This page is not available in other languages. It was like a paradise to me, coming from where I came from. 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). Any recount of the BC points-shaving scandal should come with a free CharlieCard for a story with more twists and turns than the citys T system. That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who . April 30 (UPI) -- Democrats continue to oppose the plan by House Republicans to raise the national debt ceiling while slashing government spending cuts. Rick Kuhn, the former Boston College basketball player convicted with four other men last November of taking part in a point-shaving conspiracy, has told Federal authorities that he was threatened . In this game, UCLA was favored to win over the Eagles by a fifteen to eighteen-point spread, so the syndicate bet on them to win by a margin greater than the point spread. 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. Cobb was acquitted of any wrongdoing, despite Kuhn giving Cobb's girlfriend an allegedly unsolicited envelope with $1,000. But by his sophomore year, when he was inserted into the starting lineup, it was apparent that the 5-foot-11 scorer brought a dimension to the Boston College squad that it sorely needed when he averaged 17.4 points per game. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. She knew the terrain in terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb. Former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn will go on trial today for his alleged participation in a "point shaving" incident during the 1978-1979 basketball season. Shes worked on two sports desks, including at The Oakland Press and most recently at The Detroit News. The stories from all participants have changed in various interviews and often contradict each other. 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 feel like I did all that fighting after I lost my dream of playing in the NBA, and it was all in vain. Bowies reputation was immediately sullied and he subsequently lost his job playing pro ball in Europe when the story broke. Alswanger, my high school coach inspired me to rise above my circumstances, he continued. ''Every college athlete may now come under suspicion from coaches and fans. Bets in this column are given in the format ", Winner is given as either Opp or BC and the margin of victory. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. All Kuhn had to do was ensure that the Eagles fell short of the point spread in the games that they bet on. In among the many questions he asked, McDonald enquired as to why he had been going to Boston so frequently. Keeping Score: Close Shave - Greenfield Recorder After he interviewed him, he fell in love with him and told me, Hes innocent. I want to be disassociated from it as well. Boston College Men's Basketball's 1977-1978 Season - Getty Images When I got back and told Jimmy and Paulie about the scheme, they loved it, Hill recalled in Wiseguy. 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. would play a few games each year, Cobb was awash with emotions. While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. I was having a lot of success, we were turning around the fortunes of the program and I was getting a lot of press in the Boston Globe and area newspapers. Kuhn is angry and hurt and has no respect for the game because of . It was one of the most tremendous feelings Id ever experienced.. Rick Kuhn College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Rick Kuhn Position: Forward 6-5 (196cm) School: Boston College (Men) SUMMARY Career G 75 PTS 4.9 TRB 3.9 AST 0.6 FG% 48.8 FT% 48.6 Kuhn Overview On this page: An ad blocker has likely prevented this video content from loading. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). Think of Ray Liottas character in Goodfellas. Picture him reporting to Robert DeNiros character in the film. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. Also a BC captain, Sweeney claims he reluctantly agreed to be recruited into the scheme. You gotta tell me the truth, because I gotta know how to go on this?. I thought he might have been a student, because he was young and I saw him hanging around Rick Kuhn all the time. The spread was for them to win by seven though, so the bet lost. The centerpiece of today's hearing was the testimony of Kuhn, who was convicted in 1981 along with four gamblers for conspiracy to commit sports bribery and other crimes stemming from a point-shaving plot at Boston College during the 1978-79 season. 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. 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 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. 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. Just by being there, Id already reached success beyond my wildest dreams. '30 For 30' tackles BC point-shaving scandal - Boston Colleges - ESPN They had Kuhn approach Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on the team, but it has never been proven if Cobb agreed to cooperate. (Sadly, Liotta, who was brilliant in Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, among other films, died Wednesday at 67.). 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. Kuhn and Hill say hes lying. We cant forget the bank-rolling bosses. Either way, the mob were unhappy that the plan hadnt worked. I feel it.. Jimmy said he was finished. The second day of the three-day hearing on organized crime's involvement in gambling operations focused on sports betting, particularly in college basketball. Hill mentioned the point shaving scam, which the FBI were completely unaware of. Proponents argue that legal and regulated sports betting would actually reduce the chances of another BC scandal. They were touting me as the next sub-6-footer to have an impact in the NBA. 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. If the scheme worked, he said, the gamblers would win large wagers placed on Boston College's opponent. Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla were convicted and sentenced to 10 years. The campus was so beautiful. BOSTON - FEBRUARY 14: Rick Kuhn (#50) during Boston College men's basketball's 1977-1978 season. 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. It is your responsibility to check your local regulations before playing online. Law enforcement officials were ecstatic. 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.. Ultimately, nothing happened. Theyd taken my passport and I had to stay here and face these charges, said Cobb. 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. In 1978, Hill was introduced to Tony Perla, who told Hill that he had a friend on the Boston College men's basketball team. 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. Four Others Convicted. Kuhn said he spent much of the game on the bench, unable to affect the outcome. 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. On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. 1 killed in shooting at Massachusetts house party. Whats going on? 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. Jim Sweeney: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. A former Boston College basketball player who has spent two years in prison for conspiring with professional gamblers to rig games told a Federal commission on crime yesterday about his role in the scandal and warned college athletes not to ''jeopardize their futures'' by succumbing to the temptations of ''big money.''. 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. The test run for the scheme proved unsuccessful when Boston College's team established an early lead and ultimately won the game by nineteen points. So, in very basic terms, if B.C. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. All say that when watching the games, its impossible to determine if muffed plays were done purposely or just honest mistakes. Sweeney took out one of those little schedule cards, circled the games he thought we could fool around with, and gave the card to me. Unlike Kuhn, Sweeney had a clean-cut image. He looked like a little choirboy, a legitimate kid, he said. They left, and that was that. The very next day, the Nets cut me., When the F.B.I. If betting sites set the spread believing a team will by win seven points, the fixers bet against them and the corrupt team tries to win by six or fewer. Democrats, Republicans remain split on debt ceiling plan. Also involved were bookmakers across the East Coast. 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. 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. The other vital parties were the bookmakers, and it was very much a plural, as Hill explained. Theyd place bets on the underdog and win, thanks to the points, while the players still delivered victories for their team. He tried to subsist as a substitute teacher, and even caddied at the Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, the affluent suburbs where hed previously been arrested for stealing bikes as a kid. hoops that blazed a trail, Mills continued. Nobody knows for certain how much money was made. 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. Bruce Pearl, now a successful college basketball coach who studied at BC, says Sweeney was a perfect undergraduate. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 5 Convicted in Boston College Betting Case - The Washington Post Also, maybe dont do business with mobsters? Theyre no match for us. He told me, Well good, I plan on betting on those games and if you guys win and it turns out like that, Ill take care of you., Man, I was one of the most recognizable athletes on campus and people would come up and talk to me all the time, people I didnt know, Cobb continued. 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. But I dont feel any bitterness toward the prosecution. We get home, I open it up, and theres $1,000 in there.. 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. Hill flew into Boston, at the behest of Jimmy Burke, late in 1978 to meet with Mazzei, the Perlas, Kuhn and Sweeney at the Logan Airport Hilton and ensure that everything was in place. He jumped in the air, as if soaring for a rebound, as cheers filled the courtroom. The headlines in Boston, and around the country, said that Cobb and fellow senior Michael Bowie, the teams two African-American stars, were the players that were implicated. 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. Our story begins in the mid-1970s at a penitentiary in Lewisburg. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. The center is a 6 ft. 8 in. My girlfriend and I bought a new stereo, television and some furniture. Im not angry at the school. 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. Ernie Cobb played professional basketball in Israel for 17 years, where he learned to speak fluent Hebrew. Julie loves lakes, bonfires, Dachshunds, coaching Little League and carrying on her Dads fantasy football legacy that he started in 1987 before there was an app for that. 1978-79 Boston College Eagles men's basketball team However, he later told McDonald that everything said at the trial was true except for one thing: despite his denials, Sweeney was an active participant in the scam. His lifes dream of making it to the NBA, which was where he belonged, was taken away from him. Especially those who, as far back as they can remember, always wanted to be a gangster. You understand? Burkes gang had just successfully pulled off the Lufthansa airport heist at New Yorks JFK airport, where theyd stolen an estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels, the largest cash robbery in America at the time. 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. I was focused in the moment. 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. Key figures in the BC point shaving scandal - The Boston Globe The season was drawing to a close and the criminals were tired of a scam which didnt always pay off. He turned to me and said, Coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your kid. You realize that you cant play if you dont do this. April 30 (UPI) -- Intense Russian shelling took place overnight in Kherson and Kharkiv, Ukraine, pounding residential areas and killing a 58-year-old civilian. Instead, they'd shave points to win against the spread. The spread was +12 on Boston College, so as they won 86-83, Hill was in the money. A few months short of his release from prison, - UPI Archives As the wallets, Burke and Co. ultimately became the schemes kingpins. I said, If this dude has cash like that to burn and wants to give me $1,000 because I told him wed destroy Stonehill, sure, Ill take it. Maybe he was trying to cultivate a relationship with me and soften me up for something down the road. ''Rather,'' Judge Bramwell said before imposing sentence, ''he emerges as a somewhat greedy individual. Remembering The Boston College Point Shaving Scandal - Gambling I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. Apparently, someone called into the online editor the second to inform them of the "miss." I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. Were you shaving points for the mob?. The pair reunited once Hill was released in 1978, and Mazzei introduced him to his friend, Tony Perla. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.. Your email address will not be published. It wasnt an absolute disaster but it was a cousin. I dont know if the losses can ever be made upnot the losses me and my family and friends have suffered. 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 as some of his wagers were unsuccessful, the bookmakers became less suspicious and allowed him to stake more. Many details of the scandal remain murky. As a freshman, he played sparingly and averaged 4.5 points per game while the Eagles finished with a disappointing 9-17 overall record. 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. I was back at home, visiting for the summer and about to return to Israel, Cobb said. His girlfriend, whom hed met during his first week on campus, was an upperclassman that knew how to navigate the schools academic landscape. When the evidence came up at the first trial, it didnt match up, but they still came after me a few years later. I didnt like dealing with a third party I didnt know and had never metBut the word came back that Cobb was enthusiastic and, dont worry Henry, nothing can screw up now., In the 30-for-30 documentary that ESPN just aired, Henry Hill admits that he never talked to me, said Cobb. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players. Please play Responsibly. Daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett drowns in family pool. Mr . He is benched in his final year. I just knew that not only was I going to make the team, but I was going to be a factor in the NBA. 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. 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. In the summer of 1978, Rocco Perla and his older brother Anthony, back in Pittsburgh, were the ones who initially conceived the point-shaving scheme that would later rock the college basketball world. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. If the scam was to work, they needed another player. ----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. Bet with your head, not over it. "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.". . He was hopeful that hed have another chance to make it in the NBA. I needed a string of bookmakers, maybe 10 or 15. If the limit is $25,000, then anything above that, they call somebody else and get them to take it. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Yes, all of our slot games have a free play mode where you can use demo credits to play the gam The syndicate was very happy with this result, and Kuhn was given cash to distribute to the players for their efforts. Jack Molinas engineered a larger scheme in 1961, which resulted in 37 arrests of students from 22 colleges. When New York mobster Jimmy Burke got involved,. A BC captain, Cobb was implicated in the scheme but denies fixing games. Cobb says he received $1,000 in an envelope but said he didnt really know what it was for. I didnt know what that was all about. I have suffered. Help for Inmates Before, During and After Prison Further successful bets followed in games against Fordham and St. Johns. 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. A grand jury indicted Burke, Mazzei, Kuhn, and the Perla brothers. Gambling.com is tracking sport cancellations (and eventual resurgences) on an interactive map below. Rick Kuhn, the former Boston College basketball player who was convicted last November, and sentenced last February for his involvement in the point shaving scandal during the 1978-79 basketball season, told Federal authorities last May that his life had been threatened because of his decision to cooperate in the case, according to The . The drug dealer, Paul Mazzei, introduced the mobster, Henry Hill, to his friend, Tony Perla. 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. Im stuck. You're going to get us killed, Sweeney recalled. Truth About Boston College Points-shaving Scandal May Never Be Known Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. DISCLAIMER: Online Wagering is illegal in some Jurisdictions. 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. I had a relentless type of game.. Being at Boston College, when I first got there, was so amazing, said Cobb. But Kuhn was a player of limited ability, so he recruited his roommate and best friend, who also happened to be the most important player on the floor, the teams senior point guard, Jim Sweeney. Ed Guevara, a former FBI Special Agent, recalls viewing hours of footage. The gambling gangsters needed to spread out the wagers since, the story goes, many back then had limits of $25,000. 30 Years After His Exoneration, Former BC Hoops Star Ernie Cobb Is Still Fighting to Clear His Name Pt. BC was a big favourite, five or six points, and they won by one (78-77). Sweeney and Kuhn were best friends at Boston College. 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. 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. [ii] Holy Cross ultimately won by only two points, as Cobb scored eight points in the final minute to bring the Eagles close, and everyone involved lost a substantial amount of money. Cleanly summarizing this story feels futile, but well try. The fixing was over. Betting big money on college basketball is very hard because very few bookies get into it seriously. Judge Bramwell noted that no witness at the trial had suggested that Mr. Kuhn had been a reluctant participant in the scheme. The story of the infamous Boston College Basketball Point Shaving Case. Burke was sent to prison for 20 years (though he later died of cancer in 1996). Boston College was favored by twelve to thirteen points, but won the game by only a three-point margin, 8683. READ MORE:Best Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos Coming In March. 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. He named Cobb, Kuhn and Sweeney as being involved, so the FBI visited the trio in early morning raids. "Ive bought him a colour TV and paid for some work on his car.". For example, if the Eagles were favored by 10, the mobsters would want the players on the take to make sure the team won by nine points or less. And despite friends urging Sweeney to report what was happening, he refused as he didnt want to hurt Kuhn. Cuba postpones International Workers' Day parade over fuel shortages. But I never agreed to fix any games or shave any points. 30 Years After His Exoneration, Former BC Hoops Star Ernie Cobb Is Perla believed that Kuhn was the type of guy who would "do business." 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. And yeah, I took that money. In addition, they were given the opportunity to bet the money they were paid and double their winnings. A forward for Boston Colleges basketball team, he wasnt the strongest player and was more interested in partying. I watched reel-upon-reel of the 1978/79 season, and was not able to determine that this errant pass was done on purpose or that missed shot was done because of the fix, he said. Best Massachusetts Sports Betting Promos Coming In March, DraftKings To Launch Streaming Service Of Sports Betting Content, Kentucky Derby 2023 Basic Bets And Tips For Beginners, Proposed Encore Boston Harbor Expansion Draws Mixed Opinions, Pro Sports Leagues Form Responsible Sports Betting Advertising Coalition, NFL Draft Betting Rules Set By Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Online Lottery Seemingly A Matter Of When, Not If In Massachusetts. GDC Media Ltd takes no responsibility for your actions. #10. Cobb later cleared his name, and Sweeney was never charged. 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. Opponents of legalized college sports betting argue that adding regulations will only encourage irresponsible gambling. 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. In a point-shaving scandal that sticks in the memories of many, three Boston College players became embroiled in a betting scheme conceived by gamblers Henry Hill, Rocco and Tony Perla, and Paul Mazzei. The second. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/06/sports/rick-kuhn-sentenced-to-10-years.html. 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. The spread comes out in Las Vegas, usually two to three nights before games, said Tony Perla. '', ''This crime has reminded millions of sports fans that athletes can be compromised,'' Judge Bramwell said. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. 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. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. When I think about my journey, it brings tears to my eyes. Betting - Chronicling the 'worst fix ever', the 1978-79 BC point - ESPN Boston college basketball gambling scandal, rick kuhn boston college The Providence game was played on December 6, 1978, and Boston College was favored to win by six to seven points. 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.
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