PERTH BOOKIES......................... A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

bookielover · October 2013

The Philipino Fireball bet with my old man and the other Melbourne bookies through his commission agent Frank Ford, Falcon.

Lot of stories to tell about those days, but not here, although everyone bar a few have passed away. Lets just say that some of the bookies in Melbourne at the time, and I hasten to add that my dad was not one of them, ripped him off. SO, when big Bill came along and said I'll take all your action, he was more than willing to go with Bill.

The blokes who had ripped him off, wanted to see Bill out of the betting ring, in order to get the Babes money back with them, so they conspired with Sir Eugene Gorman, and Bill was framed by a bloke who used to be a good friend of ours a small punter by the name of Joe Metz, now deceased. He ingratiated himself with Bill, and how it was done would take too long to tell here, but Bill was told that he'd lose his license everywhere if he didn't go back to Sydney.

When my old man heard what Metz had done, he barred Metz from doing any further business with him, and the friendship was over. My old man hated dobbers, as they were called back then. Bill heard about it and rang my old man to thank him for his support.

It didn't help the Melbourne bookies, because the BABE just used to call Bill and bet on the phone with him. So, to counteract that, he got rubbed out for pulling up his horse at Moonee Valley and was never the same again. A mob of you know what's ran racing back then, at least that has changed for the most part for the better.

When my father passed away in January this year, Robbie Waterhouse sent me a beautiful letter, which in part, said that his father never forgot my dads support at a time when jealousy by the other bookies had Bill barred from Melbourne tracks.

twiggy · October 2013

Hi bookielover, it was Bernard Marantelli who used to work on the bag for Ross Cooper. He went overseas and worked in the financial markets/options business for some time..pretty smart cookie.. and has recently launched Colossus Bet which his friend Andrew Carter has already given a few plugs to on this site.

thefalcon · October 2013

bl...you HAVE to write a book....

twiggy · October 2013

And on another bookie you mentioned, Chris Chris.

Chris Christianopolous was a stalwart in the eastern states ring in Perth and the gambling clubs of Northbridge for many a year and a finer gentleman you would never meet. He retired as a very successful and wealthy person. In fact he probably owns half of Northbridge. Upon retirement all Chris wanted to see was his son John takeover the mantle and continue in the family tradition but alas John didn't have much ability at the bookmaking caper and he put up the white flag rather quickly. Poor Johnie didn't have the ticker for it and although he had been around the gambling industry since his childhood he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed!

bookielover · October 2013

Put me out of my misery, Twigster, was he a concession bookie in the ES ring and at the trots?

bookielover · October 2013

Oh and thanks for correcting the name Twiggy :D

bookielover · October 2013

Falcon, I need a few more people to predecease me, otherwise I wouldn't be able to settle the law suits :))

theduke · October 2013

BL

The dog bookie's name may have been Bill Wear. His son Kevin is still active with Best Bookies etc.

bookielover · October 2013

That's highly likely Duke. He had a young bloke who either worked for him or just hung around the stand and went to all the dog meetings with him. whose name was Barry. So that might help solve the mystery.

If it was Bill, I said it before and will say it again. he didn't know me from a bar of soap, but was an absolute gentleman and would point out to me who the smarties were before they came in and had their bet. He was a reasonably slim man so I hope that also helps to pinpoint him.

On the old Best Bookies Site, it said that Kevin worked at Cannington and Mandurah, but that was obviously inaccurate. I think he's only doing sports betting.

Piston_Broke · October 2013

bookielover said:
Hey, Falcon, can you put me out of my misery please. Was Ken Grey a big bookie in the Interstate ring? Or have I got the wrong bloke.

Asshole would be a better description.

Two gentleman of the ring were Georgie Davies and Steve Spanbrook.

As a young kid I always remembered Francie Friedlande, moreso for the horses he had with L J Pike

thefalcon · October 2013

i think you have that description mixed up, piston, it fits his son, barry.

you are correct, steve and george were gentlemen, both sadly no longer with us..there were other good blokes of course.

i was stunned when i heard steve had died..i've never seen a bloke with a better appetite, i reckon he could eat a bullock as an entree

bookielover · October 2013

Eating a Bullock as an entree falcon, can tend to shorten your lifespan :(

Piston_Broke · October 2013

Each to his own Falc. Barry was imo a nice bloke. Would go into the Grosvenor when Glo Carter was running it and would see the best of The Old Man. Dead set a hole. Didnt his daughter marry Barry Thomas?

JayJay · October 2013

George Davies was truly a gentle man. He worked as a part time book keeper for my mother when she was running a business from our home. I was only a young snipe at the time and Goerge taught me the finer points of form analysis. Of course, Wednesday arvo was a no show for George as he was off fielding at Beverley or York. In school holidays, he would take me in his EH Holden to the track. Talk about a mispent youth!!! Decades later when ever I saw him at the track, he always said hello, inquired about the family and gave me a couple of points better than was on his board. He was such a good fella I almost (emphasise almost) hated collecting from him. He also worked Gloucester Park and the country trots. Was great mates with Eric Wilson ...well everybody really.

theduke · October 2013

Barry Thomas' wife was Helen.

thefalcon · October 2013

yes, helen grey...she still goes to the races most weeks, shares a table at flying colours with a coven of other ladies.. :))

Rex · October 2013

bookielover said:
I thought, I'd start this thread so that some of you that knew the bookies that I'll mention here, might like to offer some stories about them that may be of interest to us.

These are the bookies that I knew of in Perth.

Ray Deardon, massive bookie in his day. Would like to say "next" after taking a big bet without turning off the price.

Jo Jordan, who was very astute trainer, Ab Jordans brother, Allan(porky) Wells,Ken Grey, I could be wrong but I think he was a big bookie in the eastern States ring, if it's the same bloke, I have got a story about him, Sonny Lee, Merv Cash,Ned Hinchcliffe, Rod Evans, Lucky Khalaf, Billy Mac, unfortunately, just passed away, Ross Cooper, trot bookie Gordon Lennox, Terry Rhode I hope his first name was Terry ,and that's about it from me.

Bookies that are still working from the years that I went in the late 80's are Bluey Glynn, was in the interstate ring, as was Don Martin from memory on the concession, and of course gentleman Bob Howatt. And I'm sure you will all wish Bob a complete recovery from his ongoing health issues.

So if you have any stories about these and others, I'd love to read about them. I am sure that in their own way, they all contributed and some still contribute to the atmosphere of the Perth betting ring.

I really love this forum, please keep it going. I could add a few stories to it but if I did a few people would duck for cover so best left alone. Keep it rolling felas.

thefalcon · October 2013

change names rex, call 'em tom brown and joe jones..

Trixster · October 2013

Yes there use to be a few characters out there that swung the satchel

Trixster · October 2013

in more recent times could anyone tell me if Bluey Glynn still fields at the races. I recall that he use to run a pieman's doubles market years ago and if my memory serves me right I think he started up a sports betting book as well, the reason I recall this is because I remember beating him in the first four weeks it opened nothing spectacular a monkey here and a rio there and the first time I had a losing bet with him I recall he rang me for a sir donald noting that I had won the previous four weeks - Just after that someone advised me that he was making application to become a rails bookmaker in melbourne could that be right?

Aquanita · October 2013

There is another interesting point about the history of bookmaking in WA is the number of WAFL footballers that were attracted to the profession. Simon Beasley was the most prominent of these but he started bookmaking in Victoria. Those that I can think of are Bob Howat, Ray Lucev, John Sarre, Neville Hebbard, Ross Cooper, Lindsey Kanther, Ted Worsfold (John's father), Tommy Robbins, Charlie Osmetti, Peter Quinn. Clive Hills (umpire)

I am sure there are others that I have missed.

lick · October 2013

Does any one recall the bookies strike in probably the 80's - only John Squarcini (not sure of spelling) was the only bookie to stand at Ascot on a Saturday - bit of furore at the time, can't recall what it was about, probably stand fees or the like.

thefalcon · October 2013

another looks like looming if rwwa does not come to the party.... :O

RoisinDubh · October 2013

Don McKee a stalwart of the old Ledger ring. Backed Argentine Gold with him when it won one day at 9/2 and he offered me a share in the business rather than payout (the bag was empty). I politely declined. Used to run down from the main ring and get the overs all the time. Me and Deardons man (it wasnt his son). It was how they knew what the shortners were!

RoisinDubh · October 2013

Eric Wilson was the main bookie in Perth for years- make that decades. I always wrote his prices down in the racebook as he usually only ever bet win only and hence had the best odds. milky and co were mostly each way and so their prices were a point or two under the win price. Eric was the bloke I looked up to and aspired to be. He was an awesome figure, tall, fearless, and he often had a cigar in his hand as he scribbled on the tickets with a wax crayon. Notice he doesn't smoke them nowadays though. He'd have no hesitation in putting up 250/1, 330/1 or even 500/1 about a horse if it had no chance. They never won when Eric wound them out that far.

RoisinDubh · October 2013

Don Mack was another who only bet 'Win Only'. He used an older single column long board. He always used to bet fractions but one day I asked him for a thousand to sixty-a standard bet at 16/1. He was obviously doing his arse and he looked at me and said "can't you add up, It's nine sixty to sixty", to whit I took my sixty back and never bet with him ever again. He owned the gentlemans club in Oxford St which gained noteriety for allowing patrons to eat deserts off the hostesses as they lay down on the tables after a Friday lunch (so they tell me)... How many more stories do you want?

JayJay · October 2013

Keep em coming, loving these stories. Eric was the real deal - always very tidy in the dress department whereas some had the arse hanging out their trousers. Those wax crayons were the ones we had at primary school and I remember the gradual changeover to texta pens. No one took wax crayons to the course and it was impossible to forge the tickets - plenty tried. George Davies told me there were a couple of shady jokers/pick pockets who regularly tried it on. They would pick up losing tickets and go to work on them. Never worked and the course detective (Goddard?) would escort them from the course.

bookielover · October 2013

As far as I know Trickster, he went from the doubles to the main ring and is still fielding. But I haven't been to Perth since March 2012, so the local boys would know better than me what his current situation is.

As far as moving to Melbourne goes, I assisted a number of bookies who were looking to sell their licenses when a rails license could be sold for up to 300 thousand. Selling licenses probably peaked a couple of years ago when bookie Ric Macciotta sold his for a price I can't disclose to a syndicate from Hobart. That Syndicate have since gone under.

Another license became available and my brothers brother in law who is a rails bookie in Sydney was very interested, but she who must be obeyed refused to move to Melbourne. That Melbourne bookie has since decided to continue bookmaking. The last major sale was big betting bookie Bill Grahams license to a South Australian bookie Vin Moriarty, for a price far less than was paid for Ric's. And he fields on the rails where Bill used to operate.

I never heard anything about Bluey applying for a rails license in Melbourne. The only way he could have got straight on the rails would have been to buy an existing license. But if he would have come to Melbourne to field here and if his holdings had been big enough, he would have eventually got on the rails.

Warren Woodcock a long time Sydney bookie, has moved his operation to Melbourne. I have been informed, that he was offered a position straight on the rails at Flemington for the carnival, provided he worked at some Country meetings to bolster the betting rings there. AND, he is in fact on the rails for the four days at Flemington, and is working various Country meetings, however he isn't operating at the Caulfield Cup carnival or at the Cox Plate.

The difference between those in authority here and in Perth where the bookmaking fraternity is involved, is that the race clubs here, the VRC for example, have allowed bookies the freedom to operate on various bet types and want bookies in Melbourne for all the reasons that we who want bookies on course, do. The opposite is true for the bean counters in Perth.

bookielover · October 2013

Roisin and Jay Jay,

When I was in Perth last year, I saw Eric in the betting ring at Ascot. He gave me a long hard stare and then went about his business.

I wonder if he remembered me as the bloke who asked him for a fraction bet of 2000/280 at 7/1 in 1988, The stare he gave me 25 years ago, was exactly the same stare he gave me last year.

:( :-/

thefalcon · October 2013

is warrens nick-name "chipdick"... :-\"

G'day Punter!

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