On the Coat Tales of a Gambler
After the World War II, life in Robstown continued pretty much the same. Although modern conveniences were more available, most folks still had iceboxes and many still used kerosene lamps. Two brothers, just back from the war, took over the Robstown Ice & Coal Company from their aging father.
Jeremiah and Joshua, good bible names, came home with worldly experiences after serving in the war. The little brother was always known as Josh. However, the older brother, Jeremiah, was known as, “Iceman.” He got his nickname partly from the business and partly from the ice coursing through his veins. Joshua was a couple of years younger, and he was the more cordial of the two. In a way it was good guy, bad guy. Both brothers came home with complimentary experiences. The two of them had learned the ways of gambling and loan sharking while serving overseas.
Delivering ice and coal was a door-to-door business. So, Jeremiah and Josh were almost members of the families who they served. In addition to the delivery business, the two brothers ran a loan sharking and a part-time bookmaking business. The brothers sorted their customers into two groups. They were either upstanding church goers with moral values upheld by the family or they were customers pretending to be moral and upstanding. Some were on the hook for loans that they did not want to explain to a banker, like gambling debts. Because of the obvious embarrassment, those who knew of the shady side of Iceman and Josh kept the secret quiet, to save face. It was all good as long as every pretender felt guilty and was full of fear.
Come to think of it, that is how the underworld of Robstown survived all those years. No telling because you can’t tell. Meanwhile, guys like Scarpone and the ice and coal brothers, would figure out a scheme to take advantage of suckers hiding in sheep’s clothing of the religious influences promoting guilt, fear, shame, hell, and damnation. You know, we are all God-fearing folk here in Robstown, no one’s a sinner here. It effectively and naturally created the perfect conditions for vice activities. Wow, that just dawned on me. No wonder Scarpone traveled state to state doing business. (The Dixie Mafia?)
Being more ruthless, Iceman was the collection department. With the inside knowledge of each family’s finances, Iceman structured ways of extracting additional money, in amounts that could be managed by the bread winner. If the man of the house needed cash, a loan would be set up and, just by coincidence, the payments would be the maximum of what he could afford. The man prone to the temptation of a quick buck, would be set up with odds they’d never overcome and interest rates they could never pay back.
If a debtor got behind, Iceman would arrange part-time work at the icehouse to cover the payment of a loan or gambling debt. This, in effect, meant free labor for the brother’s ice business. It was not a friendly arrangement, as Iceman was known for having a persuasive personality. He could become threateningly persuasive when not paid his money.
Iceman was a loose cannon compared to his younger brother. It was common for him to show up at a poker game with lots of cash. He and Scarpone got along okay, as the two seemed to be cut from the same cloth. Both born before the depression era, they knew about living hand to mouth and survival on the streets. The iceman may have been short of formal education, but he was long on larceny and the ways of taking advantage of human nature. That is, human nature’s tendency to be gullible and susceptible to greed. In those days, it could have been a deadly combination for people just getting by. Not that Iceman ever did away with anyone, leaving the impression was enough.
I was just a kid at the time, but I still remember how I would get a piece of candy when the bill for ice or coal came due. It was a tactical ploy, of course. Having children in the house aware that they would get a treat when the Iceman came collecting, created a built-in reminder. This ensured that the dads would have the payment ready.
Baseball was the popular sport for bettors and, of course, the World Series was the heaviest betting time. In between baseball season the bookmaking business went quiet and the brothers concentrated on loan sharking. The Crimson Tide had such a winning reputation, football was off the menu. In a way, Iceman and Josh provided a necessary service to the local economy. I do not recall the brothers having a negative reputation. It was more of, “the way it was,” and accepted by everyone. It seemed to include the authorities too, at least for a while.
By the mid 50’s refrigerators eliminated a demand for ice. Electric stoves and gas replaced the need for coal burners. Airconditioning was making its way. The brothers’ ice and coal business eventually closed. The Iceman continued with loan sharking and bookmaking on his own. Without the advantage of “in home service,” he became too obvious, and the law got wind of him. His “game ended” with him going to jail for a long time. Maybe, if Iceman had consented to greasing the cops’ palms, he may have gotten away with the scheme longer. As much as he was street wise, he was stubborn when it came to seeing the bigger picture. Perhaps I should say stingy and greedy. Josh chose to straighten out, he got married, settled down with a family, and sold life insurance.
On The Coat Tales of a Gambler continues in Episode 12 – Night moves 1956