Teach
03-25-2008, 06:55 AM
"Look, you're a good kid. I know your family. Good people," he continued. I'd be happy to lend ya the money, but, hey, I'm a businessman. Ya gotta pay 'the juice'." I had pleaded with Mike "The Book," as we called him, to just let me pay him back in five weekly installments.
You see I had known Mike for several years. As kids we used to hang around the local pool hall. Mike was a fixture there. I'd occasionally do him a favor: get him a coffee, run an errand. Little things. If you've seen the movie, "Good Fellas,"...
"Hey kid, look...I'll tell you what," Mike says, "Seeing as howz you're a neighborhood guy an' all, I'll give ya a break. Ordinarily, I charge my customers... (his voice trailed off). In your case, I'll make an exception. Call it an introductory offer. Don't you say anything now; if this ever gets out, it could ruin my reputation. I'll lend ya the twenty-five smackers and you'll come by the pool hall every Monday afternoon for the next five weeks and give me seven bucks.
It was August, 1962. I was then a Boston-area college student. My mother's birthday was just around the corner. I didn't have all the money I needed to buy her this outfit that she had been eyeing in a local women's store.
What had led up to my need for an additional $25 was a conversation I had had with my friend Lenny. Lenny was the kinda guy who made it his business to come up with what he called: "inside information". Whenever he gave out his so-called "tips," he'd preface his conversation with the words: "I have it on good authority..."
Well, I was telling Lenny about my need for a score to pay for my mom's birthday present when he replied, "Walt, I got it on good authority that a horse named O Jazz Beau is ready to pop in the 6th race Saturday night at Foxboro Raceway. This horse can't lose," Len said. "It's ice cream," he added. "Money in the bank," he continued. "I talked to the owner himself. He tells me he's got his whole family coming in from Pennsylvania to get their picture taken in the winner's circle," he concluded.
That's when I sought out Mike at the pool hall.
That Saturday evening, I remember driving out to Foxboro with Lenny and a couple of my other buddies. As we're heading for the track, Lenny is extolling the virtues of this horse he's touting. I recall him saying, "Walt, I brought fifty bucks to bet on this horse. I wish I had more."
Well, we arrive at the track. The place is packed on this warm summer evening. I watch the early races and chat it up with my friends as I await the sixth race on the card.
Finally, the sixth race is slated to go off. I remember walking to up to the windows and saying: "$50 to win on number 4." It was the largest single bet I had ever made.
Frankly, I was nervous. As I recall, I was shaking. Fifty bucks was alot of money in those days. And to bet it on one horse; well, that was a big undertaking.
As I remember it, my horse, O Jazz Beau, was second coming into the stretch. He had pulled out (there was no passing lane) and was gaining inch-by-inch on the tiring front-runner. The two horses had hit the wire together. The "Photo" sign immediately went up. I remember waiting what seemed like an hour (it was actually a couple minutes). Finally, the numbers appeared on the infield tote. My horse -- O Jazz Beau -- had finished second. The photo would show that he had lost by a nose.
Seconds later, Lenny comes over to me. His first words were, "What a terrible drive; he shoulda moved the horse, sooner." Sooner. Later. It didn't make any difference now I had lost.
As a postscript, I dutifully paid off Mike "The Book" in five weekly installments. As for my mom's present. Oh, I borrowed the money from my younger brother. He was kidding me about having gone to a bookie. In fact he was now referring to himself as: "The Little Larry Loan Corporation." I replied, "Hey, at least I'm keepin' it in the family."
In retrospect, I'd never again borrow money from a bookie, nor would I ever make a bet with one. As for my buddy Lenny, I don't ever recall betting on one of the horses he touted -- that is unless I liked the horse myself. As for my younger brother, he immediately gave up his "loan sharking" activities. However, he does credit his experience with me as to getting him started as a statistician.
You see I had known Mike for several years. As kids we used to hang around the local pool hall. Mike was a fixture there. I'd occasionally do him a favor: get him a coffee, run an errand. Little things. If you've seen the movie, "Good Fellas,"...
"Hey kid, look...I'll tell you what," Mike says, "Seeing as howz you're a neighborhood guy an' all, I'll give ya a break. Ordinarily, I charge my customers... (his voice trailed off). In your case, I'll make an exception. Call it an introductory offer. Don't you say anything now; if this ever gets out, it could ruin my reputation. I'll lend ya the twenty-five smackers and you'll come by the pool hall every Monday afternoon for the next five weeks and give me seven bucks.
It was August, 1962. I was then a Boston-area college student. My mother's birthday was just around the corner. I didn't have all the money I needed to buy her this outfit that she had been eyeing in a local women's store.
What had led up to my need for an additional $25 was a conversation I had had with my friend Lenny. Lenny was the kinda guy who made it his business to come up with what he called: "inside information". Whenever he gave out his so-called "tips," he'd preface his conversation with the words: "I have it on good authority..."
Well, I was telling Lenny about my need for a score to pay for my mom's birthday present when he replied, "Walt, I got it on good authority that a horse named O Jazz Beau is ready to pop in the 6th race Saturday night at Foxboro Raceway. This horse can't lose," Len said. "It's ice cream," he added. "Money in the bank," he continued. "I talked to the owner himself. He tells me he's got his whole family coming in from Pennsylvania to get their picture taken in the winner's circle," he concluded.
That's when I sought out Mike at the pool hall.
That Saturday evening, I remember driving out to Foxboro with Lenny and a couple of my other buddies. As we're heading for the track, Lenny is extolling the virtues of this horse he's touting. I recall him saying, "Walt, I brought fifty bucks to bet on this horse. I wish I had more."
Well, we arrive at the track. The place is packed on this warm summer evening. I watch the early races and chat it up with my friends as I await the sixth race on the card.
Finally, the sixth race is slated to go off. I remember walking to up to the windows and saying: "$50 to win on number 4." It was the largest single bet I had ever made.
Frankly, I was nervous. As I recall, I was shaking. Fifty bucks was alot of money in those days. And to bet it on one horse; well, that was a big undertaking.
As I remember it, my horse, O Jazz Beau, was second coming into the stretch. He had pulled out (there was no passing lane) and was gaining inch-by-inch on the tiring front-runner. The two horses had hit the wire together. The "Photo" sign immediately went up. I remember waiting what seemed like an hour (it was actually a couple minutes). Finally, the numbers appeared on the infield tote. My horse -- O Jazz Beau -- had finished second. The photo would show that he had lost by a nose.
Seconds later, Lenny comes over to me. His first words were, "What a terrible drive; he shoulda moved the horse, sooner." Sooner. Later. It didn't make any difference now I had lost.
As a postscript, I dutifully paid off Mike "The Book" in five weekly installments. As for my mom's present. Oh, I borrowed the money from my younger brother. He was kidding me about having gone to a bookie. In fact he was now referring to himself as: "The Little Larry Loan Corporation." I replied, "Hey, at least I'm keepin' it in the family."
In retrospect, I'd never again borrow money from a bookie, nor would I ever make a bet with one. As for my buddy Lenny, I don't ever recall betting on one of the horses he touted -- that is unless I liked the horse myself. As for my younger brother, he immediately gave up his "loan sharking" activities. However, he does credit his experience with me as to getting him started as a statistician.