californian tourist. With great success, Withington enlisted the help of Marcus Allen, liquor specialist and Withington’s associate from Bakersfield, and Frank “Booze” Beyer, a venture capitalist, to expand their gambling business. Together they formed the Allen, Beyer, and Withington syndicate (A.B.W.) to establish casinos, cabarets, and brothels along the U.S.-Mexico border. The A.B.W.’s influence reached Tijuana’s early entertainment industry as they opened the Monte Carlo casino. Soon thereafter, horse racing aficionados began gaining interest in Tijuana to build a racetrack after California’s reform on horse race betting in 1911 closed the Santa Anita racetrack and San Francisco’s Tanforan racetrack. By 1916, the Tijuana Jockey Club opened for its first season and various casinos transformed Tijuana into a gambling and touristic town.
The first lure of Tijuana came in 1915 during the San Diego-Panama exposition that boosted tourism towards the “Feria Tipica Mexicana.” Headed by Antonio Elozua, The Feria, or fair, displayed “typical” Mexican pastimes that were outlawed in California. Boxing matches, cockfights, bullfights, and casinos are only a few attractions that the Feria marketed towards tourist. The first site of “vice” in Tijuana was then an example of Mexicans capitalizing on the wealth coming from San Diego tourist. Tijuana, or “Tia Juana” to American tourist, is was then transformed from a ranching town to a vice