The following information was researched, written, and provided by Jeff Neuberger, with thanks.

The Cinderella Inn was a roadhouse and gambling casino located at the NE corner of the intersection of Cleveland and County Road D in Arden Hills. The inn was on a ten-acre site near Lake Johanna.

It was owned by Herman Mitschlager and T F Hoban.  Mitschlager was better known as Herman Mitch, who was involved with several gambling dens around town.

The Cinderella had a small orchestra that led to its demise. The banjo player in the orchestra (Dixieland?) was named James Paist. Paist was paid $5 a night to play. From October 21 to December 4, 1933, James Paist also made use of the Cinderella Inn’s dice and roulette tables. As you might guess, he lost: $4,000 to be precise. By day Mr. Paist worked as a bank clerk at the St. Anthony Park State Bank. He wrote checks to cover his losses and then took money from bank customers’ accounts to cover the checks.

It was bad luck for Mitch and Hoban that James Paist’s godfather was Herbert Keller, an attorney and a former mayor of St.Paul. Mr. Keller accused the men of cheating his godson with crooked games. Mitch, Hoban, and two other employees were charged with operating gambling equipment. Also charged was Harry Muggley, a Ramsey County Special Deputy Sheriff. Muggley owned a bowling alley in St. Paul and was a bowler of some note.

The men were convicted in December 1933 and sentenced in January 1934. Mitch and Muggley got a $200 fine and 4 months in the workhouse. The other three men got lesser fines and workhouse time. Paist’s family and friends paid back the $4,000 so he was not charged. Muggley was also fired by Sheriff George Moeller as a Deputy.

By 1938 the Cinderella Inn was in foreclosure and the land, a three bedroom house, a barn, chicken coop, two-car garage, and the Tavern were offered for sale for $6,500. The tavern could be leased separately for $35 a month.

Muggley had also been involved with the Plantation Nightclub in White Bear Lake. One might presume as a Deputy Sheriff he kept the law away and may have made sure the Sheriff got his cut.