World's Smartest? Dumbest? Bookie

May 22, 2001 7:56 AM

World's Smartest? Dumbest? Bookie my son (age 7) asked me the other night how old you had to be before you could get arrested. A good question. Here's an account of "probably the greatest gambling mind in the world," and apparently "the only savant . . . whose gift has run him afoul of the law."
posted by LeLiLo (6 comments total)

wow, great link...
posted by phunkone at 8:26 AM on May 22, 2001

"yeah...fif,fif,fifty on, on,731,yeah, 731. what interests me is your sons comment. My youngin is 7, she found a stack of play money and she wanted to rehide it.This was fun until I started to feel like Fagan, whats next, lock picks and magnetic alarm circumnavigation. So I stopped that game. Also,today, I got a form letter from the school announcing the suspension and expulsion of three school kids for bomb threats. I bought fireworks in Tennesse over the weekend, and they are illegal where i live...a good question...what can we accept (a few numbers played) and not accept(bomb threats) within legal parameters..i feel im 'spielin' here with my limited example. Perhaps the bottom line is what should tell the youngins about law and punishment, the severity of the crime and the consequences of getting caught or even NOT getting caught. great post.
posted by clavdivs at 8:37 AM on May 22, 2001

They found cash everywhere, including $7,028 in a garbage bag in a bedroom; $2,000 in a dresser drawer; $5,521 in the pockets of pants tossed across the dresser; $10,930 in two grocery bags; and $2,090 in a flannel jacket

Bettyann Pappenfus, a telecommunications analyst who for two years has volunteered to clean Weisberg's house and do his laundry.

You better believe she "volunteered" to clean his house and do his laundry. She probably made of with mass $$
posted by a3matrix at 9:29 AM on May 22, 2001

LAWYER: Now, after they found that money, they found the money and
took it from your house. Did they leave you at the house?

WEISBERG: Yes, they did.

LAWYER: What did you do next?

WEISBERG: What could I do? I ate my supper.

That truly attests to a lack of knowledge of right and wrong. What do you do with a fellow like this? Surely not lock him up - He's the perfect mechanism for the 'victimless crime'. He has no family and no life. Why doesn't some Vegas bookmaker move him out there and set him up as a 'consultant'? What a cash cow! I don't necessarily espouse or condemn this idea, but it raises some subtle issues to be sure. Who is the purveyor of the crime in betting - the bookmaker or the better? If both, then who's the accessory?
posted by TheChump at 10:07 AM on May 22, 2001

it is in my limited view, accepted, a hush-hush within every aspect of my cities politic-because they participate. gonna through a judge in jail?, please, who can do that? FEDS and we know...the rest of the story.
posted by clavdivs at 12:08 PM on May 22, 2001

Income for house cleaner but the city and lawyers as well.. everyone makes money off busting him and then letting him go to repeat again.
posted by stbalbach at 2:20 PM on May 22, 2001