Lottery: Italian gastronomy delights

Numbers game

Since its introduction in the USA in 1880 the number game has undergone significant changes, and, despite being hugely popular in Harlem, they began to play for one cent only in the 1920s. Before that, even black bookmakers only accepted bets on 50 cents and one dollar. Later, as an experiment, they began to accept bets in 10 cents. Lansky suggested introducing one-cent tickets, for which Lucky Luciano dubbed him the “founding father” of the number game: after all, such a low rate made it possible to draw the poorest segments of the population into the game. I, of course, residents of the Jewish part of Chicago recognized Meyer as the “father” of the number game.

Mafia boss Lucky Luciano

Paradoxical as it may seem, but the Chicago mafia knew nothing of such a lucrative business until the 1940s, when Sam Giancana went to prison. There, black bookmaker Edward Jones boasted to him that, how much income does he get from playing numbers?, although the rates of most of his clients do not exceed 5 cents. The mafia destroyed all independent bookmakers in Chicago and took over their businesses.. So, despite the existence of a national syndicate and despite the fact, that Luciano and Lansky make millions from the numbers game, the New York mafia never bothered to tell their Chicago colleagues about, how profitable was this business. A noteworthy fact is, that underground lotteries function in exactly the same way, like their legal counterparts.

Numbers game, like insurance with low premiums, was very popular in the ghetto: both were simple ways to try to earn money for the future. If the winner managed to guess a single number from 0 to 999, then his bet was returned to him 600 times the amount. That is, I put 1 cent-won 6 dollars (or a little less - depending on the rules of the game). From a mathematical point of view, the probability of winning is only one in a thousand, this is what makes the numbers game such a profitable business for its organizers. The costs of maintaining an extensive network of betting points have more than paid off, and the organizers always won. At the same time, only the lowest ranks - agents and distributors - were exposed to a real risk of arrest., and the task of the higher authorities was to buy out the “burned out” employees as soon as possible, to avoid accusations, or at least financially help families in prison.

It's hard to say now, Was Lansky the "father" of the numbers game or not?, but anyway, it was pointless to demand copyright protection, and soon thousands of bookmakers appeared in the country. One of the bookmakers in Harlem, Madame St. Clare, For example, made her first million dollars playing numbers game. And she would still be able to do it, even if no magical means were attributed to her “number wheel”.

Dutch Schultz and Dixie Davis

Naturally,the gangsters weren't about to let upstarts like St. Clare succeed in the gambling business. Dutchman Schultz, Prohibition-era beer king, became the first, who attempted to take the numbers game into their own hands in Harlem. Threatening bookmakers, he forced them to pay for "protection", and then just informed the poor fellows, that from now on their business belongs to him. Madame St. Claire managed to escape from the gangsters pursuing her, hiding in a pile of coal in the basement. When rigging the game results, Schultz used the proven “Adams method”, mathematical "brain" of the Schultz group, developed a whole system, when used, only those numbers won, rates for which were minimal. By order of the national syndicate, the Dutchman was killed, and the gambling business in Harlem took over Luciano and Lansky. Vito Genovese was in charge of the affairs,"right hand" Luciano.

Over the years of the game’s popularity, no fewer people have died in gang wars for the right to control the gambling business., than during the wars among bootleggers. The numbers game remains a major source of funds in many areas of the United States., who subsequently bribe politicians and the police. Nowadays you can often hear, that the numbers game is now run by African Americans and Latinos. These rumors are spread by the mafia. It’s just that in some areas the mafia has transferred the right to engage in bookmaking to representatives of certain nationalities (In recent time, mainly Poles and Jews), and for a “deduction” from their income, newly created bookmakers are guaranteed complete safety.

Translation of "lotteria" into Russian: "The lottery"

Incentive lotteries

Incentive lotteries have become very popular lately..

An incentive lottery can help promote a particular product, services to market (“buy and win” promotions). Incentive lotteries, according to the law, different from normal themes, that their prize fund is not formed from contributions from participants, and at the expense of the lottery organizer. Wherein, they can be carried out using special equipment.

Incentive lotteries are inexpensive, but a very effective marketing tool. Most often, food manufacturers use incentive lotteries. And for manufacturers of tobacco and alcohol products, this is generally one of the main promotion tools.