The game was televised so Hill and Burke watched together, having staked $85,000 between them. 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. 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. Tony and his brother Rocco were pals with Rick Kuhn. Hill stated that, at the time, he and Burke were watching the game on television at Burke's home in Queens, and Burke put his foot through the television in anger at having lost $50,000 ($186,700 today). 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. When 'Goodfellas' collided with BC basketball - The Boston Globe Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla were convicted and sentenced to 10 years. We werent really checking for B.C. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Yet when Sweeney retold his story for ESPNs Playing For The Mob documentary in 2014 [3] he claimed to be stringing Hill along. Kuhn's Conviction Upheld Unanimously - Boston College 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. Kuhn is angry and hurt and has no respect for the game because of . My family has suffered. While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. Julie Walker has written, edited and designed words at five Michigan newspapers and websites. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. Anyone can read what you share. 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. He stopped in my office with his bike with the flat tire and borrowed $20 to get it fixed and to get home. I was this poor kid with no financial resources, going on trial with a member of the mob. Instead, theyd shave points to win against the 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. Privacy and Cookies Policy 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. 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. I was doing well academically and the dream of playing professional basketball was getting closer.. Bowies reputation was immediately sullied and he subsequently lost his job playing pro ball in Europe when the story broke. Ultimately, nothing happened. '', See the article in its original context from. I had told him I'm not interested in doing this. May 1 (UPI) -- Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a Falcon Heavy rocket with a payload of satellites from the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday after having to abort the mission days earlier. '30 For 30' tackles BC point-shaving scandal - Boston Colleges - ESPN According to Dr. Roy Nicks, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the investigator, Ben Hale, will direct an inquiry into published reports that athletes at the school have been given money and special favors. The pair reunited once Hill was released in 1978, and Mazzei introduced him to his friend, Tony Perla. Hed often say that, compared with other stuff they had done, shaving a few points here and there didnt even feel like a crime. 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. DISCLAIMER: Online Wagering is illegal in some Jurisdictions. white basketball player named Rick Kuhn, who has hopes of playing in the NBA. 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. We were looking good as a team and my goal was to be the best player I could possibly be. 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. 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. Rocco Perla was sentenced to four and Kuhn was released after 28 months. 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. Sweeney and Kuhn were best friends at Boston College. And yeah, I took that money. The Perla brothers had a connection to the Eagles through forward Rick Kuhn, who was a high school friend of Rocco. In the movie, Liotta played Hill and DeNiro played Jimmy Conway, whose character was based off Hills real-life mob associate Jimmy Burke. 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. The abbreviated version of events reads like this:the Perlas brought in a Pittsburgh hood named Paul Mazzei, who contacted his friend Henry Hill, an associate of New Yorks Lucchese crime family that had befriended him during a stretch in federal prison. 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. Bets in this column are given in the format ", Winner is given as either Opp or BC and the margin of victory. I walk in the bathroom, and who was in there but Peter Vario, the big-time mobster that was on trial with Ernie, said Alswanger. McDonald has answered questions about Mr. Cobb's status by say ing that the Justice Department's investigation is continuing. 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. He graduated on time with a degree in sociology. By Brian Carome. I was eating Rory Sparrow up, who went on to have a decent NBA career, in that camp. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. I took every single practice and every single game seriously, said Cobb. 1978-79 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal 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. But Im so proud of him because he picked his life back up and made the best of it. The stories from all participants have changed in various interviews and often contradict each other. I dont know, but people are always going to speculate, he later said. They showed me these pictures of these mafia guys and were asking me, Do you know him? 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. If there was a poster of what a student athlete at Boston College is supposed to look like, it was Jim Sweeney.. So I guess the thought process was, Well, if there were criminal activities going on, it had to be the brothers! My name and picture, and Michael Bowies as well, was on the front page of every newspaper in the country.. 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 said the gamblers did not keep their promise to pay him $2,500 for every game, some of which Boston College lost. Ernie, dont lie to me, Alswanger instructed him. He turned to me and said, Coach, Im glad youre sticking up for your kid. SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches following aborted mission, delays. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. I dont know if they recognize it, but B.C. Mr. Kuhn will become eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence. 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. But I know that its not really in vain, because I know the truth.. 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. 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. Golden State Warriors Draymond Green Feels Former Teammate Harrison Barnes To This Day Dont Like Me For KD Coming Here. [3] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment,[4] later reduced to 28 months. 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. Point-Shaving Trial Starts Today The Heights, Volume LXI, Number 35 In early February, Boston College was scheduled to play two New York State teams, Fordham and St. John's. What made it worse was that the champion City College of New York were one of them. The Boston scandal followed next, and wouldnt be the last. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. Cool and wet conditions return to California, West Coast. 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. 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. ''Rather,'' Judge Bramwell said before imposing sentence, ''he emerges as a somewhat greedy individual. Mazzei, Hill and the Perlas devised a plan to rip off bookies without having players throw games. Regulated operators also have safety checks in place to help protect those with gambling addictions. May 1 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is urging Texas Gov. 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. By my junior year, it was show-time, said Cobb. The 80-minute documentary tells how BC forward Rick Kuhn conspired with two of his hoodlum friends from Pittsburgh to bet against the Eagles. The Perlas had a high school pal they thought might want to earn some extra dollars. '', ''This crime has reminded millions of sports fans that athletes can be compromised,'' Judge Bramwell said. Former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn, convicted on - UPI Jack Molinas engineered a larger scheme in 1961, which resulted in 37 arrests of students from 22 colleges. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. 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. (Photo by Frank O'Brien/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) PURCHASE A LICENSE. It had to cost around $200,000 at the time to defend me.. The spread was +12 on Boston College, so as they won 86-83, Hill was in the money. Anyone can read what you share. 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. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. After reading this I feel its the right story to add in to existing script. Sweeney was a self-confessed bookworm from an exclusive Jersey prep school, where he was all state in three sports. 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. 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. April 30 (UPI) -- Democrats continue to oppose the plan by House Republicans to raise the national debt ceiling while slashing government spending cuts. talked to the Nets, their head coach Kevin Loughery called him in and said, You know why I have to let you go, said Alswanger. He was sentenced to 10 years in . Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. The ringleaders knew having just one player wouldnt ensure the desired outcome. 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. Due to his Irish heritage, Burke never received a formal induction into the Lucchese crime family of New York, but he operated as an associate. #10. 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. The Perlas figured Kuhn would be up for making a quick buck, and susceptible to their advances. The Mobsters Leopards dont change their spots. Being at Boston College, when I first got there, was so amazing, said Cobb. 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. Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never charged. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. Whatever happened to Rick Kuhn? | Page 2 | SportsJournalists.com Confirm your email address in the email you will receive shortly. 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.'' Rick Kuhn was an older player who was friends with Sweeney and a tough, street smart kid with a different upbringing than Sweeney. 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. Hill also had to get approval from his bosses; Jimmy Burke, later played by Robert De Niro in GoodFellas using the surname Conway, and Paul Vario, portrayed by Paul Sorvino. The aim is to manipulate spread betting, rather than deliberately losing. [1]. Shes worked on two sports desks, including at The Oakland Press and most recently at The Detroit News. The syndicate was able to lay nine points when the game was first available to be bet, and therefore pushed. A mobster met a drug dealer in prison and their friendship continued after their release. In 2014, the ESPN-produced 30 for 30 series debuted Playing for the Mob,[6] the story about how Hill and his Pittsburgh associates, and several Boston College basketball players, perpetrated the point-shaving scheme during the 197879 season, an episode briefly mentioned in the movie Goodfellas. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Nothing in sports comes with a guarantee, though. Their strategy was effective Boston College, a five-point favorite, covered the spread with a 9080 win over Connecticut. The spread was for them to win by seven though, so the bet lost. won the gangsters some serious money by falling short of the spread. 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. The second. But for many, there is a fierce bitterness that still lingers to this day. 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. We get home, I open it up, and theres $1,000 in there.. I admitted to receiving that money, and spending it. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Hill went into witness protection and died in 2012 of a heart attack. The season was drawing to a close and the criminals were tired of a scam which didnt always pay off. RICK KUHN TELLS OF DEATH THREATS - The New York Times The FBI didnt have to prove the games were fixed, only that there was a conspiracy to manipulate the scores. A grand jury indicted Burke, Mazzei, Kuhn, and the Perla brothers. ESPN's latest 30 for 30 film tackles the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. Gambling.com is a registered trademark of GDC Media Limited. He also connected with Hill to power the ring. Sweeney has said Kuhn told him this would be the final fix. 2011-2023 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. She helped tutor me, and encouraged me through some rough spots. 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. and I were the victims of the same circumstances that were beyond our control. 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. 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 would also increase the likelihood of scandals like the BC one, they say. 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. 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. 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. 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. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. The story of the infamous Boston College Basketball Point Shaving Case. Hes innocent., When they indicted me, they wanted Peter Vario, the mobster, so they tried us together, said Cobb. Whatever his understanding, Cobb underperformed in the Harvard game, scoring 12 points when he averaged 23. 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. My parents have suffered. I just had to be alone, Cobb told the reporters afterwards. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. Investigation Is Continuing. Hes a good person. Result is the outcome of the syndicate's bets. He sold copy machines and paved driveways for an asphalt company, which was ironically the same job his father found when hed relocated from North Carolina to Connecticut some twenty years earlier. The ex-girlfriend of a former Boston College basketball player - UPI Of course, of course I was upset, but what could I do? Confident from their recent success, the conspirators viewed the February 10 game against Holy Cross as an opportunity to reap the full benefits of their scheme. Burke was allegedly the ringleader behind the heist, then the largest to happen on U.S. soil, though he was never charged. 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. I was like, You gotta be kidding me! Jim Sweeney and Rick Kuhns names werent mentioned anywhere. After perhaps his greatest moment during the preseason, when he had that outstanding game against the Celtics right before the regular season tipped off, Cobb was relaxing in his hotel room when he heard a knock at the door. 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. 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. Kuhn and Sweeney knew exactly what I was there for, Hill later told Sports Illustrated. A few months short of his release from prison, - UPI Archives 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. He traveled throughout the world, getting paid to play the game that he loved. 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. I had my own place to live and all the food I wanted to eat. Do you recognize him? And my answer every time was, No! I didnt recognize any of those mobsters because I had never met them. Boston College Men's Basketball's 1977-1978 Season. After Cobb was not charged, he thought he was finally past the sordid affair. You realize that you cant play if you dont do this. That really happened. The characters and events were later immortalized by the actors Ray Liotta and Robert DeNiro in the classic film, Goodfellas. 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. 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. Loughery told me that I had the ability to play in the NBA. Perla and Kuhn had gone to high school together and were good friends. He says he took it under duress though, with Kuhn telling him he needed him to be involved, whether he liked it or not. Hill mentioned the point shaving scam, which the FBI were completely unaware of. 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 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. At that point, I was looking forward to a trial, said Cobb. They had Kuhn approach Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on the team, but it has never been proven if Cobb agreed to cooperate. More regulations and laws results in more eyes scrutinizing each game. 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. The gambling gangsters needed to spread out the wagers since, the story goes, many back then had limits of $25,000. Ed Guevara, a former FBI Special Agent, recalls viewing hours of footage. ''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. They left, and that was that. GDC Media Limited. He looked like a little choirboy, a legitimate kid, he said. The other defendants were all found guilty, with Kuhn, Mazzei and Tony Perla sentenced to 10 years, while Rocco Perla got four. Shaved down, one could call the story simple: A few college hoops kids helped take down a deadly gangster. You just say, yeah, I'll do it with no intention of doing it. Sweeney allegedly only took one envelope with $500 but maintains he didnt really participate. We were all so excited for him. 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. He put his foot through his own television set. Sweeney was a businessman like me. Its very hard to detect. 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. RICK KUHN ASKS TERM REDUCTION - The New York Times I was focused in the moment. But its the points that Cobb and teammate Michael Bowie didnt score during the 1978-1979 season which has spawned a federal investigation. Using Kuhn for an introduction, the men also lured in point guard Jim Sweeney. That includes Rick Kuhn, the former minor league baseball player who started the scandal and who . The NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 18 and we've got some essential stats for you. Further successful bets followed in games against Fordham and St. Johns. Its from Martin Scorseses GoodFellas, a film widely considered one of the best ever and among the greatest examples of the gangster genre. Mr . But in the first game the scheme was tested, against Providence College, Boston College won by nearly double the point spread. When he returned to the United States, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he became a Special Education teacher and high school basketball coach. Rick Kuhn - College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Either way, the mob were unhappy that the plan hadnt worked. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). 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. II. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. I was back at home, visiting for the summer and about to return to Israel, Cobb said. 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!
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