Charles "Babe" Baron's Pinto - Update in Post #11

quinn · Jul 3, 2023

So, this is my take home from the Glendale SWCA Symposium:

"Babe" Baron, if the accounts can be believed, was a "Made" Chicago mobster with a criminal history-though never convvicted of anything serious-boing back to the mid 1920's. In the mid 1950's he ws one of the original partners in the Tropicana Hotel and Casino. Shortly thereafter he was the general manager of the mob owned Havana Riviera Casino in Cuba until a midnight escape to evade Castro as that casino was siezed. By about 1960, he was a shareholder and official greeter at the Sands Casino back in Vegas. He was friends with Jack Ruby and is mentioned in the Warren Commission report though the specifics have not been released. In the Illinois National Guard Baron served in WWII achieved the rank of Brigadier General. Indeed, a colorful character who owned a colorful 38 M&P.

According to the factory letter, this gun wa shipped to a large Los Angeleles distributor in 1953 about the time they were designing the Tropicana. The gold plating and MOP grips were not done at the factory.

Charles "Babe" Bareon

kwill1911 · Jul 3, 2023

Randy,
He owned a lot of guns and almost all of them have his named engraved on them.

wordsmith · Jul 3, 2023

He was also a good friend of the late Bill Orr, one of the S&WCA's founding members. Bill was the owner of GT Distributors, they were among S&W's largest law-enforcement distributors from 1972 until 7-8 years ago.

We've sold a number of Charlie Baron guns over the years.

DC

lestert357 · Jul 3, 2023

Randy, how was the connection between this gun and Mr. Baron determined?

Rusty parrot · Jul 3, 2023

Congratulations on your acquisition.
I happen to own a first year Model 57 that belonged to Charles Baron and is engraved with his name and U. S. Army serial number on the side plate. Per the research I have done, most of his guns were engraved in a similar fashion to the one I own and you can Google Charles Baron guns to see others. You might want to check Las Vegas Sands Hotel and Casino historic photographs for Charles Baron because the photo you posted of Baron doesn't resemble those shown of him at the Sands.
He was a interesting character and I think owning one of his guns is a plus. Best to you and enjoy,
Jake

kwill1911 · Jul 3, 2023

Two Airweight "Baron" Guns

OFT II · Jul 3, 2023

That brings out the gaudy in me. The T-Grip is at least ten years newer than the gun.

Jim Watson · Jul 3, 2023

There was a shop in my home town that did mixed finished guns like that, shiny blue and gold or nickel. I don't recall seeing a three-toned version.
They had a method of finishing the cylinder flutes different, nickel or gold in the flutes, blue on the circumference.

quinn · Jul 3, 2023

lestert357 said:
Randy, how was the connection between this gun and Mr. Baron determined?

Terry: I thought the provenance was pretty strong though not perfect:
--Undated etter from Laudise Antiques of Prescott, AZ, with serial number and Baron's name.
--Notarized 2004 letter to Lyle Larkworthy, The Woodlands, TX, from Joseph A. Sharpe, Memphis, TN, stating that he had purchased the gun from Baron's estate through Laudise Antiuques. The.
--Both letters are on their respective company letterheads.
--Roy Jinks' factory letter to Mr. Sharpe dated 2004.
--As Roy had helped Baron acquired S&Ws over the years I asked him at the symposium if he remebered this particular gun, but, he idd not. However, as the serial number is somewhat unusual it could easily have caught Baron's fancy.
--Documents showing this just came from a well recognized current SWCA member's collection. According to him this gun was included in a Symposium display some years back.

Regarding the photo of Baron that I posted, I copied it from a Mob history web site. I will search or other or better photos.

RKmesa · Jul 6, 2023

Randy:

That is a very blinged out gun with some very interesting history! It ended up with the right collector, for if anyone can dig up all of the rest of the story on that revolver, it will be you.

As a side, I very much enjoyed you sharing your display with me. Thank you for taking the time to talk me through it - what a fun walk back through some interesting history.

quinn · Jul 21, 2023

Followed up on some earlier suggestions regarding photos and reserach. First, I searched for other guns owned by the "Babe". Most of what I found did have his name engraved on them but most appeared to be wartime trophies--primarily European. Of the 2 S&Ws I fouind, one had his name engraved; the other had a nameplate stuck on the bottome of target grips. Interestingly, none of the guns I found listed any other provenance than just his name. There is no indication whether Baron purchased the gold pinto himself or it was a gift to hime.

Regarding photos: I got a photo of him in his Army uniform as a Brig. General and a photo which includes him from the "Sands Times" magazine from somtime in the '60s. He is on the far right.

kwill1911 · Jul 21, 2023

444 Magnum · Jul 21, 2023

what is the significance of 0383316?

kwill1911 · Jul 21, 2023

Army service number.

quinn · Jul 21, 2023

Kevin: Most of those I had not found. Interesting, the last one yo picture was apparently a gift from Baron. Are these in your collection? Regarding the military serial number shown... is that a WWII number? As I recall from my dad's career, the post war numbers had a slightly different format. Dad's pre 1945 serial was different from this 1946 number. I was wondering if that was a way of date the engraving?

kwill1911 · Jul 22, 2023

Randy, I own none of these and am not really sure why I have all these on my HDD.

I think when I was doing research for my book on GO pistols I ran across these. Buddy Hackett was a gun collector but worked at the Sahara. Baron may have been trying to lure Buddy over to the Riviera.

I'm not sure about the service number. Maybe an Army veteran will correct me but that's what I'm told it is. Don't they use SS numbers now?

Muley Gil · Jul 22, 2023

kwill1911 said:
Randy, I own none of these and am not really sure why I have all these on my HDD. I think when I was doing research for my book on GO pistols I ran across these. Buddy Hackett was a gun collector but worked at the Sahara. Baron may have been trying to lure Buddy over to the Riviera.

I'm not sure about the service number. Maybe an Army veteran will correct me but that's what I'm told it is. Don't they use SS numbers now?

They used to, but not anymore.

lestert357 · Jul 22, 2023

The number 0383316 would have been assigned to BG Baron when he became an Army officer.

kwill1911 · Jul 22, 2023

Yup. The first digit is actually the letter "O" for officer. He is listed here: US Army Reserve Officers 1935-1940

It looks like SS No's were used from 1974 to 2015 and now they use a random 10 digit number.

handejector · Jul 22, 2023

kwill1911 said:
It looks like SS No's were used from 1974 to 2015 and now they use a random 10 digit number.

I went into the army in 1968. Draftees had an eight digit number with a "US" prefix. Those who joined had an eight digit number with an "RA" prefix. I can't remember what National Guard and Reservists had. Shortly after my entry, in either 68 or 69, they started using SSNs as your service number. Funny, but 50+ years later, I can still rattle off my service number in two seconds. Drill Sergeants and other training cadre enjoyed asking you for it, and really enjoyed dropping you for 20 if you couldn't recite it instantly.

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