“Pinaholic” Allen Cihak, a New York City pinball operator, passed away on Jan. 2. A video sharing his story in pinball was reposted on YouTube in his memory.
“Al tirelessly promoted pinball and would go to any length or expense to make his games be the best out there,” said friend Jack Guarnieri. “When pinball showroom Modern Pinball opened in 2013, it only happened with Al’s help as many of the games provided at no cost were games from his personal collection.”
Cihak was a player first and when there weren’t enough games to play in good condition, he took it upon himself to buy machines, fix them up and put many of them out on the street – into bars and other locations.
Pinballs.com, which recently donated $19,750 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after selling 79 pinball machines between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, added an extra $5,000 donation in memory of Cihak.
