Alot of stuff has been clanging around on this site --some of it true, some of it probably not. But let us begin on the gambling thread that has popped up from Amy & others. First of all a little history lesson on Saltsburg's gambling cartel. About 1980 the second floor of the former Odd Fellows Hall purchased by one Gino Gianelli(later served time in prison) nee Gino's Pizza Palace, was a big time bookie cell for sports betting. Dozens of phone were installed to take bets & ok pay-offs. This went on for several months until the heat became so intense that the butta bingers who were running the operation had to cool their tails & find a new location. Some of these peckerwoods even showed up at Council Meeting to deny that they were making book despite the fact that everyone over the age of 6 knew they were. Then the action shifted to across the river to a Tavern where the owner set up a situation, shall we say, where a certain UPS driver we affectionately referred to as Zeke the Greek made sports book daily & elevated it to an art form. Then Zeke got the word from UPS that if he didn't straighten up and fly right his overblown retirement pension was history & his bungalow in Virginia Beach would have been foreclose city baby. Then the Tavern owner, after he made his buck sold the place to Friday Night Frank who took over a portion of the action
and everything he touched turned to gold. The Mayor of Saltsburg used to give Friday Night Frank a call whenever a raid was on the way--man you never saw a packed bar clear out so fast. Then PJ the Hair guy who embellished himself to FNF showed much interest with this lucrative nickel & dime operation & with their profits started buying up the town on a Steel Workers pension and a ten dollar a head barber. Lake Homes were expanded & upgraded--time shares became actual vacation homes--3,4,5 properties bought with cash money & nobody in this sleepy town blinks-- for these are nice guys-respectable guys. The mob has had big ties to this little burg since way back in the seventies. I was told
by a drunk & troubled man who grew up in Moween that he was asked by a certain family member in town a Mr. Wilson or Rocco I believe to fly to New York all expenses paid for a week-end just to attend a funeral in Queens. When he saw familiar faces at the gravesite he naturally went up to them to saw hello. They turned away from him & refused to speak as if they didn't know that he was ole Dave from Saltsburg. I have to end this thread now but one last thing --Am I the only fool that has seen 18 wheelers unloading stuff at 1 am at a certain business on numerous occasions & it ain't the Shop n Save. Until we meet again--Bye Now Sam