There were a lot of rich kids who went to Boston College. Gambling.com is a registered trademark of GDC Media Limited. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. April 30 (UPI) -- One person is dead and five more are injured after a shooting early Sunday morning at a house party in Lawrence, Mass. https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/26/sports/rick-kuhn-recalls-point-shaving-case.html. The story: Three Boston College players -- leading scorer Ernie Cobb, forward Richard Kuhn and Sweeney, the team's point guard -- were fingered by Hill for participating in the point-shaving scheme. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. I was forthright and honest with them. Suspecting that some bookmakers might be getting wise to the scheme, the conspirators temporarily revised their strategy after the UCLA game. The point-shaving allegations surfaced during an unrelated investigation into the 1978 theft of $5.8 million from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New Yorks Kennedy Airport. May 1 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is urging Texas Gov. and I were the victims of the same circumstances that were beyond our control. Hill claimed to have earned about $400,000, but Rocco Perla said he pocketed thousands of dollars, not tens of thousands, while Mazzei only succeeded once. Hes innocent., When they indicted me, they wanted Peter Vario, the mobster, so they tried us together, said Cobb. Racing tipster James Boyle is back with more horse racing tips, covering key meetings in the UK & Ir Football fans are searching for 'Rasmus Hojlund next club odds' and we've looked at the betting. Your email address will not be published. After reading this I feel its the right story to add in to existing script. Pope Francis says Vatican involved in ongoing effort to end Ukraine war. With his name swirling down the vortex of the mob cesspool from the moment the story broke, Ernie Cobb found it difficult to make a living. Ex-convict at center of scheme, was connected to Kuhn by one of the players high school friends. The Perla brothers proposed a simple scheme: they, along with Kuhn, would select certain basketball games where the projected point spread separating Boston College from its opponent was expected to be significant. Tell me what you did and what you didnt do. The phone calls flooded in from his friends and family in Boston and Connecticut, with despaired voices on the other end asking, Did you do this? I was a senior in high school when Ernie Cobb was a senior at Boston College and Id heard that he was a very good player, said Lemuel Mills, a Boston area hoops aficionado, coach, community mentor and historian. Id led the pro league in scoring over there and signed a very nice contract. He said he was approached in the summer before his senior year. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. They knew how to shave, because when I tried to explain to them, they said, Naw, we know all that shit.. That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who . Can I play slot games for free? "I'd call Rick (Kuhn), I'd tell him the point spread on the Boston College game, and Rick would say if they'd have a chance or not." Fixing The Games Hill had no issue telling people what they wanted to hear, as was seen when he spoke to the FBI in order to save his own skin. They were touting me as the next sub-6-footer to have an impact in the NBA. I feel like if I can change one life, like he changed mine, man, it makes everything Ive been through worthwhile.. Burke had Hill fly to Boston on November 16, 1978, to meet with Mazzei, Kuhn, Tony Perla, and any other member of the Eagles team interested in participating in their scheme. Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years in prison, later reduced to 28 months. They mentioned the $1,000 that Rocco Perla gave my girlfriend and I told them the truth. I felt like, You put my name out there, so let me clear my name! When they investigated me, I told them straight up about the $1,000 that Rocco Perla had given me. They had Kuhn approach Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on the team, but it has never been proven if Cobb agreed to cooperate. Nobody will ever know the full truth, as everyone involved has their own story. In the movie, Liotta played Hill and DeNiro played Jimmy Conway, whose character was based off Hills real-life mob associate Jimmy Burke. Kuhn was convicted for his role in the scheme and now lives in southwest Pennsylvania. Burke was allegedly the ringleader behind the heist, then the largest to happen on U.S. soil, though he was never charged. Hill got picked up on drug trafficking charges in 1980. We were looking good as a team and my goal was to be the best player I could possibly be. I just knew that not only was I going to make the team, but I was going to be a factor in the NBA. But by the next summer, in 1980, he sparkled while playing for the New Jersey Nets during the pre-season. You just say, yeah, I'll do it with no intention of doing it. You want to tell people what they want to hear, then you want to go away.. ESPN's latest 30 for 30 film tackles the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. Sent Weekly. Hes a good person. It was one of the most tremendous feelings Id ever experienced.. Almost $6 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry was stolen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Dec. 11, 1978. Mazzei, Hill and the Perlas devised a plan to rip off bookies without having players throw games. In among the many questions he asked, McDonald enquired as to why he had been going to Boston so frequently. He was sentenced to 10 years in . He now coaches high school basketball in Arizona. If the scam was to work, they needed another player. Kuhn recounted that in the summer of 1978, a Pittsburgh bookmaker he knew, Anthony Perla, offered him $2,500 a game if he could ''see to it'' that in games Boston College was favored to win, the margin of victory did not exceed the point spread. Kuhn said the gamblers did not keep their promise to pay him $2,500 for every game, some of which Boston College lost. They kept saying that they liked the idea of just shaving points and not blowing the games." They were just doing their jobs. McDonald has answered questions about Mr. Cobb's status by say ing that the Justice Department's investigation is continuing. He recently earned his Masters Degree in Education and is currently considering pursuing a Ph.D. I feel like Ive led a remarkable life, he said. At the close of the two-week trial, Alswanger was the last character witness who took the stand in Cobbs behalf. Once the FBI arrested Hill the following year though, it all came out. NEW YORK -- Former Boston College basketball forward Richard Kuhn and four other people were indicted today on federal racketeering and bribery charges in a point shaving scheme, the FBI announced . Hill turned state's evidence in exchange for avoiding prison and possible execution by Burke and the Lucchese family. More regulations and laws results in more eyes scrutinizing each game. Mr. H ill subsequently identified the other figures involved, includ ing Mr. Kuhn. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. He turned to me and said, Coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your kid. Rocco Perla approached Cobb about working for them, and says it was explained clearly what was expected of him; Cobb says thats not so, and that their conversations were vague. (Photo by Frank O'Brien/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE. Thus, for example, if participating bookmakers determined Boston College to be an eight-point favorite in a particular game, Kuhn would be paid a bonus, usually $2,500, if they won by less than eight points. I was nervous because I didnt know what was going to happen. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. A mobster met a drug dealer in prison and their friendship continued after their release. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. And despite friends urging Sweeney to report what was happening, he refused as he didnt want to hurt Kuhn. The center is a 6 ft. 8 in. I never lied about that. The trio worked together to pick games on Boston College's schedule where. And he also cultivated interest, in the area's black community, in terms of being engaged and intrigued bywhat was going on with Boston Colleges basketball program. Jim Sweeney admits that Kuhn gave him cash. Henry Hill later played by Ray Liotta in GoodFellas - was serving time for extortion, and befriended a drug dealer called Paul Mazzei. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. Kuhn, 28, was one of five people found guilty of conspiracy to engage in racketeering and other charges that stemmed from a point-shaving scheme hatched for the 1978-79 school season. All of those guys walkedin his footsteps., He was the African-American guard in the modern era of B.C. Opponents of legalized college sports betting argue that adding regulations will only encourage irresponsible gambling. The government presented telephone records showing evidence of extensive communications between the conspirators during the 197879 season and records provided by Western Union and various hotels which further corroborated government testimony. It wasnt until I actually saw him play that I realized how special he was as an offensive talent. Loughery told me that I had the ability to play in the NBA. Did it start out with a loss for the gamblers on Dec. 6, 1978, when Boston College handily beat Providence, 83-64? If you missed Part I, you can read it here. As such, its impossible to be certain which game was the first they attempted to fix. Sometimes, B.C. The sources for this article include interviews he gave in 1981, 1985 and 2014, and while the framework of this story is reliable, the specific details change. When he told Alswanger about the indictment, his old high school coach spoke sternly with him, as he'd done sometwelveyears earlier when Cobb had just returned home fromthe juvenile detention facility. To Cobb, it felt like he was being asked for insider info on the team and their prospects. They contacted a local friend, Paul Mazzei, who was known to have influence within major New York gambling circles. Id call Rick (Kuhn), Id tell him the point spread on the Boston College game, and Rick would say if theyd have a chance or not.. NEW YORK -- Former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn, jailed for his 1981 conviction in a point-shaving scandal, has asked for a reduction of his 10-year prison sentence. Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese family capo Paul Vario. The court papers said Kuhn of Swissvale, Pa., has agreed to testify against former teammate Ernie Cobb, 27, a basketball player from Stamford, Conn. Cobb has pleaded innocent to a charge of conspiring to commit sports bribery,a charge stemming from the point-shaving scandal. won by only two points and I had a lot of losing money down on this game. BOSTON - FEBRUARY 14: Rick Kuhn (#50) during Boston College men's basketball's 1977-1978 season. He put his foot through his own television set. After the four-week trial in 1981, Jimmy Burke was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while Paul Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. Im stuck. I didn't even consider it a crime.. Bookies reckon the 2023 Nobel Prize for Literature battle will be a close race between five writers. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. Due to this the cause of this scandal remains unclear to this day. #ada-button-frame { The Providence game was played on December 6, 1978, and Boston College was favored to win by six to seven points. Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. But in the first game the scheme was tested, against Providence College, Boston College won by nearly double the point spread. These bookies could handle large bets and lay them off and spread the bets among a number of unsuspecting bookmakers around the country so as not to arouse suspicion. First he and Rick wanted $3,500 a game, but I wound up chewin em down to $2,500., Sweeney took out one of those little schedule cards, circled the games he thought they could fool with, and gave the card to me, said Hill. | Or vice versa? She knew the terrain in terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb. James Burke, 51, a reputed organized-crime figure from the Howard Beach section of Queens, was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment and fined $30,000; Anthony Perla, 31, and his brother Rocco, 23, both of Braddock Hills, Pa., were given terms of 10 and 4 years, respectively. In early February, Boston College was scheduled to play two New York State teams, Fordham and St. John's. Admitting he accepted $1,000 for the game only fuels the speculation. Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never charged. Also involved were bookmakers across the East Coast. It had to cost around $200,000 at the time to defend me.. The game was televised so Hill and Burke watched together, having staked $85,000 between them. All Rights Reserved. May 1 (UPI) -- Pope Francis has revealed that there is an ongoing peace mission involving the Vatican to secure an end to the war in Ukraine. Sweeney was not charged. See the article in its original context from. Sweeney had no doubts regarding the severity of what he was involved in. When he was implicated in the scandal, I was shocked.. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. Greg Abbott to not follow through with his "inhuman and dangerous" plan to send more migrants and asylum seekers from his southern state to her city. While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. A federal jury in Brooklyn yesterday convicted former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn and four codefendants of conspiring to manipulate the scores of Boston College games. Day Five of the Punchestown Racing Festival boasts another afternoon of top-class horse racing. And yeah, I took that money. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. The other defendants were all found guilty, with Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla sentenced to 10 years, while Rocco Perla got four. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. Heading into his senior season in 1978-1979, as the team captain, Cobb was hoping that he could lead his team to the NCAA Tournament. Mr . I had a relentless type of game.. A Cooperative Kuhn Has Life Threatened. (Sadly, Liotta, who was brilliant in Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, among other films, died Wednesday at 67.). In practice, he was the lunatic who his teammates sucked their teeth and rolled their eyes at when he told the coaches that they needed to run more sprints after an exhausting practice. Burke was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment. In the 1979 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson was the first overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakersafter leading Michigan State University to the National Championship over Larry Birds Indiana State team. Sweeney allegedly only took one envelope with $500 but maintains he didnt really participate. It was like a paradise to me, coming from where I came from. Burke instructed Hill to warn the players to keep to their end of the deal because "you can't play basketball with broken hands.". In imposing what are believed to be the stiffest punishments ever given to a college athlete for fixing games, Judge Bramwell rejected an appeal for leniency by Gary Zimmerman, Mr. Kuhn's lawyer, who had asked the judge to consider an alternative sentence, such as publicservice work. My parents have suffered. Further successful bets followed in games against Fordham and St. Johns. Boston college basketball gambling scandal Boston college basketball gambling scandal We have many ongoing and upcoming promotions featuring Bitcoin Slots on our casino. Perla believed that Kuhn was the type of guy who would "do business." The conspiracy unraveled in 1980 after Hill was arrested by New York State authorities on drug trafficking charges and was subsequently implicated in the Lufthansa heist, which occurred while the point-shaving scheme was underway. Rocco Perla was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. And now, here I was on that same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender buckets! For all I know, he told them I was in, that it would cost an extra $2,500 per game and he was trying to hustle the gangsters while pocketing the extra money. Also, maybe dont do business with mobsters? He made other African-American ballers feel like they could go there and really showcase what they could do on a national level. Oh, yeah. I had everything I could have possibly asked for. When Henry Hill started threatening Kuhn and Sweeney, promising that they couldnt play with broken limbs, the players, according to Hill, claimed that they were doing their best, but the scheme would never work unless Ernie Cobb was in on the fix. Proponents argue that legal and regulated sports betting would actually reduce the chances of another BC scandal. The conspirators chose the January 17, 1979, game against Connecticut to implement this plan. In Sports Illustrated's expos, Hill claimed it was against Harvard on December 16. I watched the boys throw the ball out of bounds, and it was gorgeous, he said. Cobb was acquitted of any wrongdoing, despite Kuhn giving Cobb's girlfriend an allegedly unsolicited envelope with $1,000. We werent really checking for B.C. April 30 (UPI) -- Cuba has postponed its annual International Workers' Day parade for the third time in more than 60 years as fuel shortages hamstring the country. He told me to keep playing and working hard and that one day I might get another chance., When the story first broke in January of 1981, Cobb was in shock. "Ive bought him a colour TV and paid for some work on his car.". The players involved in the scandal were paid between 500-1000$ each game and were given the chance to double it betting on the games. We were all so excited for him. Regulated operators also have safety checks in place to help protect those with gambling addictions. Bets in this column are given in the format ", Winner is given as either Opp or BC and the margin of victory. The story of the infamous Boston College Basketball Point Shaving Case. But Im so proud of him because he picked his life back up and made the best of it. Yet its hard to believe it wouldve been had the bets won. I was so thankful, and was willing to work as hard as I possibly could, both in my studies, and in basketball, to be able to get the most I could out of the experience.. Jack Molinas engineered a larger scheme in 1961, which resulted in 37 arrests of students from 22 colleges. Federal prosecutor who investigated the case and BC graduate. Based on the 30for30 ESPN documentary on this scandal, Kuhn's story changed multiple times regarding this. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. Confirm your email address in the email you will receive shortly. At that point, I was looking forward to a trial, said Cobb. ----Wider Inquiry at Memphis State A former FBI agent hired by Memphis State earlier this year to adviseathletes on how to stay away from drug dealers and gamblers is now taking his job a step further. He named Cobb, Kuhn and Sweeney as being involved, so the FBI visited the trio in early morning raids. 2011-2023 Rocco comes up to me and says, Hey, sometimes I bet on games and I wanna know how you think you guys are gonna do against Stonehill and Bentley? said Cobb. No source was given for this claim, with Streater's last appearance for the team occurring in the 197778 season, but this claim remained for more than five years, resulting in a number of media sites including Bleacher Report, ESPN and Yahoo News erroneously naming him as a point-shaver.[5]. Thats why I got into education and coaching. Their strategy was effective Boston College, a five-point favorite, covered the spread with a 9080 win over Connecticut. We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. And as some of his wagers were unsuccessful, the bookmakers became less suspicious and allowed him to stake more. A look at who the key figures were in the Boston College point shaving scandal: Rick Kuhn Read full article Get 6 Months of Unlimited Access for $1 Laura Segall for the Boston Globe Ernie. FRANK O'BRIEN/GLOBE STAFF/FILE 1978 Win some, lose some Ernie Cobb now coaches the. ''It looked like big money,'' said Kuhn, who is 29 years old, and whose 10-year sentence has been reduced to a scheduled 28 months after he appealed for a reduction. At the trial, the Government argued that Mr. Kuhn and two other Boston College players that season, Ernie Cobb and Jim Sweeney, had been paid to manipulate the team's margins of victory or defeat. While the line may have been as low as 13 at some point, the syndicate had to lay 15, and therefore lost their bet when Rhode Island won by only 13. When he did play in games that were supposed to be rigged, Kuhn said he did not concentrate on the point margin until ''the last five minutes of the game, when it was really important.'' Other times, they didnt deliver as promised, which caused some very dangerous and ill-tempered men to lose large sums of cash. A look at who the key figures were in the Boston College point shaving scandal: Kuhn was a BC player at the center of the controversy. But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. In papers made public Monday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, Kuhn's attorney argued his client's sentence was 'excessive,' and should be reduced because Kuhn has been cooperating with prosecutors in the case. Required fields are marked *. Cuba postpones International Workers' Day parade over fuel shortages. Who was asking and how much they were paying probably influenced what Hill revealed each time. Adding more legal operators to choose from also means bettors wont need to risk their money with illegal, and possibly dangerous, bookies. In this case, while the line may have opened, or at one time gone to two, because of the heavy betting on Holy Cross, the syndicate had to lay as many as seven points, and therefore lost their bet. Im not angry at the school. Red Auerbach coached the Celtics to nine NBA championships between 1957 and 1966, and knew all there is to know about basketball. On August 12, 2008, an anonymous user edited the Wikipedia article on the scandal, naming former player Joe Streater as an accomplice in the point-shaving, recruited by Kuhn alongside Sweeney. Betting big money on college basketball is very hard because very few bookies get into it seriously. Federal investigators first learned of the point-shaving scheme while looking into Mr. Burke's suspected role in the $5.8 million robbery of the Lufthansa freight terminal a t Kennedy International Airport in December 1978. The pair reunited once Hill was released in 1978, and Mazzei introduced him to his friend, Tony Perla. Heavy shelling in Kherson, Kharkiv destroys residences. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The Nets coaches were telling me, Coach, hes gonna be a great pro., I had a great camp with the Nets and was poised to make the team, said Cobb. The Boston scandal followed next, and wouldnt be the last. On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. Edward McDonald was a Federal Prosecutor who interrogated Hill in May 1980. Mazzei and the Perlas were particularly hopeful that Hill would enlist the support of his associate, James Burke, to finance the payments to the players and to set up a network of bookmakers who were in on the scheme. The Globe would later admit that they were wrong in reporting that Bowie was involved, after he was not implicated nor investigated by the federal government for any role in the scandal. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. Cmon, you can do it. She was a remarkable individual that helped me so much, in terms of establishing the study and work habits that allowed me to be successful in the classroom.. Mr. Zimmerman called the length of the sentence ''outrageous.'' #10. }Customer Service. Sweeney has said Kuhn told him this would be the final fix. He killed people. The February 6 game against St. John's was a "push" (winning back exact bets), as the syndicate neither won nor lost when St. John's prevailed 8576, the exact point spread (nine) the bookmakers had offered.[i]. And after they put my name out there, and after I admitted to taking that $1,000, they didnt have enough evidence to prosecute me. Thats the real strength of his story, that you pick yourself up and make something of yourself.. H e refused comment yesterday on whether any attempt had been made to get Mr. Kuhn to cooperate in this investigation for consideration s in his sentencing. He just kept swishing them in, 30 or 35 points, I dont remember., Hill went on to say, And they (Kuhn and Sweeney) were still saying, We got to have Cobb. I realized that and so I passed the word through Tony (Perla), At all costs, talk to him. Next thing I heard Cobb was all set, but it was going to take another $2,500 for his share. Our story begins in the mid-1970s at a penitentiary in Lewisburg. I called my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger. So the scam continued. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players. Mr. Kuhn will become eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. [1]. With Roccos high school buddy Rick Kuhn entering his senior year at Boston College, where he was expected to be a contributor to the schools basketball team, the brothers figured they could make a ton of money. Enraged by their gambling loss, the Perla brothers, along with Mazzei, Burke, and Hill, decided to recruit additional Eagles players to enhance their control over the outcome of the games. It was more than 30 years ago, but considering Henry Hill's involvement, I'm surprised this scandal isn't at the top of the list of biggest sports scandals ever. He was the polar opposite of Kuhn, which made him perfect in Hills eyes. But what was I going to do, take it to court?It was here that they began telling Perla we would have to have Cobb. Was acquitted of sports bribery charges. I have an incredible circle of supportive friends and have met some amazing people who have impacted my life in ways that I cant even begin to describe., Mr. Some had connections to various upper-level gambling circles and some were connected to the mob as we take a look back at one of the biggest betting scandals seen during the 1980's in America. In 1978, Hill was introduced to Tony Perla, who told Hill that he had a friend on the Boston College men's basketball team. The ringleaders knew having just one player wouldnt ensure the desired outcome. Mr. Kuhn, a reserve forward on the 1978-79 Boston College team, and four other men were convicted last November of a plot to manipulate the scores of six games that season to provide betting coups for gamblers. GDC Media Ltd takes no responsibility for your actions. The initial informa tion came from Henry Hill, a Government informant in the Lufthansa case, who casually toldthe investigators that Mr. Burke had been inv olved in a collegebasketball point-shaving scheme. It was a tragedy that he never got another chance to play in the NBA., Kevin Loughery never gave me a firm reason why the Nets were letting me go, said Cobb. 197879 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. The 197879 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal involved a scheme in which members of the American Mafia recruited and bribed several Boston College Eagles men's basketball players to ensure the team would not win by the required margin (not cover the point spread) or win by the required margin (cover the point spread), allowing gamblers in the know to place wagers against that team and win. Im going off on the basketball court, scoring like crazy, the gamblers are losing their shirts, and they start talking about, We have to have Cobb. Anybody thats ever seen me play knows that I was only stuck in one gear, and that was super-charged-turbo! They were aware that bookmakers generally accepted large bets on this game both because Boston College and Holy Cross were traditional rivals and because the game was being nationally televised. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. He wasnt a trial lawyer, so he brought in his colleague, David Golub. Kuhn's attorney, Gary Zimmerman, said his client recognized the seriousness of his crimes and that his stiff jail sentence 'was a stern warning to other college athletes.'.
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