He graduated on time with a degree in sociology. The stories from all participants have changed in various interviews and often contradict each other. The Globe, quoting an unnamed source in New York, said the three games in which point-shaving was alleged were a Feb.3 game against Fordham, a Feb. 6 game against St. Johns and a March 1 game in the ECAC Regional Playoffs against Connecticut. Hill turned state's evidence in exchange for avoiding prison and possible execution by Burke and the Lucchese family. Gambling can be addictive. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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.'' Were you shaving points for the mob?. Molinas had been suspended by the NBA seven years earlier for betting on games in which his team played. Once the FBI arrested Hill the following year though, it all came out. I continue to feel like I have to defend myself, all these years later, even after the government tried their case against me and I was found innocent. Tony and his brother Rocco were pals with Rick Kuhn. I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. The syndicate was able to lay nine points when the game was first available to be bet, and therefore pushed. Kuhn and Hill say hes lying. 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. In 1949/50, 33 players across seven teams shaved points. And now, here I was on that same floor, pumped sky high, giving my defender buckets! It was all so positive.. Hill got picked up on drug trafficking charges in 1980. However, Kuhn did receive ''several thousand dollars'' for his efforts, according to Edward A. McDonald, the attorney in charge of the Organized Crime Strike Force for the Eastern District of New York, which conducted the investigation in 1981. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. Cobb says he received $1,000 in an envelope but said he didnt really know what it was for. 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. It is your responsibility to check your local regulations before playing online. (Sadly, Liotta, who was brilliant in Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, among other films, died Wednesday at 67.). A fitness fanatic who augmented his training by swimming and riding his bicycle very long distances, Cobb hopped on his ten-speed shortly after the indictment was announced and began pedaling. When he first stepped on the hallowed parquet floor at the legendary Boston Garden, where B.C. Almost $6 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry was stolen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Dec. 11, 1978. and I were the victims of the same circumstances that were beyond our control. We've analysed the best Fantasy Premier League picks ahead of Game Week 34. 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, 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. 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. To this day, both Sweeney and Cobb admit taking money but say they didnt really participate. Cool and wet conditions return to California, West Coast. At that point, I was looking forward to a trial, said Cobb. May 1 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is urging Texas Gov. I want to be disassociated from it as well. All Rights Reserved. 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.''. Rick Kuhn was an older player who was friends with Sweeney and a tough, street smart kid with a different upbringing than Sweeney. Please play Responsibly. 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. The FBI didnt have to prove the games were fixed, only that there was a conspiracy to manipulate the scores. A mobster met a drug dealer in prison and their friendship continued after their release. Sweeney was a businessman like me. He bet $35,000 on a game with Connecticut and it paid off. April 30 (UPI) -- Democrats continue to oppose the plan by House Republicans to raise the national debt ceiling while slashing government spending cuts. Yet in Wiseguy, published four years later, Hill claimed he attended the opening game of the season against Providence on December 6, which Boston won 83-64. Either way, the mob were unhappy that the plan hadnt worked. I didnt know what that was all about. The Perla brothers had a connection to the Eagles through forward Rick Kuhn, who was a high school friend of Rocco. 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). [3] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment,[4] later reduced to 28 months. Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence and Rick Kuhn was sentenced to a ten-year bid as well, which was later reduced to 28 months. They were touting me as the next sub-6-footer to have an impact in the NBA. I was shining at the camp. #10. The syndicate was very happy with this result, and Kuhn was given cash to distribute to the players for their efforts. 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. 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. The center is a 6 ft. 8 in. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. 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. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. Learn how your comment data is processed. 2011-2023 Boston College's basketball team ended their 197879 season with a 229 record. 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. Everything Id worked so hard for was coming to fruition.. ''A substantial argument can be offered,'' Judge Bramwell said, ''that a substantial term of incarceration imposed on this defendant will be recalled in the future by another college athlete who may be tempted to compromise his performance.''. Boston College Men's Basketball's 1977-1978 Season. Kuhn was released after serving 28 months, and rarely speaks about what happened. Perla believed that Kuhn was the type of guy who would "do business." Boston College was favored by twelve to thirteen points, but won the game by only a three-point margin, 8683. 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? Ex-convict at center of scheme, was connected to Kuhn by one of the players high school friends. I was like, Yeah, whatever. Sure enough, a few weeks later, he hands my girlfriend an envelope. Hes innocent., When they indicted me, they wanted Peter Vario, the mobster, so they tried us together, said Cobb. Sent Weekly. My girlfriend and I bought a new stereo, television and some furniture. So, in very basic terms, if B.C. Oh, yeah. We were all so excited for him. The motley crew next ensnared Boston Colleges leading scorer, Ernie Cobb. like that until he got there. 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. A BC captain, Cobb was implicated in the scheme but denies fixing games. But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. The pair reunited once Hill was released in 1978, and Mazzei introduced him to his friend, Tony Perla. Cleanly summarizing this story feels futile, but well try. Im not angry at the school. Leopards dont change their spots. Kuhn said the gamblers did not keep their promise to pay him $2,500 for every game, some of which Boston College lost. I was like, You gotta be kidding me! Jim Sweeney and Rick Kuhns names werent mentioned anywhere. Mazzei in turn contacted Henry Hill, a Lucchese crime family associate from New York who had befriended Mazzei while both men were serving sentences in a federal prison. I had everything I could have possibly asked for. 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. 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. 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. Instead, they'd shave points to win against the spread. They contacted a local friend, Paul Mazzei, who was known to have influence within major New York gambling circles. Point shaving is a form of fixing. 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. Ed Guevara, a former FBI Special Agent, recalls viewing hours of footage. 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. While residents eagerly await March 10 for legalized Massachusetts sports betting, we look back on the breach that mixed gamblers and mobsters with student-athletes in the late 1970s. They mentioned the $1,000 that Rocco Perla gave my girlfriend and I told them the truth. Devin Willocks Father Going After Georgia Bulldogs For $2 Million After Sons Death In SUV Driven By UGA Staffer. Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese family capo Paul Vario. Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. When I think about my journey, it brings tears to my eyes. 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. I was back at home, visiting for the summer and about to return to Israel, Cobb said. 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. As such, its impossible to be certain which game was the first they attempted to fix. This has gone on for four years. My family has suffered. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Henry Hill later played by Ray Liotta in GoodFellas - was serving time for extortion, and befriended a drug dealer called Paul Mazzei. A forward for Boston Colleges basketball team, he wasnt the strongest player and was more interested in partying. My parents have suffered. 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. Day Five of the Punchestown Racing Festival boasts another afternoon of top-class horse racing. I dont know, but people are always going to speculate, he later said. My moment had arrived. 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. I have suffered. I was so frustrated at one point that I got on my bike in Stamford, Connecticut and just started riding. Think of Ray Liottas character in Goodfellas. Picture him reporting to Robert DeNiros character in the film. Cuba postpones International Workers' Day parade over fuel shortages. '', See the article in its original context from. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. The true story of the famous Boston College point shaving scandal. 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. The conspirators chose the January 17, 1979, game against Connecticut to implement this plan. 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.'. 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. Opponents of legalized college sports betting argue that adding regulations will only encourage irresponsible gambling. He killed people. I had told him I'm not interested in doing this. He said, these guys were irate. Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never charged. In another, he says the fixing began with a big win for the wise guys when Boston College, favored by 12 points, beat Harvard by just three, 86-83. 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. 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. They knew how to shave, because when I tried to explain to them, they said, Naw, we know all that shit.. . To Cobb, it felt like he was being asked for insider info on the team and their prospects. 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. He also connected with Hill to power the ring. They kept saying that they liked the idea of just shaving points and not blowing the games." Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. Of course, of course I was upset, but what could I do? 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. Early on, before the season got underway, Cobb says that he was approached by a man from Pittsburgh named Rocco Perla, who hed seen hanging around campus with his teammate, senior forward Rick Kuhn. 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. 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! Boston college basketball gambling scandal Boston college basketball gambling scandal We have many ongoing and upcoming promotions featuring Bitcoin Slots on our casino. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.". The Return Of Bing Bong? She knew the terrain in terms of what I needed to be doing, said Cobb. But in the first game the scheme was tested, against Providence College, Boston College won by nearly double the point spread. Admitting he accepted $1,000 for the game only fuels the speculation. I don't question $1,000, give it to me.. When the story first broke, it said that Michael Bowie and I were the ones implicated, said Cobb. Democrats, Republicans remain split on debt ceiling plan. By my junior year, it was show-time, said Cobb. 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. Kuhn said he spent much of the game on the bench, unable to affect the outcome. Golden State Warriors Draymond Green Feels Former Teammate Harrison Barnes To This Day Dont Like Me For KD Coming Here. ''Every college athlete may now come under suspicion from coaches and fans. They treated me great. 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. The investigation will reportedly include reports by The Commercial Appeal of Memphis and Sports Illustrated magazine that the school's basketball coach, Dana Kirk, offered $10,000 to relatives of the all-American Keith Lee while recruiting the 6-foot-10-inch forward four years ago. | Knicks Win Their First Playoff Series In 10 Years But Can They Stay Back On Top In The Big Apple? The Perla brothers were small-time gamblers who saw the 1978-79 Boston College basketball season as a perfect opportunity to earn a lot of money. 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 allegedly only took one envelope with $500 but maintains he didnt really participate. He looked like a little choirboy, a legitimate kid, he said. Their strategy was effective Boston College, a five-point favorite, covered the spread with a 9080 win over Connecticut. 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. Its very hard to detect. Thats why I got into education and coaching. Rick Kuhn, the 28-year-old former Boston College basketball player who is serving a 10-year prison term for participating in a point-shaving conspiracy, has asked the sentencing judge to. At trial in 1981, the government's case consisted primarily of the testimony of Hill and three other witnesses: Sweeney and Joseph Beaulieu, both Boston College players, and Barbara Reed, a 23-year-old nurse who lived with Kuhn during the 197879 Eagles season. 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. Confirm your email address in the email you will receive shortly. display: none; Law enforcement officials were ecstatic. 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. 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. Yet its hard to believe it wouldve been had the bets won. I feel like if I can change one life, like he changed mine, man, it makes everything Ive been through worthwhile.. I didnt think anything of it. Other times, they didnt deliver as promised, which caused some very dangerous and ill-tempered men to lose large sums of cash. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players. More regulations and laws results in more eyes scrutinizing each game. | Instead, theyd shave points to win against the spread. I was eating Rory Sparrow up, who went on to have a decent NBA career, in that camp. 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. Ernie, dont lie to me, Alswanger instructed him. The scheme thus ended on an unsuccessful note. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/06/sports/rick-kuhn-sentenced-to-10-years.html. While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. But its the points that Cobb and teammate Michael Bowie didnt score during the 1978-1979 season which has spawned a federal investigation. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. 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. Mizzougrad96, Aug 31, 2011. Hill mentioned the point shaving scam, which the FBI were completely unaware of. FRANK O'BRIEN/GLOBE STAFF/FILE 1978 Win some, lose some Ernie Cobb now coaches the. But that didnt matter. 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. And as some of his wagers were unsuccessful, the bookmakers became less suspicious and allowed him to stake more. For all I know, he told them I was in, that it would cost an extra $2,500 per game and he was trying to hustle the gangsters while pocketing the extra money. McDonald has answered questions about Mr. Cobb's status by say ing that the Justice Department's investigation is continuing. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I took every single practice and every single game seriously, said Cobb. The players involved in the scandal were paid between 500-1000$ each game and were given the chance to double it betting on the games. 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. Said Hill, "He wanted me to fly up to Boston. After reading this I feel its the right story to add in to existing script. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. I just knew that not only was I going to make the team, but I was going to be a factor in the NBA. Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years in prison, later reduced to 28 months. [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. And despite friends urging Sweeney to report what was happening, he refused as he didnt want to hurt Kuhn. 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]. They reintroduced the original strategy, which proved successful for the February 3 Fordham game when Boston College, a ten-point favorite, won by seven points. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. First Republic seized by regulators and sold to JPMorgan. He was hopeful that hed have another chance to make it in the NBA. Theres no way you can tell if a referee or player is shaving points, absolutely no way, he once told Sports Illustrated. Its from Martin Scorseses GoodFellas, a film widely considered one of the best ever and among the greatest examples of the gangster genre. I had one guy in Manhattan who would lay off in Connecticut who would lay off in Cleveland who would lay off in California. But Im so proud of him because he picked his life back up and made the best of it. The problem was Cobb. 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. April 30 (UPI) -- Intense Russian shelling took place overnight in Kherson and Kharkiv, Ukraine, pounding residential areas and killing a 58-year-old civilian. Edwin McDonald, who prosecuted the case for the Justice Department, said that he had recommended the incarceration of Mr. Kuhn but had not suggested any specific term.