gambling but sports betting. The Bookie is the real workhorse of the mob on the streets. They are more
important than any killer, because their cash greases the way for all the other mob activities.
The Neighborhood Bookie seems a harmless jovial guy, who is more than happy to accommodate his
customers. The truth is that most of them kick up cash to whatever mob guy is strong enough to protect
them.. The other reason most Bookies are affiliated with a certain crime family is that the families have the
vast resources required to bankroll a sizeable operation. The families are the bank, the layoff and they
even set the lines. Normal everyday people think nothing of placing a few bucks in a pool or on their
favorite team. They can be Doctors, Dentists even Policemen, they are representative of all levels of
society.
They never even consider it a crime, every newspaper in the US has the line and point spread in its sports
page. The NFL claims they have a point spread so people will continue to watch a game between a really
great team and a mediocre team. Monday night Football is a way for bettors to recoup their weekend
loses. I have been around when a Bookie introduces his customer, say a Doctor to his "guy" and thats
how quickly someone is involved with the mob. The guy may ask for a prescription or a letter, then the
Doctor may consider the guy a friend so one day he may ask or a favor. Once a mob guy does a favor for
someone that person is forever indebted to that guy. One day he maybe asked to dig a bullet out of a guy
or he may give info so something can be robbed. Where there are Bookies a loan shark or Shylock is not
far behind ever ready to loan out some cash to person who is short.