By Danny B
I grew up on the streets of North Jersey. Like many kids, I was the product of a broken home.
It was very common for most young kids to look up to the wise guys that ran the neighborhood’s local bars, pool halls and more importantly, the politicians! You can read the book called The Boys from New Jersey and visualize how it might have been growing up in northern New Jersey during the 70s and 80s.
Bookmaking and loan sharking was a way of life back then. On every corner there was an outlet. If you wanted to place a bet, you could. If you needed money to cover the bet, you could borrow it for a small fee. Most kids in the neighborhood had to hustle to have some pocket change. My first job was a paper route. It paid $40-50 per week (not bad for a 12-year-old in 1975). A friend’s father owned a pool hall that also ran card games, parlay cards, numbers and took action in the back very common.
To make more money on my paper route, I would insert the parlay cards into the newspapers and leave them at the doors for those who were interested. Then, I would pick up the cards on collection night and render them back to the crew who ran the pool hall. My cut was 20% of the losses. A good week would net me $150-200. I soon became a fly at the pool hall and everyone knew me! I started meeting more and more connected people. Many of them were featured in the book The Boys from New Jersey.
By the age of 15, I was earning more money than most adults. School was not a priority unless I was playing ball. No one ever pushed me, so I never took school seriously. Making a lot of money at a young age also came with a price. My ego became bigger than my bankroll, and before I knew it, I was into every loan shark and owed over $30,000 in gambling debts. I was barely 16-years-old.
To work off my debt, I quit school and worked at the pool hall full time. Basically I worked the card games, collected money, ran numbers, passed out parlay cards and did whatever else that was asked of me. I continued to bet and lost more and more money. I used the “Peter to pay Paul” method to buy time. I knew how to make money, but I just couldn’t hold on to it. Eventually, I worked off my debts and joined the army on my 17th birthday. It was a new start for me.
During my three-year tour, I played baseball for the 101st Airborne Division. Baseball was always a passion of mine, and it was my escape as a kid. Col. Pete Dawkins, who won the Heisman Trophy for Army back in 1958, was one of my commanders. A big fan of mine and our team, “The Screaming Eagles,” Col. Dawkins watched all of our games. In 1981, I was awarded “Soldier of Year” by the 101st Airborne, an honor I cherish to this day. After my tour in the army, I took advantage of an invitation to play baseball for an independent team in Southern California. It was a great experience. I played with and against some big league players who had solid careers. After playing ball for one season, I soon realized that at 21-years-old you’re considered too old to start a professional career; plus the competition was overwhelming and well seasoned.
In December 1983, I left California and found my way back to New Jersey and the pool hall. From December 1983 thru August 1994, I worked for a major Sports Book in New York City and learned from the sharpest odds makers of the time, wining and dining with every wise guy in the tri-state area. It was exciting to be involved with the crew of wise guys I admired since I was a kid. Although I enjoyed my lifestyle, I knew I had to make a change. I was making a lot of money, more money than most people could imagine, but I had nothing to show for it. Whatever I made, I found a way to spend or give back at the casinos. It was a tough decision, but I left the East Coast and took a position with a well-known sports handicapper on the West Coast. I quickly excelled and made a name for myself. That newfound notoriety earned me a position with H.B.O. as a gaming consultant where my knowledge of the industry helped earn Emmy Awards for Jim Lampley, Bryant Gumbel and producer Matt Marantz. Although I left my crew in 1994, I continued to keep in touch with major players involved in the casino industry.
Sports betting is big business. Each year more and more players are getting involved. Most players are clueless; they rely on stats and trends, and they play with their hearts, not their heads. The biggest mistake made is money management. One must know how to stagger their bets and make the most of their bankroll. Another mistake is playing too many games. Most players are reckless. They are in it for the action and not the money.
If approached properly, sports betting can be very lucrative. The system I have developed over the many years I’ve been involved in the business is second to none. There is only one way to excel and maximize your earning potential. That way is The Vegas Way. I can teach you how to think like a pro and play the games the casinos need, not what the public wants. It took me many years to understand this business and I have learned from my mistakes. You can’t beat the odds; you must play the percentages. I come from the streets of North Jersey. I grew up with nothing or no one to teach me right from wrong. My determination to succeed in life was and still is relentless. When I fell down, I got up and never took “no” for an answer. I have everything every man or woman would want: a great family, a beautiful home, fancy cars and the ability to do what I want when I want. Allow me to share my knowledge and experience with you. If I can do it, so can you!
