Posts by Richard

Like Mr. Cool, Mr. Hugs besieges me with moneymaking offers to cheat for them. So do other organized crime family members within that area that is known as “San Diego’s Little Italy.” It is Hugs’ brother-in-law, whom I identified above by the pseudonym, Mr. Neurotic.  Neurotic has owned greyhound and horse race tracks south-of-the-border in…

Other shadowy characters are the legendary Mr. Hugs and his powerful and rich brother-in-law, Mr. Neurotic. Gossip spreads the rumors that their families got their start by discreetly listening to gangsters in the 1930s while they shined their shoes, overhearing horse racing and other gambling tips as they eavesdropped and polished their expensive leather. Then,…

Undaunted, Mr. Cool again invites me to dinner to negotiate other supposedly mutually beneficial business propositions, and he decides to give me a freebie. As the boat is rocking and we are eating, he casually advises, “Here’s a free tip. At the Del Mar race track, bet on this horse in the sixth race to…

We enter the place, I feel as if I have walked through the doors of a fancy Las Vegas casino. I hear the sounds of cash flow. I hear dice thrown across crap tables with people yelling; roulette wheels spinning; and the bass from loud music throbbing.  Mr. Cool takes me on a tour, pointing,…

I’ve agreed to scope out one of Mr. Cool’s operations. He picks me up at my home in a long black Cadillac. He tells me, “I want you to know that all of the guests you will meet tonight own mountains. In fact, the gentleman whose place we are going owns the mountain where the…

“At my table I have with me Siegfried of the famed team Siegfried and Roy. Siegfried, I hear you and Roy change the opening of your show when Richard was in the audience, can you elaborate?” “Sure, Jon, but it’s all for show. Shortly before Roy’s accident with the tiger, Richard and his wife, Kim,…

Each time Mr. Cool comes in to see me, he pitches a new scam. As the riverboat slightly sways, we sit down to dinner. “Richard,” Mr. Cool says politely, “I think you’ll like this idea. I will have you play against another cheat. In this set-up, I will arrange a game in a hotel room,…

“Richard,” he says impressed, “you are incredible. You, alone, do the work of four mechanics. I wouldn’t need a crew!” He eyes me, quaffs his drink, and says calmly, “I’ll give you a grand a day to come work for me!” I shake my head from side to side and say firmly, “No thanks.” “How about…

I head over to meet Mr. Cool. He stands, we shake hands then we sit down privately in the back of the lounge to – shall we say – lay our cards on the table. As I’m showcasing the range and deceptiveness of the techniques within my arsenal, he crosses his arms in front of…

Again the well-connected bartender quietly confides, “Richard, I have another slick operator, a card mechanic, Mr. Cool. He runs big games, and he’s dying to meet you.” (Like my mentor Dai Vernon, who chased after every crooked card mechanic he could find, I’m always eager to meet cheating enthusiasts.)  I tell the bartender, “I’m willing…

(As we continue please note that I’m going to use pseudonyms in the following passages to “protect the innocent” and, well, that’s mostly me.) Due to the constant publicity from the television shows, radio interviews, and print media, my reputation as a skilled “cheater” continues to grow.  (I first meet Mr. Gruff, Mr. Cool, Mr.…

It’s my deal, I take the deck, and I inadvertently crack out of turn, tipping-off that I have been around the block with a deck. I weigh them and say suspiciously, “There are two cards missing.” The banker sitting to my right, I have noticed over the course of the night, is a very cold,…