Poker Brownsville Style

Brownsville, PA. has the look and feeling of old Russia. It was used as the setting for two top--rated Hollywood films, 'Maria's Lovers' and 'The Deer Slayer.l'

Here I was with my family. We had been in Los Angeles four years and were now relocating to a small town along a river where I would design and edit a daily newspaper for a town of 10,000 people.

I liked the looks of Brownsville. We quickly found a suitable house for rent in nearby California, PA. After meeting my new publisher and being introduced to the staff, I settled down to the business of running a newspaper.

My new photographer was Jack Williams, a bearded hippy with an engaging grin and good sense of humor. He took me on the rounds of city hall and the police station where I met Sam Niccola, the police chief.

Nicola, an impressive looking man with perfectly cut grey hair, said, 'I'm Sam Nicola, the only police chief who doesn't carry a gun.' Jack whispered, 'That's because he's one of them.' He cackled with laughter.

At the police station, Sam asked if I played poker. I said I certainly did. He wrote down a couple of names and addresses on a sheet of paper.

'These are the best games in town,' he said. 'My wife, Fanny, helps run one of them. Her partner is Mugsy Belvis. Welcome to Brownsville.' He winked.

Mugsy and Fanny held games twice a week at Mugsy's home. She had a beautiful poker table set up in the basement.

Mugsy ran a business on the side. She baked wedding cakes for customers throughout the county. And she always served some of her left over cake to the other poker players.

Sam also played poker at the Brownsville Elks Club where he was a member. I quickly became an Elk and we began playing some serious Saturday night poker. The players included Sam, Mugsy, a divorcee named Betty White, a retired Russian coal miner named Andy who was in his late 80s, a young coal miner named David and an accused murderer named Willie.

All I learned about Willie was that he was charged with killing a man. He had hired a local attorney to represent him and charged him $25,000 -- 'I guarantee you that i will get you off,' he said. He was free on bail while the case was being argued in court.

Willie was a true cigar-smoking gambler. He was connected. He drank a lot and he liked me. We were playing with cash money, no chips, and he lost a lot of hands to me. Sometimes I thought he did it on purpose.

I did well at the poker games and often tripled my weekly salary at the Telegraph. We survived a fierce Brownsville winter with ice storms off the river. One day my publisher called me into his office.

'I'm selling the newspaper,' he said. 'I would advise you to look for another job.'

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).