The Bookie's Line Maker

Larry's Market Boys could not help but get involved in the dark underworld of gambling. Jimbo and I were no exception. I would supplement my College drinking budget by circulating football betting tickets around campus, covering all the action myself. They were the standard escalating rewards where 3 wins got you 6x your bet, 4 wins got you 10x your bet, etc... Jimbo would call in the line, I typed it on my non-electric typewriter, made copies in the library for $0.05 and sold them up and down the Nassau Street Eating Clubs. After a few weeks my service was generating up to $50/week, decent wheat back then. My only rule was the Football Players could not bet on the Princeton game in an attempt to not get into "real big" trouble if caught. That fall of 1978 would be fruitful for me, with Jimbo's help. I didn't have to pay out one ticket all season.