When he died at the age of 67, the New York Times proclaimed William R. Travers "may have been the most popular man in New York."He was, in a word, adored.We know Travers as a founder and the first President...
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Calling All Bookies: All Aboard!!
A few years back when tracks had their own pools for simulcast races )before simulcasting got as big a business as it is today), we as horse-players got to shop for odds.Bouncing from one television feed to another, seeing where...
Fists vs Wits – Part II: Richard Canfield
Richard Canfield was "the greatest gambling asset the United States had ever known." i And unlike his casino's original proprietor John Morrissey, he had the respect and admiration of the well-bred.He was born in 1855 in New Bedford, MA, and...
Fists vs. Wits – A Tale of Two Gamblers
Part I of IIOne was a pugilist. A roughneck, thief and gambler who made a reputation for himself socking people in the mouth and collecting money for mob bosses.The other, a gambler who took to self-education in the arts, philosophy,...
Big Stakes on Sure Things
Big Stakes on Sure Things Arnold Rothstein's Saratoga and the 1921 Travers StakesA. R.The Fixer.The Big Bankroll.The Great Brain.You can call him what you please. But if gambling rackets, crime, and murder stories of years gone by are the skewed...