What ever became of the numbers game?

Hello again

Did you ever wonder about what became of the old numbers game?

Used to be that there were a bunch of characters who had regular routes, like the milk man. Except these guys were selling something more important than milk: Hope- and it only cost a dollar.

I had a friend who was a numbers guy, Richie. He worked some of the auto body shops, and junk yards in Mariners Harbor and Port Richmond. His biggest stop was Proctor and Gamble (P&G). I wonder how many people reading this even know that P&G used to be on Staten Island. That’s why its called Port Ivory- (Ivory Snow). When you were a kid, you took a tour with your class and at the end, they gave you broken pieces of soap, stuff they couldn’t sell, to take home. Lots of people on Staten Island got rich working for P&G, buying stock options, and dividend reinvestments.

Wednesday, my uncle Jason, who is now 81, paid us a visit, from Florida (Thursday with his kids, Friday with hers). While he was here we looked at old photographs, and amongst them were me at various stages of my life: Me fat, Me thin, Me with long hair, Me skinny, me obese, etc.

Anyway, in 1980, I had gone on one of the great diets of my life, Essex Weight Loss Center on Hylan Blvd (which was an early form of Optifast, but in cherry, and orange flavors instead of vanilla and chocolate) where I lost about 60 pounds. Fran Reali was the receptionist (skinny little thing that she was).

When I completed my weight loss, and was svelte, I went out and bought myself a brand new 1981 Red Corvette. My first new car. I was so proud. The day I got it I saw Richie at a meeting that we used to attend together. He asked me for the dealers number that came with the car (the paper thing that hangs on the rear view mirror), so I gave it to him, and then he told me to give him $5. Which I did.

Apparently what I did was box the number of my car (played all of the different combinations of the 3 numbers).

Anyway, the next time I saw Richie, he gave me $250- I won $250 (I really don’t know how they figured out how much I had won, but hey). I had only played the numbers that one time, and I won. I am the only person that I ever heard of that only played the numbers once, and won. I beat the system, and the organization that ran it.

So what every happened to the numbers?

Proctor & Gamble closed their Staten Island operation and moved to the South West.

The Lottery finally woke up and started creating new games, to compete with the Numbers. A more reliable payer, but doesn’t extend credit. The mob downsized their operation, to its present form, whatever that is.

And Richie bought a building and opened a deli, and continued selling hopes and dreams; with ham and cheese.

…………………to be continued