Boston College basketball point shaving scandal of 1978-79
Encyclopedia
The Boston College basketball
point shaving scandal of 1978-79 involved a scheme in which underworld figures recruited and bribed some Boston College basketball players to ensure the team would not win by the required margin (not cover the point spread) allowing the gamblers in the know to place wagers against that team and win.
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. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. 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 Boston College won by less than eight points. In addition, they were given the opportunity to bet the money they were paid and double their winnings. Kuhn agreed to participate, and brought in his teammates Jim Sweeney and Joe Streater.
associate from New York who had befriended Mazzei while both men were serving sentences in a federal prison. Mazzei and the Perlas were particularly hopeful that Hill would enlist the support of his associate, James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke, to finance the payments to the players and to set up a network of bookmakers who were in on the scheme. These bookies could handle large bets and lay them off and spread the bets among a number of unsuspecting bookmakers around the country so as not to arouse suspicion. They would also ensure protection for the enterprise in the event that the unsuspecting bookmakers, all of whom had thugs at their disposal to collect unpaid debts, discovered they were being swindled. Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese crime family capo Paul Vario
.
Burke, through Hill, would front the money to pay the players, forwarding the money to Pittsburgh to Paul Mazzei as the go-between, who would forward it to the Perla brothers who would pass it to the players directly. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players.
Burke had Hill fly to Boston on November 16, 1978, to meet with Mazzei, Tony Perla, Kuhn, and any other member of the Boston College team interested in participating in their scheme. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. Sweeney took out one of those little schedule cards, circled the games he thought we could fool around with, and gave the card to me. They kept saying that they liked the idea of just shaving points and not blowing the games." After discussing their strategy with Kuhn and Sweeney, it was agreed that the upcoming Providence game would be an appropriate test for their scheme. Hill paid Kuhn, Sweeney, and Streater $2,000 each in good-faith money and furnished them one ounce of cocaine to seal the conspiracy.
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, however, when Boston College established an early lead and ultimately won the game by nineteen points.
Enraged by their gambling loss, the conspiring Perla Brothers, Mazzei, Burke, and Hill decided to recruit additional Boston College players to enhance their control over the outcome of the games. They approached Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on the team, and Joseph Beaulieu, who shared the center position with Kuhn. Cobb agreed to cooperate, while Beaulieu rejected this offer. Burke instructed Hill to warn the players to keep to their end of the deal because "you can't play basketball with broken hands."
The December 16 Harvard
game was chosen as the second test for the scheme. Boston College was favored by 12 to 13 points but won the game by only a three-point margin, 86-83. The bettors were very happy with this result and Kuhn, Sweeney, Streater, and Cobb were paid $2,500 each for their efforts.
The scheme continued to work successfully in the December 23 UCLA
game, where the Bruins, a 15- to 18-point favorite, won the game by 22 points, 103-81.
Suspecting that some bookmakers might be getting wise to the scheme, the conspirators temporarily revised their strategy after the UCLA game. 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 Boston College would win handily. The conspirators chose the January 17 Connecticut
(UConn) game to implement this plan. Their strategy was effective; BC, a 5-point favorite, covered the spread with a 90-80 win over UConn.
In early February, Boston College was scheduled to play two New York teams, Fordham
and St. John's
. The conspirators decided that these games presented especially good opportunities because New York bookmakers generally accepted large bets for New York teams. They reintroduced the original strategy and it proved successful for the February 3 Fordham game when BC, a 10-point favorite, won by seven points, 71-64.
The February 6 St. John's game was a "push": the bettors neither won nor lost when St. John's prevailed 85-76 by the exact betting margin established by participating bookmakers, 9-12.
Confident from their recent success, the conspirators viewed the February 10 Holy Cross
game as an opportunity to reap the full benefits of their scheme. They were aware that bookmakers generally accepted large bets on this game because Boston College and Holy Cross were traditional rivals and also because the game was being nationally televised. Holy Cross was favored to win and, consistent with the scheme, the conspirators bet on Holy Cross to win by a margin greater than the point spread, 2-7. Holy Cross ultimately won by only two points, 98-96; however, Ernie Cobb scored eight points in the final minutes to bring BC close, and everyone involved lost a substantial amount of money. Hill stated that, at the time, he and Burke were watching the game on television at Burke's home in Howard Beach, Queens
, and when it was over Burke, having lost $50,000 of his own money on the game, put his foot through his big expensive television set in a rage. Said Hill, "He wanted me to fly up to Boston. Ultimately, nothing happened. Jimmy said he was finished. He didn't want to be bothered with these kids anymore." The scheme thus ended on an unsuccessful note.
The Boston College basketball team ended its 1978-79 season with a 22-9 record. The players involved in the point-shaving scheme had made $2,500 each, and sometimes more, per game. Hill cleared over $100,000 and bettors higher up the line were said to have made up to $250,000.
authorities on drug trafficking charges and subsequently was implicated in the Lufthansa heist
. Hill turned informant
in exchange for avoiding prison time and to escape possible execution by Burke and the Lucchese family
. While being questioned on these crimes, Hill revealed that he had recently participated in a point-shaving scheme involving the Boston College basketball team and various underworld figures. Hill offered to relate the full story of the swindle if federal officials would guarantee him full immunity and would agree to intercede on his behalf to convince state officials to drop the drug charges pending in state court.
The grand jury indicted Burke, Mazzei, Kuhn, Cobb, Rocco Perla, and Tony Perla on the basis of testimony given by Hill. Hill was indicted as a co-conspirator but was not named as a defendant. At the trial in 1981, the government's case consisted primarily of the testimony of Hill and three other witnesses, James Sweeney and Joseph Streater, both Boston College players, and Barbara Reed, a 23-year-old nurse who lived with Kuhn during the 1978-79 Boston College season. The government also introduced two confessions, one made by Kuhn and the other by Tony Perla. Finally, the government presented telephone records showing evidence of extensive communications between the conspirators during the 1978-79 season and records provided by Western Union and various hotels which further corroborated government testimony.
After a four-week trial, each conspirator was convicted on charges of RICO
conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and interstate travel with the intent to commit bribery. Burke was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, later reduced to 28 months. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. Rocco Perla was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Cobb was acquitted. Sweeney and Streater were not charged.
Fixed: How Goodfellas Bought Boston College Basketball by David Porter, Taylor Trade Publishing (February 25, 2000) ISBN 978-0878331925 Utilizing extensive background research as well as interviews with the principal characters, Fixed provides the first in-depth reconstruction of the point-shaving scandal involving the 1978-1979 Boston College basketball team, from the genesis of the plot in the summer of 1978, through the uncovering of the scheme during an unrelated investigation in 1980, to the trial that captivated the sports world in the fall of 1981 and its aftermath.
Boston College Eagles men's basketball
The Boston College Eagles are a Division I college basketball program that represents Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA. The team has competed in the ACC since 2005, having previously played in the Big East. Home games have been played at the Conte Forum since 1988, having previously been played...
point shaving scandal of 1978-79 involved a scheme in which underworld figures recruited and bribed some Boston College basketball players to ensure the team would not win by the required margin (not cover the point spread) allowing the gamblers in the know to place wagers against that team and win.
The scheme
The Boston College point shaving scheme was conceived by Rocco Perla and his brother Anthony (Tony) in Pittsburgh during the summer of 1978. The Perla brothers were small-time gamblers who saw the 1978-79 Boston College basketball season as a perfect opportunity to earn a lot of money. They wanted to recruit Rick Kuhn to join the scheme. Kuhn, a high school friend of Rocco Perla, was entering his senior year at Boston College and was expected to be a key member of the 1978-79 Eagles basketball team.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. Kuhn would be responsible for ensuring, by his play on the court, that Boston College fell short of the point spread. 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 Boston College won by less than eight points. In addition, they were given the opportunity to bet the money they were paid and double their winnings. Kuhn agreed to participate, and brought in his teammates Jim Sweeney and Joe Streater.
The setup
Rocco and Tony Perla then mobilized a betting syndicate to maximize their potential gain from this operation. They contacted a local friend, Paul Mazzei, who was known to have influence within major New York gambling circles. Mazzei in turn contacted Henry Hill, a Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
associate from New York who had befriended Mazzei while both men were serving sentences in a federal prison. Mazzei and the Perlas were particularly hopeful that Hill would enlist the support of his associate, James "Jimmy the Gent" Burke, to finance the payments to the players and to set up a network of bookmakers who were in on the scheme. These bookies could handle large bets and lay them off and spread the bets among a number of unsuspecting bookmakers around the country so as not to arouse suspicion. They would also ensure protection for the enterprise in the event that the unsuspecting bookmakers, all of whom had thugs at their disposal to collect unpaid debts, discovered they were being swindled. Hill and Burke were brought into the scheme, after receiving approval from Lucchese crime family capo Paul Vario
Paul Vario
Paul Vario was a caporegime of a crew in the Lucchese crime family. In the 1970s Vario held the position of consigliere in the family but later resigned. In 1980, longtime associate Henry Hill became a government witness and testified against Vario and members of his crew...
.
Burke, through Hill, would front the money to pay the players, forwarding the money to Pittsburgh to Paul Mazzei as the go-between, who would forward it to the Perla brothers who would pass it to the players directly. The same channels would be used for the passing of the point spread from Burke and Hill to the players.
Burke had Hill fly to Boston on November 16, 1978, to meet with Mazzei, Tony Perla, Kuhn, and any other member of the Boston College team interested in participating in their scheme. Said Hill, "I asked the players which of the upcoming games they felt we could shave. Sweeney took out one of those little schedule cards, circled the games he thought we could fool around with, and gave the card to me. They kept saying that they liked the idea of just shaving points and not blowing the games." After discussing their strategy with Kuhn and Sweeney, it was agreed that the upcoming Providence game would be an appropriate test for their scheme. Hill paid Kuhn, Sweeney, and Streater $2,000 each in good-faith money and furnished them one ounce of cocaine to seal the conspiracy.
The fix
The ProvidenceProvidence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
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, however, when Boston College established an early lead and ultimately won the game by nineteen points.
Enraged by their gambling loss, the conspiring Perla Brothers, Mazzei, Burke, and Hill decided to recruit additional Boston College players to enhance their control over the outcome of the games. They approached Ernie Cobb, the leading scorer on the team, and Joseph Beaulieu, who shared the center position with Kuhn. Cobb agreed to cooperate, while Beaulieu rejected this offer. Burke instructed Hill to warn the players to keep to their end of the deal because "you can't play basketball with broken hands."
The December 16 Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
game was chosen as the second test for the scheme. Boston College was favored by 12 to 13 points but won the game by only a three-point margin, 86-83. The bettors were very happy with this result and Kuhn, Sweeney, Streater, and Cobb were paid $2,500 each for their efforts.
The scheme continued to work successfully in the December 23 UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
game, where the Bruins, a 15- to 18-point favorite, won the game by 22 points, 103-81.
Suspecting that some bookmakers might be getting wise to the scheme, the conspirators temporarily revised their strategy after the UCLA game. 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 Boston College would win handily. The conspirators chose the January 17 Connecticut
Connecticut Huskies
The Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
(UConn) game to implement this plan. Their strategy was effective; BC, a 5-point favorite, covered the spread with a 90-80 win over UConn.
In early February, Boston College was scheduled to play two New York teams, Fordham
Fordham Rams
The 22 Fordham University varsity sports teams are known as the Fordham Rams. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA...
and St. John's
St. John's Red Storm
The St. John's Red Storm is the nickname used for the 16 varsity athletic programs of St. John's University. St. John's 16 NCAA Division I teams compete in the Big East Conference, with the exception of the fencing and lacrosse teams, which compete in the ECAC...
. The conspirators decided that these games presented especially good opportunities because New York bookmakers generally accepted large bets for New York teams. They reintroduced the original strategy and it proved successful for the February 3 Fordham game when BC, a 10-point favorite, won by seven points, 71-64.
The February 6 St. John's game was a "push": the bettors neither won nor lost when St. John's prevailed 85-76 by the exact betting margin established by participating bookmakers, 9-12.
Confident from their recent success, the conspirators viewed the February 10 Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
game as an opportunity to reap the full benefits of their scheme. They were aware that bookmakers generally accepted large bets on this game because Boston College and Holy Cross were traditional rivals and also because the game was being nationally televised. Holy Cross was favored to win and, consistent with the scheme, the conspirators bet on Holy Cross to win by a margin greater than the point spread, 2-7. Holy Cross ultimately won by only two points, 98-96; however, Ernie Cobb scored eight points in the final minutes to bring BC close, and everyone involved lost a substantial amount of money. Hill stated that, at the time, he and Burke were watching the game on television at Burke's home in Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach, Queens
Howard Beach is a suburban neighborhood in the southwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York City. It is bordered in the north by the Belt Parkway and South Conduit Avenue in Ozone Park, the south by Jamaica Bay in Broad Channel, the east by 102nd-104th streets, and the west by 78th...
, and when it was over Burke, having lost $50,000 of his own money on the game, put his foot through his big expensive television set in a rage. Said Hill, "He wanted me to fly up to Boston. Ultimately, nothing happened. Jimmy said he was finished. He didn't want to be bothered with these kids anymore." The scheme thus ended on an unsuccessful note.
The Boston College basketball team ended its 1978-79 season with a 22-9 record. The players involved in the point-shaving scheme had made $2,500 each, and sometimes more, per game. Hill cleared over $100,000 and bettors higher up the line were said to have made up to $250,000.
The fall
The Boston College basketball point-shaving conspiracy was uncovered in 1980 when Hill was arrested and indicted by New York stateNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
authorities on drug trafficking charges and subsequently was implicated in the Lufthansa heist
Lufthansa heist
The Lufthansa heist was a robbery at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 11, 1978. An estimated $5 million in cash and $875,000 in jewels were stolen, at the time making it the largest cash robbery ever committed on American soil...
. Hill turned informant
Turn state's evidence
To turn state's evidence is when an accused or convicted criminal testifies as a witness for the state against his associates or accomplices. Turning state's evidence is occasionally a result of a change of heart or feelings of guilt, but more often is done in response to a generous offer from the...
in exchange for avoiding prison time and to escape possible execution by Burke and the Lucchese family
Lucchese crime family
The Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
. While being questioned on these crimes, Hill revealed that he had recently participated in a point-shaving scheme involving the Boston College basketball team and various underworld figures. Hill offered to relate the full story of the swindle if federal officials would guarantee him full immunity and would agree to intercede on his behalf to convince state officials to drop the drug charges pending in state court.
The grand jury indicted Burke, Mazzei, Kuhn, Cobb, Rocco Perla, and Tony Perla on the basis of testimony given by Hill. Hill was indicted as a co-conspirator but was not named as a defendant. At the trial in 1981, the government's case consisted primarily of the testimony of Hill and three other witnesses, James Sweeney and Joseph Streater, both Boston College players, and Barbara Reed, a 23-year-old nurse who lived with Kuhn during the 1978-79 Boston College season. The government also introduced two confessions, one made by Kuhn and the other by Tony Perla. Finally, the government presented telephone records showing evidence of extensive communications between the conspirators during the 1978-79 season and records provided by Western Union and various hotels which further corroborated government testimony.
After a four-week trial, each conspirator was convicted on charges of RICO
RICO
-Music:*Rico , a 2000 album by Matt Bianco*"Rico" , a 1998 song the Matthew Good Band from the album Underdogs*Rico International, a manufacturer of reeds, mouthpieces, and woodwind accessories...
conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and interstate travel with the intent to commit bribery. Burke was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment. Kuhn was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, later reduced to 28 months. Mazzei and Tony Perla were sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. Rocco Perla was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Cobb was acquitted. Sweeney and Streater were not charged.
The games
- December 6, 1978 against ProvidenceProvidence CollegeProvidence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
. BC was favored by 6-7 and won by 19 points, 83-64 All bets were lost as BC covered the point spread. - December 16, 1978 against HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. BC was favored by 12-13 and won by 3 points 86-83, resulting in a win for the bettors. - December 23, 1978 against UCLAUCLA Bruins men's basketballThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
. BC was a 15-18 point underdog, and lost by 22 points 103-81 resulting in a win for the bettors. - January 10, 1979 against Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandThe University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
. BC was a 13-15 point underdog; and lost by 13 points 91-78 and the betters lost. - January 17, 1979 against UConnConnecticut HuskiesThe Connecticut Huskies, also known as the UConn Huskies, are the athletic teams of the University of Connecticut in the United States. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference for all sports except Men's Ice Hockey and Women's Ice...
. BC, favored by 5 beat UConn by 10 points 90-80 a margin greater than the point spread, resulting in a win for the bettors. - January 20, 1979 against Holy CrossCollege of the Holy CrossThe College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
was a "push", the betters neither won nor lost when BC, initially favored by 5, dropped to 2 due to heavy betting on Holy Cross. BC wins by the exact betting margin 2 points, 89-87 - February 3, 1979 against FordhamFordham RamsThe 22 Fordham University varsity sports teams are known as the Fordham Rams. Their colors are maroon and white. The Fordham Rams are members of NCAA Division I and compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except football. In football, the Rams play in the Patriot League of NCAA...
. BC was favored by 10, won by 7 points 71-64 resulting in a win for the bettors. - February 6, 1979 against St. John's was a "push". The bettors neither won nor lost when St. John's, the favorite, prevailed by the exact betting margin 9-12 and won by 9 points, 85-76.
- February 10, 1979 against Holy CrossCollege of the Holy CrossThe College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
. Holy Cross was initially favored by 2. After heavy betting against BC, Holy Cross was favored to win by 7 at the start of the game. They won by 2 points 98-96, and the bettors lost.
Further reading
Sports Illustrated (SI) "How I Put The Fix In" (February 16, 1981) article written by Henry Hill, in collaboration with Douglas Looney. This article purported to be Hill's first-hand account of the point shaving scheme. Hill claimed he paid Kuhn and Sweeney to shave points in nine games between Dec. 16, 1978 and March 1, 1979. Hill won six games, but didn't begin to win wagers until Boston College's star Ernie Cobb joined the scheme for the last five games. Hill claimed he made between $75,000 to $100,000 in eleven weeks. He estimated his partners made $250,000. Hill said the players involved made about $10,000 each.Fixed: How Goodfellas Bought Boston College Basketball by David Porter, Taylor Trade Publishing (February 25, 2000) ISBN 978-0878331925 Utilizing extensive background research as well as interviews with the principal characters, Fixed provides the first in-depth reconstruction of the point-shaving scandal involving the 1978-1979 Boston College basketball team, from the genesis of the plot in the summer of 1978, through the uncovering of the scheme during an unrelated investigation in 1980, to the trial that captivated the sports world in the fall of 1981 and its aftermath.