Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1920
"E. Gamberi, after a long and successful career as a saloon keeper, was a law-abiding man. Hence, with the coming of the prohibition era, he turned to a new endeavor. He became the operator of the trams which ran from a point not far northwesterly of the municipal pier in Santa Monica to the Ocean Park Pier.
"The trams were electric, and carried a vast array of storage batteries of Edison design beneath the bench-like seats. At each end were two vertical levers; one controlled speed, the other direction. Steering was a trifle odd, since the trams didn't turn around at either terminus, but simply reversed. That meant that in one direction the vehicle, in effect backed all the way.
"Speed was very moderate, and brakes virtually non-existent. Fare was a nickel, and there were no transfer privileges to the next line, which plied between Ocean Park and Venice.
"Operation was greatly curtailed during winter weekdays, but in the summer and on weekends drivers were for the most part, students from Santa Monica High School, over whom Mrs. Gamberi maintained a close watch from a position on the promenade adjacent to the merry-go-round which still exists.
"On a good day each tram, and as I remember there were about half a dozen of them, took in something like $25, almost all in nickels and dimes.
"Each driver was equipped with a small nickel-plated device which hung from his belt and upon which he rang up fares, a small bell indicating the number so recorded.
"I remember very vividly, I having been a driver at the time, that late one day Mrs. Gamberi accused one of my fellow-workers of failing to ring up a fare.
"Deeply affronted, he turned all his pockets inside out, dumping the day's receipts into the middle of the promenade, and stalked away.
"Mrs. Gambieri spent the ensuing hour or so retrieving small change from the pavement, a task which she was assistd by a number of bystanders, who probably pocketed half the loot."