Warsaw resident and pinball enthusiast, Jeff Murphy, stands among a collection of pinball machines in Rocksteady Pizza Parlor, which came from his own collection. Besides restoring old machines, Murphy uses them for local education and community events. Photo by Maksym Hart.

By Maksym Hart
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — He’s the Pinball Wizard! For Jeff Murphy, the flashing lights and ringing chimes of a pinball machine have been a lifelong fascination which began when he was a kid in Fort Wayne during the 1970s.

Back then, Murphy said, the local arcade at the Glenbrook Mall, called the Gold Mine, was where the action was.

“That’s what all the cool people were doing,” he said with a grin. “I was in elementary school, and I loved just watching the older kids play. Eventually, I started playing, too. I was hooked right away.”

As video games took over the entertainment world in the early 1980s, Murphy kept an eye on pinball.

“Pinball had to innovate,” he explained. “They came up with upper and lower playfields, ramps, and all these cool new features to compete with video games.”

One machine from that time, “Haunted House,” stood out for its transparent window which let players see into “basement” and “attic” levels below and above the main playfield, a feature he still appreciates.

After graduating from college and starting his career, Murphy began collecting machines in the early 1990s, a period he calls “the golden age of pinball.”

“That’s when the most machines were being made,” he said. “It was such a creative time. Great designs, great themes, and incredible innovation.”

Today, Murphy owns nearly 30 machines, which he buys, restores, and sometimes rents out for special occasions. As of late, Murphy’s even started a business and website dedicated to rentals and repairs, Murphy Pinball.

Jeff Murphy provides Jefferson students with an in-depth look at the mechanics, physics and history of pinball. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

He’s quick to say that pinball repair requires patience and persistence.

“It’s extremely satisfying when you figure out what’s wrong and fix it,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a simple wire that’s come loose. Other times, it’s a mystery that takes hours to track down.”

One of Murphy’s proudest projects, however, doesn’t involve selling or fixing at all – teaching. For the past several years, he’s worked with area elementary schools to teach a “Science of Pinball” unit alongside educator Dan Graney.

Murphy donates real machines for students to study, explaining how they work and what makes them tick.

“They learn the history of pinball, then they get to see what’s happening under the glass,” he said. “When the ball falls into a hole and pops up somewhere else, I show them how that works underneath.”

The students also create their own prototypes with pizza boxes.

“They design their own themes,” Murphy said. “One group couldn’t decide between Taylor Swift or Draco Malfoy, so they combined both.”

Murphy’s enthusiasm for the hobby extends beyond his classroom and workshop. Besides expanding his collection, he goes to pinball-themed events, such as the yearly Stern Factory Tour in Chicago.

Murphy also maintains several machines in local venues, such as Rocksteady Pizza Parlour, so more people can enjoy the experience. Once a month, he hosts a public tournament at the pizzeria where anyone can play.

“Every time a new machine comes out, I just love it,” he said. “It’s amazing how designers take a theme, like a rock band or movie, and turn it into a whole world under the pinball glass.”

Whether he’s teaching kids about circuitry, restoring a decades-old game, or seeing someone light up after their first high score, Murphy’s passion remains the same.

“I just want everyone to experience what makes pinball special,” he said. “It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it brings people together.”