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'Booked' was released a few weeks ago. It tells the compelling story of Steve Maltepes, known as “The Philly Godfather".
Maltepes, a regular gambling contributor to Bleeding Green Nation during the NFL season, discusses how growing up in the 1970s in Philadelphia, the first thing you learn is to hate the Dallas Cowboys and anyone that cheers for that team.
And then there was the "airport bet", as relayed by Joseph Santoliquito of Bleeding Green Nation.
On October 3rd, 1993, the “Airport Bet” was born—and only in Philly could this happen. Rocco started chasin’ bad numbers that year, bettin’ his own games, and before he knew it, he was $350K deep in the hole with Philly bookies. And back then, these weren’t your friendly neighborhood sportsbooks—these were Mafia-run operations. He was playin’ with fire, no doubt.
Rocco was usually the second guy in the office after Rooster, but that Sunday in October? He was nowhere to be found. At precisely 1 p.m., just as the NFL games kicked off, Rooster’s phone rang—it was Rocco. He was at the airport about to watch the Eagles game; get this, he tells Rooster he doubled down on the Eagles +1 against the Jets with every bookmaker on the East Coast, a grand total of $350,000 riding on the line to try to get back to even.
“If the Birds don’t cover,” Rocco said, “I’m gone—hopping on a plane, outta here for good.”
The game? Classic Philly chaos. Randall Cunningham gets knocked out, and in comes the backup QB Bubby Brister—yeah, Bubby freakin’ Brister. Rich Kotite is coaching on the sideline, looking like a fish out of water. Birds are down 21-0 at halftime. At that point, we’re all thinkin’ Rocco’s dead meat, finished. But in true Philly style, Bubby rallies and ties it up 28-28. Then, the Jets get a safety, go up 30-28, and start drivin’ like they’re about to ice the game with less than a minute left in regulation. I guess we will never see Rocco again.
That’s when Eric Allen steps up. Boomer Esiason drops back, and Allen picks him off—94 yards to the house. Birds win 35-30, cover the spread, and Rocco returns from the depths of beyond. Next day? Rocco walked into the office like nothing ever happened. Cool as a Rocky statue, like he didn’t just come this close to disappearin’ like Jimmy Hoffa. And just like that, the “Airport Bet” was born exactly a year before I met Johanna.
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