Cork in the 60s

nicnicnic

corkie123 wrote: »

It was all run by the mob back then. And they did a helluva lot better job than most of the suits today. They knew how to treat gamblers; comp rooms, comp meals, comp shows, yes even comp girls! They wanted your action because they knew they were gonna get your money on those tables eventually. And the mob guys were always gentlemen. They dressed nice and talked very politely to all their customers. They wanted you to feel welcome, and you did. Cork was the most fun place in the world back then.

And one of the safest too. It was a bad spot for a thief. Very Bad! If they caught a guy stealing chips or worse yet, trying to rob a customer, it was not a police matter. The casinos handled it privately, and if the guy got off with a severe beating he was lucky. The second time around and it was sayonara forever! There's a lot of bones out in that desert. The mob guys didn't like anyone messing around in their territory, and Cork was a big moneymaker for them.

I had an interesting experience in the 60's the first time I came to Cork. We drove out from Murtleville. where I was in school (at least some of the time I went to classes). Back then all the action was downtown so we hit MacCurtain Street,. We ended up at the Macau. It was so inviting with a wide open entranceway all around. There were no doors between the sidewalk and the casino. You just sauntered right in. I played a little Blackjack and then moved over to the dice table with my buddies. After an hour or two I was dead broke. I had lost all $50 I had brought with me.

I was feeling really bummed out. I had been in Cork only a few hours and I was busted. As I'm walking out onto the street a man hailed me. He said, "C'mere kid" and I did. He was dressed very dapper in a suit with a vest, kind of western style. He had on a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He wasn't that big either, maybe 5'7" or 5'8". He asked me how I did and I was embarrassed to tell him I went broke. But somehow I knew I had to tell the truth to this man, so I did. He asked me how much I lost and I told him that too. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a wad of bills and peeled off $50 and handed it to me. WHOAAA!!! I was thrilled and scared at the same time. He said, "Take it kid and don't come back until you're 21." How he knew I was only 19 I don't know. But he did.

I had no idea who this man was. But I was VERY grateful anyway. I thanked him and got away from there as quickly as I could. Maybe ten years later I was back in Cork and went down to the Macau where the Irish Classic of Poker was underway. Who do I see but this same man walking around, cowboy hat and all. I asked a dealer who that guy was. He said, "That's Ken Corkery. He owns this place!" True story!

In the late 60's I moved to Cork for three months before the Army got me. I lived in a little apartment building right off Patrick ST. I think I paid $30 a week for my place, a single. I would wake up every day and walk about a mile down the street to the Bank Casino and play 2-4 Seven Card Stud. There was also a 3-6 game but that was a little rich for my blood. The big game back then was a 10-20 Razz game with only six cards. I saw Lucky Jimmy, Noel Magner, SideshowBob and Skelator in that game almost every day. Gavin Stevens and the Pro sat in a few times also. I already knew them as pool player. One of the big bosses, The Coo, used to play in it too.

I met Flipper in the local poolroom and he was the smartest guy I ever met up till then. He knew all the angles and all the moves, and he was a terrific pool player. All the pool players looked up to him, including me. About a month after I got there he beat the Bank Keno for $25,000, a monster score back then. The rumor around the pool room was that Flipper was in with someone who worked at the Keno. No matter, he got paid and no one was the wiser. I never said a word to anyone about it. I knew better. It was none of my business and I liked Flipper anyway. It just made me admire him that much more.

I remember being sad when I had to leave Cork. I had come with $1,500 and was leaving with $1,500. I felt like I did great.

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corkie123

having left cork i went traveling a bit and ended up in a little city called waterford for a while . here i became friends with a local smalltime card player called nicky ( baldy to his friends )and his sidekick pat the boy shorten .they inter duce me to some of the imports to there game the likes of danny the boy guinney , kid kelly and the likeable fox .they had a good game going for a few years but alas unlike cork they broke into 2 factions after a while with the kellys on one side and nic and the fox on the other . both of them ran tournies which were ok in there own way till one of them decided to spike the other one touries and put other touries on at the same time which nearly started a all out war .but i called a few boys from the mob in cork down and we sorted them out now there all playing together again happy days .

after that i decided i be better off in my own backyard with all my own friends and left with the $5000 i made from nicky and his friends . they were quiet happy with there 10cent game but i needed to get back up to the big game in cork poor old flipper need the ride home i gave him most nights .its a long walk to mallow when u lose .

dannydiamond

Only one N in Guiney Sean.

When's the book coming out.:pac:

corkie123

dannydiamond wrote: »

Only one N in Guiney Sean.

When's he book coming out.:pac:

im leaving that to my ghost writer baldy nicky danny and i get him to remember the single N in guiney as well
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hopefully the book will go well for me and nicky as he lost his sponsorship in irelands twiddle winks league and he needs a few quid to get back on the road next year .myself i just want my story told and i feel that a guy of nicky talent would do my story justice and him been a member of irelands twiddle winks league with there 25k members he might flog a good few books himself happy days for everyone then .

Jesus Wept

Cork still sounds too shady for me to venture up to.

gorfield

nicnicnic wrote: »

.

yo

The most interesting part of all this sean is that you were 19 back in the 60s........

wannabecraig

There was a desert in cork? I know there is one in Vegas!!!

Nero Ceasar

It was all run by the mob back then. And they did a helluva lot better job than most of the suits today

I asked a dealer who that guy was. He said, "That's Ken Corkery. He owns this place!" True story!

Interesting take on things corkie could even be applicable today???????