I was eating Rory Sparrow up, who went on to have a decent NBA career, in that camp. I was back at home, visiting for the summer and about to return to Israel, Cobb said. But he did take money. Boston College confirmed the investigation on Friday. Mizzou understands that Hill was doing what he had to do to survive. Thus, for example, if participating bookmakers determined Boston College to be an eight-point favorite in a particular game, Kuhn would be paid a bonus, usually $2,500, if they won by less than eight points. Burke had Hill fly to Boston on November 16, 1978, to meet with Mazzei, Kuhn, Tony Perla, and any other member of the Eagles team interested in participating in their scheme. He tried to subsist as a substitute teacher, and even caddied at the Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, the affluent suburbs where hed previously been arrested for stealing bikes as a kid. 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. Boston College's basketball team ended their 197879 season with a 229 record. The audience gets one on one interviews with each person to see the scandal from their perspective. It was national news that brought Cobb, Sweeney, and Kuhn under massive headlines. 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. While Hill was being questioned, FBI agents inadvertently mentioned his frequent trips to Boston around the time of the Lufthansa heist. Jimmy Burke goes berserk and shatters his own TV. Same here, and yet when they did their list of greatest sports scandals a few weeks back (when Miami broke) they didn't have it on there the first day. At the close of the two-week trial, Alswanger was the last character witness who took the stand in Cobbs behalf. He was a murderer and a horrible human being. I dont know if they recognize it, but B.C. But I never agreed to fix any games or shave any points. Whenever the Boston College scandal comes up, he tends to remind people that theres always more than one side to a story, and leave it at that. (In some of the Boston College games cited, the Eagles were underdogs and lost by more than the point spread.). On Friday morning, March 23rd, the jury came back with a unanimous innocent verdict for Ernie Cobb, exonerating him of all charges. When one of his links leads to a purchase of, say, a LeBron James Fathead, he gets a 15% commission. He hugged his tearful mother before walking out into the hallway for a few moments. And as black kids who loved ball in Boston, he represented something for us, giving the younger generation something to aspire toin terms of their basketball skillsbecause he was putting in some serious work.. The mobsters are done fixing games with the Boston College players and call them babies for barely getting the job done. Boston College Accused of Point Shaving, was the big headline on the UPI wire. I walk in the bathroom, and who was in there but Peter Vario, the big-time mobster that was on trial with Ernie, said Alswanger. 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. Investigators find phone records from Pittsburgh to Burke that allow them to connect the point-shaving scheme to him. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Columbia University has announced economist Nemat "Minouche" Shafik will become the university's 20th president and the first woman to serve in the role in its 268-year history. Sweeney says that he and Maura have almost recouped their costs in launching the character. Sweeney hears Tony explain that this is the grand finale, Tony claims he never threatened him. Whats striking about the point shaving scandal from the perspective of 35 years is how different, i.e. 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. As a freshman, he played sparingly and averaged 4.5 points per game while the Eagles finished with a disappointing 9-17 overall record. But that had nothing to do with shaving points., At the time, I was nave, Cobb continued. The FBI had all the evidence they needed and were going to try and swing that Jimmy Burke played a large role in the scandal in order to convict him. I was so thankful, and was willing to work as hard as I possibly could, both in my studies, and in basketball, to be able to get the most I could out of the experience.. I never lied about that. It creates suspense as Hill is a mess on the stand and can barely speak under the pressure of snitching on his friends. [3] Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment,[4] later reduced to 28 months. 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. It had to cost around $200,000 at the time to defend me.. Even with the not guilty verdict, he still lost all hope of going to the NBA. Today, Cobbs relationship with Boston College remains strained. Suspecting that some bookmakers might be getting wise to the scheme, the conspirators temporarily revised their strategy after the UCLA game. The documentary, narrated by Ray Liotta (who portrayed Hill in the film), was set up so that the viewer needed to watch Goodfellas beforehand to understand many of the references in the story. He made other African-American ballers feel like they could go there and really showcase what they could do on a national level. Everybody testified against him. Ernie Cobb is also introduced, a senior, team captain, and Boston Colleges top scorer. Still, he feels lucky. Black Test Car orA Dark Machine of Destruction? The syndicate was very happy with this result, and Kuhn was given cash to distribute to the players for their efforts. Barbara Reed, 25, Kuhn's former girlfriend who was living with him at the time, testified that Kuhn uncharacteristically began buying her presents -- a stereo set, a television set and jewelry -- during the winter of 1978-79. The audience is left to make their own judgment on how involved Sweeney and Cobb were in the fixes, but Sweeney missing a free throw when he is the best in the nation is some serious evidence of his involvement. Professional wrestler Jay Briscoe dies in car accident at 38, Sister Andre, world's oldest living person, dies at 118, Ukraine's interior minister, other officials killed in helicopter crash near school, Qantas flight lands safely after engine trouble prompts mayday call, Meditation may alter gut microbes, study of Tibetan monks suggests. It was a sweet victory for prosecutors against Burke, for whom they failed to even build a charge against for his biggest crime, the famous $6 million Lufthansa heist. hoops that blazed a trail, Mills continued. Columbia University names Nemat Shafik as first woman president. Sometimes, B.C. This is important because it shows how it was a poorly run operation. We werent really checking for B.C. Kuhn tells Sweeney that the mobsters in New York and Pittsburgh want this win and that this will be the last fix. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Walgreens agreed to pay $83 million to settle a lawsuit in West Virginia related to its role in the opioid crisis and its effect on the state, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced Wednesday. The government presented telephone records showing evidence of extensive communications between the conspirators during the 197879 season and records provided by Western Union and various hotels which further corroborated government testimony. For all I know, he told them I was in, that it would cost an extra $2,500 per game and he was trying to hustle the gangsters while pocketing the extra money. 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. The 80-minute documentary tells how BC forward Rick Kuhn conspired with two of his hoodlum friends from Pittsburgh to bet against the Eagles. Twice, in 1951 and 1961, the sport was rocked by scandal. I opened up the door and it was these guys from the F.B.I., said Cobb. Later, Mazzei hears that Kuhn is able to start fixing games. The players as well as the mobsters believe that this failed fix would be their last, the players graduate and the mobsters move on. Can anyone shed some It goes to show that crimes like these dont stay in the past, especially when they involve other peoples money. My family has suffered. It would fit with ESPN, which reports sports but also has an underlying self-deprecating humor, is basically his pitch. . We were looking good as a team and my goal was to be the best player I could possibly be. The story read, in part, as follows: Ernie Cobb tossed in 1,760 points in a stellar basketball career at Boston College and only two other Eagles scored more. Of course, the damn players had a million excuses, Henry Hill wrote in Sports Illustrateds bombshell story, How I Put The Fix In, which was the magazines cover story on February 16th, 1981. In the time of COVID-19, sports fans everywhere are trying to find ways to pass the time. The scheme continued to work successfully in the December 23 game against UCLA. 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. I was so frustrated at one point that I got on my bike in Stamford, Connecticut and just started riding. like that until he got there. He worked hard in class. With Roccos high school buddy Rick Kuhn entering his senior year at Boston College, where he was expected to be a contributor to the schools basketball team, the brothers figured they could make a ton of money. All Kuhn had to do was ensure that the Eagles fell short of the point spread in the games that they bet on. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The conspirators decided that these games presented especially good opportunities because New York bookmakers generally accepted large bets for New York teams. Out of everything that happened, thats one thing that hurts me tremendously, Cobb said. The six games figuring in the point-shaving case were Boston College against Providence, Dec. 6; Harvard, Dec. 16; UCLA, Dec. 23; Fordham, Feb. 3; St. John's, Feb. 6, and Holy Cross, Feb. 10. Rick Kuhn during Boston College men's basketball's 1977-1978 season. I was a senior in high school when Ernie Cobb was a senior at Boston College and Id heard that he was a very good player, said Lemuel Mills, a Boston area hoops aficionado, coach, community mentor and historian. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. He was hopeful that hed have another chance to make it in the NBA. The movie begins by introducing the key Boston College basketball players and the Pittsburgh mobsters. Burke instructed Hill to warn the players to keep to their end of the deal because "you can't play basketball with broken hands.". Jimmy said he was finished. 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. Fellow player Michael Bowie begins to ask questions, but Sweeney argues that they are still winning. 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. I think you could poll a lot of people in the business and the Boston College scandal is off their radar. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- Boeing's sustainable flight demonstrator project won a $425 million award Wednesday from NASA, as the company aims to roll out green single-aisle airliners by the end of the decade. Zimmerman also asked the court to consider Kuhn's 'crime-free background' and his cooperation with federal authorities in the Cobb case. Jim Sweeney admits that Kuhn gave him cash. Ernie Cobb played professional basketball in Israel for 17 years, where he learned to speak fluent Hebrew. Holy Cross was favored to win and, consistent with the scheme, were bet on to win by a margin greater than the seven-point spread. 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. On October 7, View Rick Kuhns profile on LinkedIn, the worlds largest professional community. The Perla brothers proposed a simple scheme: they, along with Kuhn, would select certain basketball games where the projected point spread separating Boston College from its opponent was expected to be significant. (Rick Kuhn, Photo Credit: bostonglobe.com). Hill and Burke both were convicted of extortion in 1972 in Florida and have been prime suspects in the Dec. 11, 1978, robbery of almost $9 million from the Lufthansa Cargo Terminal at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Richard Kuhn AIA by BSA Staff Name: Richard Kuhn AIA Job title and company: Design director, Perkins+Will Degree(s): B. will air the latest installment of its acclaimed 30 For 30 series with a look back at the infamous Boston College basketball point shaving scandal from the 1978-79 season. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. I was nervous because I didnt know what was going to happen. Riper, Tom Van. The government also contended Kuhn tried to recruit other players, including the team's leading scorer, Ernie Cobb, and Hill said in an article in Sports Illustrated -- for which he was paid $10,000 -- that he made payments to Cobb for his cooperation. But Cobb denied receiving any money and he was not indicted. Music. Henry Hill avoided going to prison, and he went off into the sunset of the governments Witness Protection Program, said Alswanger. I said, If this dude has cash like that to burn and wants to give me $1,000 because I told him wed destroy Stonehill, sure, Ill take it. Maybe he was trying to cultivate a relationship with me and soften me up for something down the road. 5 Convicted in Boston College Betting Case By Bart Barnes November 24, 1981 A federal jury in Brooklyn yesterday convicted former Boston College basketball In this game, UCLA was favored to win over the Eagles by a fifteen to eighteen-point spread, so the syndicate bet on them to win by a margin greater than the point spread. Sweeney claims that hes heard network execs at a sports business conference in Florida express a desire for such a character to pop up with occasional humorous commentary. Cobb's trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 31 before Judge Leonard Wexler. Even though he was not guilty, Boston College has erased them from their memory. He graduated from Woodworth Public School in 1985 and earned a bachelors degree from University of Sioux Falls. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A man who posed as a cannabis billionaire plead guilty Wednesday to securities fraud for lying to investors about his wealth, education and business. Joe Beaulieu, the starting center on the 1978-79 Boston College team, also testified he was approached by Kuhn to participate in the plan, but he said he rejected the proposal. You may opt-out by. 197879 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal. When he first stepped on the hallowed parquet floor at the legendary Boston Garden, where B.C. This offers a students perspective of how they never thought their team could have been fixing teams. Cobb, for his part, was tried for conspiracy and acquitted. So I didnt even go on trial with Kuhn and the mobsters that put the whole thing in motion.. He was determined to prove that he could do the work, which would enable him to further chase his athletic dreams. less serious, the aftermath was compared to the fallout that would occur today. I feel it.. This is Part II of The Shadow League's feature story on former Boston College basketball player Ernie Cobb. BOSTON - NOVEMBER 17: Rick Kuhn (#35) during Boston College men's basketball's 1978-1979 season. The Providence game was played on December 6, 1978, and Boston College was favored to win by six to seven points. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. The test run for the scheme proved unsuccessful when Boston College's team established an early lead and ultimately won the game by nineteen points. 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. As a backup center with limited effect on a games outcome, he won over the mobsters by bringing Ernie Cobb, the teams leading scorer, and Sweeney, the point guard who controlled the ball for much of the game, into the fold. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. He quickly thrived and was recognized as one of the leagues best players. I had my own place to live and all the food I wanted to eat. Supreme Court mulls questions about students' accessibility rights. He rebounded well and was a good outlet It was a tragedy that he never got another chance to play in the NBA., Kevin Loughery never gave me a firm reason why the Nets were letting me go, said Cobb. Rick Kuhn, 10 years, Rocco Perla (fixer) four years and a $30,000 fine. Rick Kuhn, 55, passed away peacefully on September 12, 2022, in his home in West Fargo, ND, surrounded by his family. Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A class ring that went missing decades ago has been returned to its owner. I didnt think anything of it. The mobsters Paul Mazzei and Henry Hill met in a nearby jail stayed in touch after serving their time. The point-shaving allegations surfaced during an unrelated investigation into the 1978 theft of $5.8 million from the Lufthansa cargo terminal at New Yorks Kennedy Airport. It wasnt until I actually saw him play that I realized how special he was as an offensive talent. Testifying for the government, Sweeney acknowledged meeting with Hill but said that although he agreed to participate in the scheme he never intended to go through with the deal. But I found out that I wouldnt be allowed to leave the United States because the government was going to bring me to trial.. But I know that its not really in vain, because I know the truth.. He said he would have done that if the sides were reversed. Kuhn was thus expected to keep the score below the six- to seven-point margin. 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. 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. Loughery told me that I had the ability to play in the NBA. In the 1979 NBA Draft, Magic Johnson was the first overall pick of the Los Angeles Lakersafter leading Michigan State University to the National Championship over Larry Birds Indiana State team. I told him, I think were gonna blow them out, we look really good. 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. Netflix hiring flight attendant for private jet with compensation up to $385,000. 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. The goal for making some real money is to get the character a TV gig with ESPN, NBC Sports, or another major sports network. won the gangsters some serious money by falling short of the spread. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players. His testimony continued terribly, he was a nervous wreck, he was rambling about unnecessary information and he couldnt even look in Burkes direction. Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese family capo Paul Vario. And look what he did to the lives of those kids. I feel like if I can change one life, like he changed mine, man, it makes everything Ive been through worthwhile., Copyright 2009-2021, All Rights Reserved | The Shadow League. They reintroduced the original strategy, which proved successful for the February 3 Fordham game when Boston College, a ten-point favorite, won by seven points. Cobb was acquitted of any wrongdoing, despite Kuhn giving Cobb's girlfriend an allegedly unsolicited envelope with $1,000. Ultimately, nothing happened. Theyd taken my passport and I had to stay here and face these charges, said Cobb. I didnt know what that was all about. Mazzei and the Perlas were particularly hopeful that Hill would enlist the support of his associate, James Burke, to finance the payments to the players and to set up a network of bookmakers who were in on the scheme. Only on occasion does the scandal come up. We get footage of the games and the scheme continued, but no one knew just how much the fixers made. 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). Jan. 18 (UPI) -- The husband accused in the New Year's Day disappearance of Massachusetts mother of three Ana Walshe made a series of Internet searches about dismembering bodies and disposing of them, prosecutors said in court Wednesday. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. Im not angry at the school. 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. The problem was Cobb. I understand that they want to disassociate themselves from the scandal. (Joe Dennehy/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Save PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. Kuhn, who ultimately served four years in prison for conspiracy and racketeering, hatched a plan with Hill associates Tony Perla, his brother Rocco Perla, and Paul Mazzei to shave points - losing by more than the point spread or winning by less than the point spread - in several BC games between December 1978 and March 1979. He said he was brought in on the deal for his ability to maximize profits through his contacts in the gambling world. His lifes dream of making it to the NBA, which was where he belonged, was taken away from him. Rocco and Tony Perla were giving money to Rick Kuhn. The conviction of former Boston College basketball player Richard Kuhn for his involvement in the point shaving scandal during the 1978-79 basketball season was If you missed Part I, you can read it here. And that kept him in Hills clutches. According to Hill's testimony, he met with Kuhn and cocaptain Jim Sweeney in a hotel room near Boston's Logan Airport in November of 1978 to cement the deal. 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. 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. The move on and they all thought the fixes were history. He killed people. Hill gave up everybody including the players involved. To establish Hills character, the film showcases numerous scenes from Goodfellas, including when Hill, under trial, is rewarded for not snitching on his family associates. It was like a paradise to me, coming from where I came from. At one point, he said accepted $500 from Kuhn, but only to give the illusion of cooperating in the scheme. Its gonna be no contest. The film begins by showcasing the classic movie Goodfellas and how this story is all wrapped up in the real-life events that inspired the movie. They couldnt stop him. But by his sophomore year, when he was inserted into the starting lineup, it was apparent that the 5-foot-11 scorer brought a dimension to the Boston College squad that it sorely needed when he averaged 17.4 points per game. The FBI agent is shocked and doesnt believe him, but begins to ask questions. 197879 Boston College Eagles basketball season, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, "Key figures in the BC point shaving scandal", "James (Jimmy the Gent) Burke, Gangster, 64, of 'Wiseguy' Fame", "Kuhn Gets 10-Year Sentence In BC Point-Shaving Case", "Guilt by Wikipedia: How Joe Streater Became Falsely Attached To The Boston College Point Shaving Scandal", 1946 NFL Championship Game bribery scandal, 2009 Melbourne Football Club tanking scandal, 2012 Olympics women's doubles disqualifications, 2002 Winter Olympics figure skating scandal, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=197879_Boston_College_basketball_point-shaving_scandal&oldid=1112461833, 197879 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, College basketball controversies in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 12:41. I hadnt seen Ernie for several years, Jack Hennessey, a psychologist at Boston College that had served as an informal academic advisor during Cobbs days as a student, told the New York Times in April of 1984. I dont know what went down because I wasnt involved. 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. Although Cobb and Sweeney received money and were a part of the scandal, the FBI did not prosecute them in the first round and were primarily focused on getting the mobsters. Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence and Rick Kuhn was sentenced to a ten-year bid as well, which was later reduced to 28 months.
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