would play a few games each year, Cobb was awash with emotions. Golub was a brilliant lawyer, and he told me that hed have to interview Ernie first to see if he was gonna take the case on. Or vice versa? He killed people. Tony and his brother Rocco were pals with Rick Kuhn. Jimmy loved to beat bookmakers and Paulie liked to beat anybody., Hill flew to Boston in December 1978 for a meeting with the men involved. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. But I dont feel any bitterness toward the prosecution. My moment had arrived. Ernie Cobb played professional basketball in Israel for 17 years, where he learned to speak fluent Hebrew. When he first stepped on the hallowed parquet floor at the legendary Boston Garden, where B.C. Rick Kuhn - Point Guard for the Mob Boston College point shaving scheme was conceived by Rocco Perla and his brother Anthony (Tony) in Pittsburgh during the summer of 1978. I didn't even consider it a crime.. May 1 (UPI) -- The 2-year-old daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett has drowned in the pool of their Florida family home, authorities said. Investigation Is Continuing. The fixing was over. ''Every college athlete may now come under suspicion from coaches and fans. You understand? Hill got picked up on drug trafficking charges in 1980. Bookmakers, on seeing the heavy action, moved the line as high as twelve to discourage bets on the favorite (St. John's) and attract more bets on the underdog. 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. Rick Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment yesterday for his part in a point-shaving scheme that was hatched during the 1978-79 season, when he played basketball for Boston College. I feel like if I can change one life, like he changed mine, man, it makes everything Ive been through worthwhile.. After a four-week trial, each conspirator was convicted on charges of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and interstate travel with the intent to commit bribery. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. Either way, the mob were unhappy that the plan hadnt worked. My family has suffered. 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. As he said regarding point shaving, the shit I was doing, that was going on in my life? Bookies reckon the 2023 Nobel Prize for Literature battle will be a close race between five writers. The Shadow League is a narrative company. 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. Our story begins in the mid-1970s at a penitentiary in Lewisburg. Cool and wet conditions return to California, West Coast. Record-breaking warmth will soon be a distant memory for residents along the West Coast, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. 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. 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. You're going to get us killed, Sweeney recalled. In 1981, forward Rick Kuhn was convicted of conspiracy in a point shaving scheme in which he, guard Jim Sweeney, and possibly other members of the team attempted to manipulate the scores of some games on behalf of organized crime. 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. Ernie, and anybody who truly knew him, who knew about his character and what type of young man he was, we were all heartbroken. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. Ultimately, nothing happened. The Mobsters All of Henry Hills and the Perla brothers information was coming from Rick Kuhn, and who knows what he was saying to them to cover his own skin., (Jim Sweeney, Photo Credit: tampabay.com), Kuhn and Sweeney got in over their heads, Cobb continued. I saw Ernie score 28 points against the Celtics in one of the final pre-season games when he was with the Nets, said Alswanger, Cobbs former high school coach. But you might not know that the mobsters portrayed in the film were responsible for one of the biggest scandals in basketball history, and that it was this scam, rather than the numerous robberies and murders, which saw the most powerful Irish-American gangster of all time incarcerated for the rest of his days. In 1978, Hill was introduced to Tony Perla, who told Hill that he had a friend on the Boston College men's basketball team. And as black kids who loved ball in Boston, he represented something for us, giving the younger generation something to aspire toin terms of their basketball skillsbecause he was putting in some serious work.. The characters and events were later immortalized by the actors Ray Liotta and Robert DeNiro in the classic film, Goodfellas. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. I was eating Rory Sparrow up, who went on to have a decent NBA career, in that camp. Think of Ray Liottas character in Goodfellas. Picture him reporting to Robert DeNiros character in the film. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. Kuhn was convicted for his role in the scheme and now lives in southwest Pennsylvania. The story of the infamous Boston College Basketball Point Shaving Case. What made it worse was that the champion City College of New York were one of them. Id led the pro league in scoring over there and signed a very nice contract. The Boston scandal followed next, and wouldnt be the last. Many details of the scandal remain murky. NEW YORK -- The ex-girlfriend of a former Boston College basketball player accused of trying to rig games testified that her former boyfriend and another player once joked about how they. Holy Cross was favored to win and, consistent with the scheme, were bet on to win by a margin greater than the seven-point spread. 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. 2011-2023 That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who . The scheme was conceived by Rocco Perla and his brother Anthony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1978. I was relishing that moment. I dont know what went down because I wasnt involved. This is Part II of The Shadow League's feature story on former Boston College basketball player Ernie Cobb. 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. 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. Ernie, dont lie to me, Alswanger instructed him. May 1 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is urging Texas Gov. The fact that I went to court and fought for my name, that I stood up for myself and cleared my name, that I was exonerated and acquitted, its a travesty that Im still associated with this., My name is indelibly linked to it, Cobb continued. 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. The conspirators decided that these games presented especially good opportunities because New York bookmakers generally accepted large bets for New York teams. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. Gambling can be addictive. He jumped in the air, as if soaring for a rebound, as cheers filled the courtroom. Mazzei, Hill and the Perlas devised a plan to rip off bookies without having players throw games. You want to tell people what they want to hear, then you want to go away.. But I know that its not really in vain, because I know the truth.. The documentary, narrated by Ray Liotta (who portrayed Hill in the film), was set up so that the viewer needed to watch Goodfellas beforehand to understand many of the references in the story. 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. The Perla brothers were small-time gamblers who saw the upcoming 197879 Boston College Eagles basketball season as a perfect opportunity to earn a lot of money. I called my buddy Frank Melzer, who was an attorney, said Alswanger. 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. I took every single practice and every single game seriously, said Cobb. Kuhn was convicted with four other men in November of taking part in the scheme in which six Boston College basketball games were fixed during the 1978-1979 season. Instead, theyd shave points to win against the spread. Hill reportedly cleared over $100,000 ($373,400 today) and bettors higher up the line were said to have made up to $250,000 ($933,400 today). However, as noted below, the scheme also worked in games where the Eagles were expected to lose anyway, with them shaving points so that the syndicate could bet on the other team winning by more than the point spread. Mr. Kuhn, who is 26 years old, showed no emotion and would not comment after Judge Henry Bramwell of United States District Court in Brooklyn had imposed concurrent terms of 10 years for violation of Federal racketeering statutes and five years each for conspiracy and interstate gambling. 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]. Those later betters on St. John's lost money because they laid more than the eventual nine point margin of victory. All Rights Reserved. #10. I knew that I was suddenly in a situation in which I was already underwater, he said. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla were convicted and sentenced to 10 years. What we do know is that money was won and money was lost, and the scam ultimately took down one of Americas most dangerous gangsters. 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. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He also connected with Hill to power the ring. He recruited teammates Ernie Cobb and Jim Sweeney into the ring, after becoming connected with ex-convicts Paul Mazzei and Henry Hill. }Customer Service. Perla and his brother, Rocco, were into numbers rackets. You just say, yeah, I'll do it with no intention of doing it. Mr. H ill subsequently identified the other figures involved, includ ing Mr. Kuhn. 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. Live Betting. Teammate Rick Kuhn, a former minor league baseball player with connections to small-time Pittsburgh mobsters, conspired with the mobsters to initiate the point-shaving process, in which some BC. He looked like a little choirboy, a legitimate kid, he said. I had everything I could have possibly asked for. BC was a big favourite, five or six points, and they won by one (78-77). But it wasnt a coincidence that one day, the F.B.I shows up asking me about gambling, and the next day Im no longer with the team. 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. See the article in its original context from. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The trio worked together to pick games on Boston College's schedule where. 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. 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! 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. white basketball player named Rick Kuhn, who has hopes of playing in the NBA. The fifth man convicted, Paul Mazzei, 37, of Pittsburgh, is imprisoned for a narcotics violation and is scheduled to be sentenced for the point-shaving scheme Feb. 12. And while he was willing, he couldnt engineer results alone, so Kuhn suggested they employ his friend Jim Sweeney. He traveled throughout the world, getting paid to play the game that he loved. So I didnt even go on trial with Kuhn and the mobsters that put the whole thing in motion.. Speaking in 2014, Cobb said: the ethical thing to do at 50 years old is different than what you would do at 16 or 20. Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. He took advantage of an opportunity that surfaced when a pro team from Israel offered him a spot on their roster. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. Of course, the damn players had a million excuses, Henry Hill wrote in Sports Illustrateds bombshell story, How I Put The Fix In, which was the magazines cover story on February 16th, 1981. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. When the story first broke, it said that Michael Bowie and I were the ones implicated, said Cobb. 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. I hadnt seen Ernie for several years, Jack Hennessey, a psychologist at Boston College that had served as an informal academic advisor during Cobbs days as a student, told the New York Times in April of 1984. 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 just thank God there is justice.. Self-described Boston College basketball fixer, he confessed the conspiracy to agents investigating the signature crime of his mob crew, the Lufthansa heist immortalized in Goodfellas. Recruited into scheme by Mazzei. Result is the outcome of the syndicate's bets. I admitted to receiving that money, and spending it. She also recalled Kuhn saying that Cobb was too into his own game to cooperate with the betting thing, but the New York gangsters were adamant about getting him involved. Despite pursuing charges against Burke for other crimes, a conviction for fixing basketball games is finally what got him 20 years in prison, where he died of cancer in 1996. BOSTON - FEBRUARY 14: Rick Kuhn (#50) during Boston College men's basketball's 1977-1978 season. Forty-four years later, the full truth about the Boston College points-shaving scandal is still unknown. 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. When I think about my journey, it brings tears to my eyes. The Perla brothers mobilized a betting syndicate to maximize their potential gain from the scheme. With echoes of the downfall of Al Capone half a century earlier, Jimmy Burke was convicted for fixing basketball games when prosecutors were unable to construct a case against him for his most notorious crimes, which included the Lufthansa heist and his alleged role in the cover-up murders which followed. Its gonna be no contest. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Hill revealed his involvement in the point-shaving scheme, offering to relate the full story if federal officials would guarantee him full immunity and would agree to intercede on his behalf to convince state officials to drop the drug charges pending in state court. Burke, through Hill, would front the money to pay the players, forwarding the money through Mazzei and the Perla brothers. Who was asking and how much they were paying probably influenced what Hill revealed each time. Kuhn, whose 10-year prison sentence for his part in the 1978-79 Boston College scheme was reduced to four years after he testified against a teammate, will be released from federal prison in. Kuhn agreed to participate, and brought in his teammate Jim Sweeney.[1]. 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.. Being at Boston College, when I first got there, was so amazing, said Cobb. Based on the 30for30 ESPN documentary on this scandal, Kuhn's story changed multiple times regarding this. The Perlas figured Kuhn would be up for making a quick buck, and susceptible to their advances. 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. Acknowledged taking $500 from conspirators, but claimed he acted under duress and was never charged. He says he took it under duress though, with Kuhn telling him he needed him to be involved, whether he liked it or not. But for Bowie, it was too little, too late. Using Kuhn for an introduction, the men also lured in point guard Jim Sweeney. Kuhn apologized to his family, fiancee and college, and vowed to counsel high school and college athletes about the dangers of gambling after he is freed from prison in December. But I never agreed to fix any games or shave any points. On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. Henry Hill later played by Ray Liotta in GoodFellas - was serving time for extortion, and befriended a drug dealer called Paul Mazzei. Sweeney was a self-confessed bookworm from an exclusive Jersey prep school, where he was all state in three sports. The very next day, the Nets cut me., When the F.B.I. I was nervous because I didnt know what was going to happen. 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. Its very hard to detect. The bookies began to smell a rat, and not just the one Hill himself would become 18 months later. Can I play slot games for free? In the movie, Liotta played Hill and DeNiro played Jimmy Conway, whose character was based off Hills real-life mob associate Jimmy Burke. Did it start out with a loss for the gamblers on Dec. 6, 1978, when Boston College handily beat Providence, 83-64? 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. As such, its impossible to be certain which game was the first they attempted to fix. The syndicate was very happy with this result, and Kuhn was given cash to distribute to the players for their efforts. May 1 (UPI) -- First Republic Bank was sold Monday to JPMorgan Chase, as regulators seek to calm a turbulent banking sector that has now seen three U.S. banks fail in less than two months. 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. Edward McDonald was a Federal Prosecutor who interrogated Hill in May 1980. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. Also involved were bookmakers across the East Coast. There were times when the work got really hard, when I wanted to give up, when I had to stay up all night reading or studying or writing papers, and shed be right there pushing me, telling me, You cant give up! After his junior campaign, where he converted 52% of his shots, an inordinate number for a small perimeter shooter, and averaged 22.8 points per game, he was recognized as one of the most lethal scorers in the country. The NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 18 and we've got some essential stats for you. Heavy shelling in Kherson, Kharkiv destroys residences. #ada-button-frame { And as some of his wagers were unsuccessful, the bookmakers became less suspicious and allowed him to stake more. ''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. The story read, in part, as follows: Ernie Cobb tossed in 1,760 points in a stellar basketball career at Boston College and only two other Eagles scored more. In 1949/50, 33 players across seven teams shaved points. 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. I had a relentless type of game.. Sweeney claiming he didnt fix is equally undermined by his admission he accepted $500. Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. 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. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. So the scam continued. Their strategy was effective Boston College, a five-point favorite, covered the spread with a 9080 win over Connecticut. His lifes dream of making it to the NBA, which was where he belonged, was taken away from him. By continuing to use our site you agree to us using cookies in accordance with our, Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla sentenced to 10 years, Sports Illustrated, February 16, 1981: How I Put The Fix In by Henry Hill with Douglas S. Looney (Cover Story), ESPN 30 For 30: Playing For The Mob (2014), Horse Racing Tips: Best Betting Tips for Saturday, Rasmus Hojlund Next Club Odds: Arsenal Favourites To Buy Him, Nobel Prize For Literature Betting: Xue Tipped to Beat Murakami and Rushdie, Punchestown Tips: Betting Picks For Day 5 At The Festival, Fantasy Premier League Tips: The Ultimate FPL Guide to GW34, Man City Treble Odds: Get 100/1 Betting Promo Offer On City To Win Three Trophies. So, in very basic terms, if B.C. (Photo by Frank O'Brien/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE. He named Cobb, Kuhn and Sweeney as being involved, so the FBI visited the trio in early morning raids. | Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years in prison, later reduced to 28 months. Man, I would watch Jo Jo White, Dave Cowens and John Havlicek playing on television, on that same famous floor where Bill Russell and Bob Cousy and all of those great Celtics teams won all those championships, said Cobb. He is benched in his final year. Other notable players selected in that draft included Sidney Moncrief, Bill Laimbeer, Bill Cartwright, Mark Eaton and Jim Paxson. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. Judge Bramwell noted that no witness at the trial had suggested that Mr. Kuhn had been a reluctant participant in the scheme. But my high school coach got his friends to take my case, pro bono. They kept saying that they liked the idea of just shaving points and not blowing the games." While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. Also a BC captain, Sweeney claims he reluctantly agreed to be recruited into the scheme. ESPNs Playing for the Mob, a 30 for 30 documentary narrated by Liotta, interviews all the living participants, including former coaches and law enforcement officials. Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never charged. Mr. Sweeney was a key Government witness at the trial, although Mr. McDonald has said that Mr. Sweeney was not granted immunity for his testimony. When he arrived on campus in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Cobbs internal mantra was, I gotta stay eligible. With those persistent affirmations dancing through his mind, he took his academic responsibilities seriously from day one. In testimony before the President's Commission on Organized Crime, the former player, Rick Kuhn, said he thought college basketball players were most vulnerable to offers from gamblers ''in their junior and senior years, when it becomes reality that they're not going to have lucrative careers as players.'' Proponents argue that legal and regulated sports betting would actually reduce the chances of another BC scandal. After reading this I feel its the right story to add in to existing script. I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. The 80-minute documentary tells how BC forward Rick Kuhn conspired with two of his hoodlum friends from Pittsburgh to bet against the Eagles. [1] Cobb says he received $1,000 in an envelope but said he didnt really know what it was for. Also indicted in US District Court in Brooklyn, New York were: James Burke, a reputed organized crime leader, Anthony and Rocco Perla of Pittsburgh, and Paul Mazzei. He was sentenced to 10 years in . I feel it.. Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. And in that article in Sports Illustrated, Henry Hill says, The word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic. The key phrase there is The word came back. I dont know what Rick Kuhn was telling Henry Hill or the Perla brothers. The other vital parties were the bookmakers, and it was very much a plural, as Hill explained. 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. The conspirators chose the January 17, 1979, game against Connecticut to implement this plan. The FBI didnt have to prove the games were fixed, only that there was a conspiracy to manipulate the scores. 197879 Boston College Eagles basketball season, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Key figures in the BC point shaving scandal", "James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke, Gangster, 64, of 'Wiseguy' Fame", "Kuhn Gets 10-Year Sentence In BC Point-Shaving Case", "Guilt by Wikipedia: How Joe Streater Became Falsely Attached To The Boston College Point Shaving Scandal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=197879_Boston_College_basketball_point-shaving_scandal&oldid=1150370795, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 19:55. I dont know, but people are always going to speculate, he later said. II. Loughery told me that I had the ability to play in the NBA.