High School Bookie

My first job was probably different than most people. I was a teenage bookie. In high school, I was approached by a friend, who worked for a friend of his, who worked for his father, who was in organized crime.

I once heard a story about the interior ot the 'fathers' house. In an upstairs room, there were nothing but guys sitting in chairs by desks making phone calls. And, I don't think it was part of a telethon to raise money for the needy.

So, I guess I was a junior partner in the underworld. Being part Italian, made it seem like it was almost part of my destiny. I was chosen because I had friends in all the 'cliques'. Jocks, nerds, "the unnamed", etc. I was in a group all to myself.

The job of a bookie was to hand out betting slips to people. They had to pick a minimum of 4 pro or college football games correctly to win. Of course, each betting slip was stamped 'Entertainment Purposes Only'.

For each dollar bet, I earned 20 cents. For a 14 year old that was pretty good money.

Alas, my days in the mob ended early.

Somehow, word leaked to my father. He was in politics and it would not be good for his re-election if his son were to be sent to the big house.