The Pin Ball Machine

In the early 70’s (and many decades preceding ) , before the dawn of modern technology, we had strange mechanical devices for amusement, such as the pinball machine. These behemoths were heavy, clunky and a wonderful source of entertainment and sometimes gambling devices.
My old friend Jerry Rubin was the repairman etc. for his father in his pinball machine and juke box business. Jerry was the only friend I knew who had a beeper, and more than one Saturday night Jerry would get called out of a dinner or movie to rush to some bar to make emergency repairs to one kind of machine or another.

There were some rich people we would read about who actually owned their own machines, but that would have been some weird dream.

So, one summer day in the 70’s, being an adult with a small bit of extra cash, I asked Jerry if it would be possible to obtain a machine of my own. I wanted a 5 ball, flipper style pinball machine, and since I knew Jerry, I figured age was not a big problem because Jerry had already proven he could fix anything including replacing the master cylinder outside in a snowstorm the year before.

He called around and found one for me for $75 cash, and arranged for a van so we could go and get it. I think the transaction took less than an hour from call to installation in my house!

It remained downstairs in my family room until we moved a few years later, and then it lived in my living room for a few years. Jerry bought it back from me some years later for $75, and took it to his house. It could still be there, I don’t know.

My oldest son said, when I asked if he remembered the name of the machine, “It was an integral part of my formative years. It would be like asking you for the recipe for meat blintzes”.

We had it from about 1972 until somewhere in the 1980’s I believe. We had removed the nickel slot device early on so there was no charge for the games. It was used by all three kids, all their friends, all of our friends and was the focal point for at least the guys at all dinner and cocktail parties from that time until the end. We did keep the counter on and we racked up 15,000 games during the time we had it.

Now if we had kept the nickel thing and had done all the games (never would have happened) we would have an intake of $750 for our $75 machine.
It was a mind blowing experience that everyone loved and is as clear in my mind today as it was when we had it.

The poster for this machine (left) today costs $20.



The machine was a Bally "Trio":

Manufacturer: Bally Manufacturing Corporation (1931-1983) [Trade Name: Bally]



Project Date: July 27, 1965


Date Of Manufacture: November, 1965


Model Number: 768


Type: Electro-mechanical (EM)


Production: 750 units (approximate)


Serial Number Database: View at The Internet Pinball Serial Number Database (IPSND.net) (External site)


Theme: Happiness - Music - Singing - Dancing


Notable Features: Flippers (2), Pop bumpers (4), Mushroom bumpers (4), Slingshots (2), Kick-out hole (1). Right outlane ball return gate.


Build bonus on playfield to open free ball gate and light Special out lane. Ball through free ball gate advances backglass lights for bonus at 10th light.


Maximum displayed point score is 9,999 points.


Tilt penalty: game over.


Design by: Ted Zale


Notes: Some Trio games were made as an "Added Ball" version. In this version, the credit wheel in the backbox was removed and replaced with a larger reel showing the 'added balls' to be played. This "Added Balls" feature functions the same as the well-known "Add-A-Ball" feature; only the phrasing is different.


Bally provided production run data indicating they made 750 of these games. Their serial numbering during this time period usually started at 1001 which meant their last game would be stamped 1750. However, a number of Trio games have been located that carry serial numbers beyond the expected final number of 1750. We list a few of them here:


TR 1787 - "Added balls" version, located in the USA, Feb 2009.


TR 2106 - standard credit version located in the USA, Jan 2004.


TR 2333 - located in Italy, May 2003.


TR 2355 - standard credit version located in Italy, Sept 2002.


Photos in: Encyclopedia of Pinball Volume 2, page 238


Mike Pacak's Pinball Flyer Reference Book S-Z


Pinball Machines (Eiden-Lukas), page 82