Charlie Fey - The Edison of Slot Machines

Charles August Fey (1862 – 1944) was born in the small village Vohringen, Bavaria. The youngest of sixteen children, he left home at the age of 15. After living in London for five years, he left for America and arrived in San Francisco in 1885. Fey married Marie Volkmar, a native Californian, with whom he had three daughters and a son. By 1889, he changed his name from August Fey to Charles August Fey.

Influenced by the abundance of nickel-in-the-slot machines in San Francisco, Fey built his first machine in 1894. In 1895, Fey moved to Berkeley, where he built his second slot machine in the basement of his home. This machine, called the 4-11-44, became so popular that Fey devoted his full time to designing and manufacturing slot machines.

Within a few years after starting his own firm, Fey had created slot machines that would influence the future of all slot manufacturing. By 1899, he had developed the Liberty Bell, the first three-reel slot. He also perfected Draw Poker, the forerunner of video poker.

Fey's business flourished until 1909 when San Francisco outlawed the use of slots. In 1911, California prohibited slot machines in the state, prompting Fey to close his San Francisco office. Fey didn't devote much time to slot machines until the “Roaring Twenties”, Prohibition and speakeasys ushered in a new era for gambling. Fey continued to innovate and remained with his company until 1944, when he retired. Ten months after retiring, he succumbed to pneumonia.

Considered the “Thomas Edison of Slot Machines,” Charlie Fey made many significant contributions to the development of the world's favorite casino game.