The numbers game, or policy racket, is an illegal lottery played mostly in poor neighborhoods in U.S. cities, wherein the bettor attempts to pick three or four digits to match those that will be randomly drawn the following day. The gambler places his or her bet with a bookie at a tavern, or other semi-private place that acts as a betting parlor. A runner carries the money and betting slips between the betting parlors and the headquarters, called a "numbers bank" or "policy bank". The name "policy" is from a similarity to cheap insurance, both seen as a gamble on the future.[1]
Legal version
Today, many state lotteries offer similar "daily numbers" games, relying typically on mechanical devices to draw the number. The state's rake is typically 50% rather than the 20%-40% of the numbers game. (Pennsylvania even calls its daily lottery "Daily Number".) Despite the existence of legal alternatives, some gamblers still prefer to play with a bookie for a number of reasons. Among them are the ability to bet on credit, better payoffs, the convenience of calling in one's bet on the telephone, and the avoidance of income tax.
Policy dealers
Sai Wing Mock (1879-1941), operator of policy game in Chinatown, New York in the 1900s
Albert J. Adams (1845-1906), operator of policy game in New York City in the 1900s[8]
Peter H. Matthews, operator of policy game in New York City in the 1900s
Joseph Vincent Moriarty, operator of numbers game in Hudson County, New Jersey in the 1950s
Policy reformers
Lexow Committee, uncovered illegal gambling in New York City
Charles Henry Parkhurst
Timeline
- 1860 Private lotteries flourish in large cities
- 1894 Lexow Committee investigates[3]
- 1901 Albert J. Adams arrested in New York City
- 1906 Albert J. Adams takes his own life[2]
- 1916 Peter H. Matthews dies in prison
- 1964 New Hampshire starts the first modern US lottery
In Popular Culture
The 1948 film noir Force of Evil revolves around the numbers racket, with the plot hinging upon the workings of policy banks. The film tells of a gangster who is trying to take over all the banks in New York City by rigging the mutual numbers to come up 776 on Independence Day. Since everybody plays those numbers for the Fourth of July, the banks will go bankrupt filling the policies.
Further reading
- New York Times; May 19, 1883, Wednesday; Policy-dealers Punished.
- Lawrence J. Kaplan and James M. Maher; The Economics of the Numbers Game in American Journal of Economics and Sociology;
- Nathan Thompson; Kings: The True Story of Chicago's Policy Kings and Numbers Racketeers An Informal History; The Bronzeville Press ISBN 0972487506 (2003)
References
- ^ Carl Sifakis, The Mafia Encyclopedia. Facts on File, 2005, p.336
- ^ b ""Al" Adams a Suicide, Following Misfortunes; Broken By Ill-health and Money Losses, He Shoots Himself. Sage & Co. Sank $2,000,000. He Also Felt Deeply The Disgrace Of Prison Sentence. Great Fortune Made In Policy Swindle.". New York Times. October 2, 1906. ""Al" Adams, known as the "Policy King," committed suicide yesterday morning by shooting himself. Members of his family and those in the apartment house who ... Standing before a mirror in his apartment on the fifteenth floor of the Ansonia apartment hotel, "Al" Adams, known as the "Policy King," committed suicide ..."
- ^ "Paid $500 To Schmittberger.". New York Times. October 12, 1894. "Forget Says This Tribute Went To The Police Captain. The Agent Of The French Line Tells The Lexow Committee Of The Money Transaction. Complete Exposure Of The Policy Business In This City. A List Of 600 Places Where The Gambling Was Conducted. Only One Precinct Free From The Evil."
This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.
Post new comment