ESPN ‘Playing for the Mob’ Profiles Boston College Point Shaving Scandal
ESPN will be releasing a documentary next month entitled “Playing for the Mob”, profiling the infamous 1978-1979 Boston College point shaving scandal.
The dark mark in history of sports occurred when underworld figures recruited and bribed Boston College players to ensure they would not cover spreads in specific games.
The scheme was conceived by Rocco Perla and his brother Tony in Pittsburgh during the summer of 1978. They recruited senior Boston College player and a family friend Rick Kuhn to be in on the scheme. He in turn recruited two of his teammates.
Ultimately the conspiracy was uncovered when a mobster tied to the plot, Henry Hill, found himself arrested for drug trafficking and then the infamous Lufthansa heist. Hill went on to reveal that he had recently participated in a point-shaving scheme involving the Boston College basketball team and various underworld figures.
After a four-week trial, each conspirator was convicted on charges of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act conspiracy, conspiracy to commit sports bribery, and interstate travel with the intent to commit bribery. Prison sentences ran from between two to twenty years with another Mob associate, James Burke (“Jimmy the Gent”) getting the stiffest sentence.
- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com
