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. Jim Sweeney: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com In 1978, Rick Kuhn was in his final season at Boston College,amarginal player with little going for him. On June 23rd, 1983, more than four years after hed played his final game at Boston College, Ernie Cobb was indicted and charged with taking cash bribes to alter the outcomes of games against Harvard, Rhode Island and Fordham. }Customer Service. The distinguished paper later retracted the story. The scheme continued to work successfully in the December 23 game against UCLA. Id led the pro league in scoring over there and signed a very nice contract. "The kid wants to do business," said Tony. 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 jumped in the air, as if soaring for a rebound, as cheers filled the courtroom. Rocco Perla was sentenced to four and Kuhn was released after 28 months. ----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. Terms and Conditions An obvious lesson here: Crime doesnt pay. display: none; (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). RICK KUHN TELLS OF DEATH THREATS - The New York Times Contribute to The Shadow League today and help us share our narratives. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players. 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. He really set the tone in terms of being a strong, dynamic, willful player that wondrous talents like John Bagley, Michael Adams and Dana Barros, all of whom went on to play ball in the NBA after their careers at B.C., followed. That friend was Rick Kuhn, a 6-foot-5 senior forward on scholarship with the Eagles. 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. He bet $35,000 on a game with Connecticut and it paid off. 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. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. 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. Whatever happened to Rick Kuhn? | Page 2 | SportsJournalists.com Law enforcement officials were ecstatic. The Perla brothers were small-time gamblers who saw the upcoming 197879 Boston College Eagles basketball season as a perfect opportunity to earn a lot of money. 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 . Jack Molinas engineered a larger scheme in 1961, which resulted in 37 arrests of students from 22 colleges. 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. Confirm your email address in the email you will receive shortly. A few blocks from Boston College, the place that held so much meaning to him, where hed worked so hard to create his lifes purpose, the symbolism was inescapable when he found that he had a flat tire. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. 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. The conspirators decided that these games presented especially good opportunities because New York bookmakers generally accepted large bets for New York teams. I admitted to receiving that money, and spending it. After the investigation was completed, Cobb was not named as a defendant in the initial trial, U.S. vs Burke, which opened to a circus of media attention on October 27th, 1981. Whatever happened to Rick Kuhn? | SportsJournalists.com Over all, he said, the scheme failed. Mizzougrad96, Aug 31, 2011. I had a relentless type of game.. Being at Boston College, when I first got there, was so amazing, said Cobb. The spread was for them to win by seven though, so the bet lost. Record-breaking warmth will soon be a distant memory for residents along the West Coast, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. 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. 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. Did it start out with a loss for the gamblers on Dec. 6, 1978, when Boston College handily beat Providence, 83-64? Boston College's basketball team ended their 197879 season with a 229 record. 30 Years After His Exoneration, Former BC Hoops Star Ernie Cobb Is 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. 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 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. There were times when the work got really hard, when I wanted to give up, when I had to stay up all night reading or studying or writing papers, and shed be right there pushing me, telling me, You cant give up! Sign up to receive The Shadow League Newsletter in your inbox. I loved it in Israel, the fans loved me and the people were so beautiful. And despite friends urging Sweeney to report what was happening, he refused as he didnt want to hurt Kuhn. 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. Key figures in the BC point shaving scandal - The Boston Globe The center is a 6 ft. 8 in. Needing an inside man, the brothers wanted to recruit Rick Kuhn, a high school friend of Rocco who was entering his senior year at Boston College and was expected to be a key member of the 197879 Eagles team. He put his foot through his own television set. What made it worse was that the champion City College of New York were one of them. I was back at home, visiting for the summer and about to return to Israel, Cobb said. Burke was allegedly the ringleader behind the heist, then the largest to happen on U.S. soil, though he was never charged. The fixing was over. At the close of the two-week trial, Alswanger was the last character witness who took the stand in Cobbs behalf. As such, its impossible to be certain which game was the first they attempted to fix. Mr. Kuhn will become eligible for parole after serving one-third of his sentence. He was sentenced to 10 years in . https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/06/sports/rick-kuhn-sentenced-to-10-years.html. 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. Yet when Sweeney retold his story for ESPNs Playing For The Mob documentary in 2014 [3] he claimed to be stringing Hill along. Boston College Point Shaving Case - Plot Summary - IMDb Truth About Boston College Points-shaving Scandal May Never Be Known Cobb says he received $1,000 in an envelope but said he didnt really know what it was for. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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. 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. Mazzei, Hill and the Perlas devised a plan to rip off bookies without having players throw games. Cobb's trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 31 before Judge Leonard Wexler. In testimony before the President's Commission on Organized Crime, the former player, Rick Kuhn, said he thought college basketball players were most vulnerable to offers from gamblers ''in their junior and senior years, when it becomes reality that they're not going to have lucrative careers as players.'' Cobb eventually cleared his name and Sweeney was never charged. Thats the real strength of his story, that you pick yourself up and make something of yourself.. Rocco comes up to me and says, Hey, sometimes I bet on games and I wanna know how you think you guys are gonna do against Stonehill and Bentley? said Cobb. 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. 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). 2011-2023 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. RICK KUHN RECALLS POINT-SHAVING CASE - The New York Times Burke was sent to prison for 20 years (though he later died of cancer in 1996). The court papers said Kuhn of Swissvale, Pa., has agreed to testify against former teammate Ernie Cobb, 27, a basketball player from Stamford, Conn. Cobb has pleaded innocent to a charge of conspiring to commit sports bribery,a charge stemming from the point-shaving scandal. The conspiracy unraveled in 1980 after Hill was arrested by New York State authorities on drug trafficking charges and was subsequently implicated in the Lufthansa heist, which occurred while the point-shaving scheme was underway. Former Boston College basketball player Rick Kuhn, convicted on - UPI I was so frustrated at one point that I got on my bike in Stamford, Connecticut and just started riding. I didnt know what that was all about. Shaved down, one could call the story simple: A few college hoops kids helped take down a deadly gangster. Sometimes, B.C. He traveled throughout the world, getting paid to play the game that he loved. 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. Kuhn allegedly made $2,500 per fix. The fact that I went to court and fought for my name, that I stood up for myself and cleared my name, that I was exonerated and acquitted, its a travesty that Im still associated with this., My name is indelibly linked to it, Cobb continued. If the scheme worked, he said, the gamblers would win large wagers placed on Boston College's opponent. He recruited teammates Ernie Cobb and Jim Sweeney into the ring, after becoming connected with ex-convicts Paul Mazzei and Henry Hill. I dont know, but people are always going to speculate, he later said. Said Hill, "He wanted me to fly up to Boston. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. Knowing they were in serious trouble, the players agreed to cooperate. But by the next summer, in 1980, he sparkled while playing for the New Jersey Nets during the pre-season. When he told Alswanger about the indictment, his old high school coach spoke sternly with him, as he'd done sometwelveyears earlier when Cobb had just returned home fromthe juvenile detention facility. This page is not available in other languages. Im stuck. He now coaches high school basketball in Arizona. 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 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. The conspirators chose the January 17, 1979, game against Connecticut to implement this plan. Judge Bramwell noted that no witness at the trial had suggested that Mr. Kuhn had been a reluctant participant in the scheme. Anyone can read what you share. A forward for Boston Colleges basketball team, he wasnt the strongest player and was more interested in partying. RICK KUHN ASKS TERM REDUCTION - The New York Times Further successful bets followed in games against Fordham and St. Johns. Heavy shelling in Kherson, Kharkiv destroys residences. 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? 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.''. As he said regarding point shaving, the shit I was doing, that was going on in my life? Boston college basketball gambling scandal Boston college basketball gambling scandal We have many ongoing and upcoming promotions featuring Bitcoin Slots on our casino. ''Rather,'' Judge Bramwell said before imposing sentence, ''he emerges as a somewhat greedy individual. They said they were trying like hell but they couldnt get the job done because Cobb was the key man on the team., After Boston College beat Holy Cross 89-87 in the first game between the two schools that season, Hill said in SI, Well, B.C. #10. Betting - Chronicling the 'worst fix ever', the 1978-79 BC point - ESPN They were just doing their jobs. Cobb was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 6th Round and cut during training camp. I never got to realize my dream of playing in the NBA, but Ive been all over the globe and have experienced so many different and beautiful cultures. And who better than the teams top scorer, Ernie Cobb? 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. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. The other vital parties were the bookmakers, and it was very much a plural, as Hill explained. "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.". The true story of the famous Boston College point shaving scandal. Today, Cobbs relationship with Boston College remains strained. It wasnt an absolute disaster but it was a cousin. Nobody will ever know the full truth, as everyone involved has their own story. 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. ''Every college athlete may now come under suspicion from coaches and fans. The drug dealer, Paul Mazzei, introduced the mobster, Henry Hill, to his friend, Tony Perla. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. To allay any suspicions of foul play, they decided to bet on Boston College to win by more than the point spread ("cover the spread") in a game that they were confident the Eagles would win handily. As he walked across the scenic campus, marveled at the schools architectural splendor or ate until his hearts content in the dining hall, hed often pause to quietly give thanks for his fortunate circumstances. He dreamed of walking away from Boston College at seasons end as one of the schools most revered sons before embarking on what he hoped would be an accomplished, financially rewarding career in the NBA. My family has suffered. 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. 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. 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. 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. The other two kids made whatever choices they made, but look what was done to Ernie. Burke instructed Hill to warn the players to keep to their end of the deal because "you can't play basketball with broken hands.". The characters and events were later immortalized by the actors Ray Liotta and Robert DeNiro in the classic film, Goodfellas. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. The scheme was conceived by Rocco Perla and his brother Anthony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1978. 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. 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. Regulated operators also have safety checks in place to help protect those with gambling addictions. I feel it.. No source was given for this claim, with Streater's last appearance for the team occurring in the 197778 season, but this claim remained for more than five years, resulting in a number of media sites including Bleacher Report, ESPN and Yahoo News erroneously naming him as a point-shaver.[5]. The December 16 game against Harvard was chosen as the second test for the scheme. Cool and wet conditions return to California, West Coast. 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. Ed Guevara, a former FBI Special Agent, recalls viewing hours of footage. Sweeney had no doubts regarding the severity of what he was involved in. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. 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. Fourteen hours later, I arrived in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.. I just knew that not only was I going to make the team, but I was going to be a factor in the NBA. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Kuhn was sentenced to 10 years in prison, later reduced to 28 months. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward for the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. Ernie, and anybody who truly knew him, who knew about his character and what type of young man he was, we were all heartbroken. Sweeney was a businessman like me. If there was a poster of what a student athlete at Boston College is supposed to look like, it was Jim Sweeney.. Boston College Men's Basketball's 1977-1978 Season - Getty Images Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese family capo Paul Vario. 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. Result is the outcome of the syndicate's bets. 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. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. 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. BC was a big favourite, five or six points, and they won by one (78-77). 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. Federal prosecutor who investigated the case and BC graduate. "I'd call Rick (Kuhn), I'd tell him the point spread on the Boston College game, and Rick would say if they'd have a chance or not." Fixing The Games 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. You realize that you cant play if you dont do this. The Boston Globe story was initially investigated and written by a young Boston College alumnus named Leslie Visser, who would go on to become a very accomplished, groundbreaking journalist and role model for women who aspired to work in the field of sports media. 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. Hello I am making a movie on the scandal and my Director would like me to pursue the story as told by the players. 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. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. I was relishing that moment. All of those guys walkedin his footsteps., He was the African-American guard in the modern era of B.C. I got through it on my own, and I didnt get whacked, is how Sweeney looks back on the matter now, which is probably the healthiest view to take. Its very hard to detect. They were touting me as the next sub-6-footer to have an impact in the NBA. 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. Help for Inmates Before, During and After Prison Due to this the cause of this scandal remains unclear to this day. Tell me what you did and what you didnt do. If you missed Part I, you can read it here. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. Your email address will not be published. When he was implicated in the scandal, I was shocked.. 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. McDonald has answered questions about Mr. Cobb's status by say ing that the Justice Department's investigation is continuing. 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. Other notable players selected in that draft included Sidney Moncrief, Bill Laimbeer, Bill Cartwright, Mark Eaton and Jim Paxson.
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