Total Truth Concerning BC Points-Shaving Scandal Even now Unknown

Shaved down, you can call the story simple: Just a few college kids helped take down a deadly hoodlum.

Or is it the other way around? Forty-four years later, the whole truth about the Boston College points-shaving scandal is still unknown.

Any recounting of the BC points-shaving scandal should come with a free CharlieCard, for a narrative with more twists and turns than the city’s T system.

While residents eagerly await March 10 for legalized Massachusetts sports betting, we look back on the scandal that brought together gamblers and mobsters through student-athletes in the 1970s.

So what happened?

Cleanly outlining this narrative feels futile, but we’ll make an attempt.

A mobster met a drug dealer in prison, and their camaraderie continued after their release. The drug dealer, Paul Mazzei, introduced the mobster, Henry Hill, to his friend, Tony Perla. Perla and his brother, Rocco, were involved in illegal gambling. The Perlas had a high school friend whom they thought could earn extra money.

Enter Rick Kuhn, a senior forward on the Boston College basketball team during the 1978-79 season. Mazzei, Hill, and the Perlas devised a plan to manipulate games without the players knowing. Instead of throwing games, they would “shave points” to win against the spread.

For example, if the Eagles were favored by 10 points, the mobsters would want the players in on the scheme to ensure that the team won by 7 points or less. They would then place bets on the underdog and win, thanks to the manipulated point difference, while the players still delivered victories for their team.

However, nothing in sports comes with a guarantee. The ringleaders knew that having just one player involved wouldn’t ensure the desired outcome.

Even more players: A higher price or more concerns?

Using Kuhn as an example, the men also lured in point guard Jim Sweeney. Unlike Kuhn, Sweeney had a clean-cut image. The motley crew then roped in Boston College’s leading scorer, Ernie Cobb. Today, both Sweeney and Cobb admit to taking money but claim they didn’t actually participate.

Also involved were bookies across the East Coast. The gambling enthusiasts needed to spread out the bets since, as the story goes, many of them at the time had limits of $25,000.

Oh, yes. We can’t forget about the bank-rolling individuals. Imagine Ray Liotta’s character in “Goodfellas” telling Robert De Niro’s character in the film. Surprise! That really happened.

(Sadly, Liotta, who was fantastic in “Goodfellas” and “Field of Dreams,” among other films, died Friday at 67.)

In the movie, Liotta played Hill and De Niro played Jimmy Conway, whose character was based on Hill’s real-life mafia associate Jimmy Burke. Due to his Irish heritage, Burke never received a formal induction into the Lucchese crime family of New York, but he operated as an associate. As the story unfolds, Burke and Co. ultimately became the scheme’s kingpins.

Many details of the scandal remain murky. Did it start with a loss for the gamblers on December 6, 1978, when Boston College easily defeated Providence, 83-64? In one of Hill’s versions, that game led to Cobb’s recruitment. He claims that the fixing began with a big win for the wise guys when Boston College, favored by 12 points, beat Harvard by just 3 points, 86-83.

One undeniable fact: The scheme failed.

Typically the fallout

Even though the season of points-shaving was in progress, an even bigger crime occurred that year. Almost $6 million in cash and $875,000 in jewelry was stolen at John F. Kennedy International Airport on December 13, 1978. Burke was reportedly the mastermind behind the heist, the largest to take place on U.S. soil, though he was never charged.

Hill was arrested on drug trafficking charges in 1980. His cooperation with law enforcement began thereafter, and during a conversation with them, he casually mentioned the Boston College scheme. He would often say that, compared to other things they had done, shaving a few points here and there didn’t even feel like a crime.

Police were delighted. Despite pursuing charges against Burke for other crimes, it was ultimately the conviction for fixing basketball games that landed him twenty years in prison, where he died of cancer in 1996. Hill went into witness protection and died of a heart attack.

We very likely won’ testosterone ever know the dimensions of the whole real truth

Kuhn, Mazzei, and Tony Perla were convicted and sentenced to 10 years. Rocco Perla received a four-year sentence, and Kuhn was released after 28 months. Cobb eventually cleared his name, and Sweeney was never charged.

The accounts from each of the participants have changed in various interviews and often contradict each other. Kuhn allegedly made $2,500 per fix. Sweeney supposedly only took an envelope with $500 but maintains that he didn’t really get involved. Kuhn and Hill claim he’s lying. Cobb says he received $1,000 in an envelope but didn’t know what it was for.

ESPN’ s “Playing with the Mob”a 30 for 30 documentary narrated by Liotta, interviews all the living participants, including former coaches and law enforcement officials. They all say that when watching the games, it’s impossible to determine if missed plays were done intentionally or simply mistakes.

Precisely how legal market segments can help avoid scandals similar to this

A clear lesson here: Crime doesn’t pay. Also, maybe don’t do business with mobsters?

Opponents of legalized sports betting believe that implementing regulations will only encourage irresponsible gambling. They also believe it could increase the likelihood of scams like the BC scandal.

Proponents, on the other hand, believe that legal and regulated betting would actually reduce the chances of another BC scandal. More regulations and laws would result in increased oversight of every game. Having a wider range of legal operators also means that bettors won’t have to risk their money with illegal and potentially dangerous bookies.

Regulated operators also have safety measures in place to help protect those with gambling addiction.

Overall, increased legality promotes transparency, making it more difficult for shady individuals to hide.

As far back as they can remember, they always wanted to be a gangster.