Alvin Jay Paris (October 17, 1918 – September 11, 2006), later known as Alvin Jay Paley, was an American bookmaker and gambler in New York. As a "front man" for a gambling syndicate based in Elizabeth, New Jersey, he fixed college sporting events through bribing star athletes, including Rocky Graziano.[1]
Paris was born on October 17, 1918, in The Bronx, New York.[2] During World War II, he served in the armed forces from 1940.[3]
After being recorded on federal wiretaps on December 15, 1946, in an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Frank S. Hogan, a former assistant to crusading New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey, he was convicted of attempting to bribe professional football players Merle Hapes and Frank Filchock of the New York Giants with $2,500 each to throw that year's NFL championship game against the Chicago Bears. Paris was eventually convicted of bribery on January 8, 1947, and, although Hapes and Filchock were cleared of bribery charges, both men were initially suspended by then league commissioner Bert Bell (with Filchock being allowed to play the final game against the Chicago Bears).
During his trial, Paris chose not to take the stand in his own defense and later testified against his partners David Krakauer, Jerome Zarowitz and Harvey Stemmer (the last of whom would also take part in what's considered the first ever gambling scandal in college basketball history with a 1945 match between Brooklyn College and the University of Akron[4]), for which he would later receive death threats. Paris's sentencing had been deferred until after the second trial and he received a one-year sentence on April 7.[5] He served less than a year before his release.[6]
Paris married Norah Mae Gagnon King in Orange, California, in 1950.[7] By 1977, Paris had changed his name to Alvin J. Paley.[8][9] Norah died in San Joaquin, California, on January 8, 1994, at the age of 75.[10] Alvin Paley died on September 11, 2006, at the age of 87.[11]
References
edit- ^ "The Newsletter" (PDF). Union County, NJ Prosecutor's Office. April 2005. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
- ^ "Alvin Paris". New York, New York, U.S., Birth Index, 1910–1965. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Alvin Jay Paris". U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "ESPN Classic - Rumblings: The Brooklyn five". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ "Alvin Paris Sent to Jail For One Year". The Pittsburgh Press. 7 April 1947. p. 16. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "N. J. Holds Grid Fix Principal". Daily News. 14 December 1948. p. 642. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Alvin J. Paris". California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949–1959. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ Directory of Corporate Affiliations. National Register Publishing Company. 1977. p. 679. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ California. Court of Appeal (2nd Appellate District). Records and Briefs: B038764, Other. California (State). p. 182. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Norah Gagnon King". U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ "Alvin Paley". U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
Further reading
edit- Cook, William E. Pete Rose: Baseball's All-Time Hit King. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2003. ISBN 0-7864-1733-1
- Moldea, Dan E. Interference: How Organized Crime Influences Professional Football. New York: William Morrow, 1989.
- Sammons, Jeffrey Thomas. Beyond the Ring: the role of boxing in American society. University of Illinois Press. 1990. ISBN 0-252-06145-4
- Smith, John L. Running Scared: the life and treacherous times of Las Vegas casino king Steve Wynn. New York: Thundermouth Press, 2003. ISBN 1-56858-190-4
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