On the Coat Tales of a Gambler
It was late in November 2023; while rereading Sailor’s original emails, I discovered a phone number from July 2nd, 2009. I called the number, no one answered, but I was able to leave voice message for Sailor. About ten days later, I received a call from Sailor. We continued to speak by telephone as well as by text messaging. I will share some of those edited messages here.
December 12, 2023 – Sailor returns my voice message.
During the first phone call Sailor disclosed he had won or placed in several local blackjack tournaments. Between 2016 and 2017 he collected over $80,000 in prize money. He went on to say, it had been a while since those wins, but the five big jackpots were still sustaining him as he has always been careful with his money.
December 12, 2023 – Text Message from Sailor
Michael, amazingly, the Coat Tale of a gambler (referring to himself) has done better in profit it seems by not going to Las Vegas. He still has some of the blackjack tournament profit that he won in 2016 and 2017. Thanks for letting him know he is a serious player and not a gambler. Michael, I never told anyone that I was a gambler unless they asked. Now, thanks to your kind words, I know the correct words to say; “I’m not a gambler, I am a player.” LoL, happy day. Sailor
December 13, 2023 – Text Message from Sailor
I think now, I have never been a gambler, I am a player as you have said. Never get into games if you don’t have a shot of winning was Scarpone’s philosophy. My dad taught me well how to take care of my money. Back then, growing up, all of his family were sharecroppers. My dad quit school after 7th grade to take up work at the farm. Sharecroppers were a spin off after the civil war for quite some time, it was how poor southerners got by. You might be surprised.
February 15, 2024 – Text Message from Sailor
Michael, you are the best, thanks for mailing the beginning episode of Coat-Tails to me. You know, I quit using computers over 15 years ago. I got too addicted to them, I just quit. When I go to the casinos, I can’t take all the cash in my pocket with me, which is what I’d like to do. I tend to have no willpower to stop playing when I should. It is the same reason that I quit smoking and even having a beer at early age. I do not own a television; I get hooked too easily. Living a simple life, austere you might say, my life is better that way. I still have my original flip phone. I had it repaired twice, the total bill was $10 and $25. I am old fashioned, I guess, I prefer the 50s, 60s and 70s better… many women then too. lol
February 16, 2024 – Voice Mail from Sailor
Hey Michael, thanks, I got your letter today and all that stuff, I really appreciate it. You know, we’re gonna talk sometime and get the timeline straight, because I didn’t meet up with Scarpone until my last years back in Robstown. Yeah, I probably would see him around town a bit. The whole time that I knew him lasted less than a year. Though, as I read my own stories, it seemed longer. And it was always in gambling situations, you know my stories. This thing you told me about him getting shot and all, and that stuff about him killing a couple of guys, I think that is the story I told to you while back. I think Scarpone got killed, but I want to hear from my granddaughter if he got killed after I left for the navy. This story you told me about, I know that place, and I have been there many time. But this was after I left Robstown. I’m gonna have a heart to heart with her. Then I will get together with you, and I’ll tell you about the timeline of events, those months with him before I left Robstown for the Navy in August 1970. And that’s about it. Well, we’ll talk about it sometime whenever you get around to it. I’m so appreciative of what you’re doing. My granddaughter is still living there. She did not know him, but she knew of him because I’m pretty sure her aunt went with him for a while. I’ll let you know.
February 16, 2034 – Text Message from Sailor
Thanks much for the new episodes, you make them come to life. I never saw Scarpone all that much, the few driving trips I was on and a couple of cock fights and motel rooms with the dice. I left for navy in August of 70 and never saw him or any of those other two gamblers again. Woody left Robstown after me. Bennie was the other guy; he went to prison for burglary. It seems to me, the last time I heard of any of the guys, was in the mid-70s while I was still in the navy. I never saw or spoke again to the three of them ever again. I did write Scarpone once, but it came back to return to sender. Thanks so much for mail pack it seems someone told me long ago that Scarpone got killed. Though maybe it was a dream I had.
February 16, 2024 – Text Message from Sailor
Ok I just your note on with the newspaper story that you mailed to me of Scarpone’s murder charge’s out on 518 bypass. A long time ago, that’s where the many juke joints were, out that way between Robstown and Greer. There were at least three hidden gambling joints in late 69 and early 70. I was in all of them before I joined the navy. I will call my kin next week to see what they know of Scarpone and if he is still alive. He would be in his nineties. I will be 83 in April. Does Jacobs still shoot pool at Taos Senior’s Center? Stay safe goodnight.
February 17, 2024 – Text Message from Sailor
Michael thanks, good Jacobs is busy. Playing blackjack at Taos casino, which is money I have missed. Thanks for the picture of snow in your yard, but I don’t miss snow. I knew of Scarpone in 1965. I met Scarpone when I was at the firehouse through a buddy, Woody. Woody gambled with him and told some stories during poker games at the firehouse. I didn’t hang around Scarpone much, I was around him some but not even every week. It started out ten or so months before I quit the firehouse job. By 1970 in August, I was gone. There were no cell phones back then and I never saw or spoke to Scarpone or any of those guys again. Except when I saw Woody briefly, just by accident, at a park where I took my kids, I bumped into him. We spoke very little of Scarpone, it wasn’t like he was a big part of our lives after all. Woody mentioned that Scarpone’s driver was back in in prison for burglary for a third time. I do not know why Woody was at park alone. It was December l970. The navy gave me two weeks of holiday leave. In 1970 Scarpone lived in Montgomery. In Robstown, we saw little of him unless he came to town on a gambling trip. As I remember I only went on three or four out-of-town trips with Woody. By then, he was Scarpone’s driver, I was the driver a few times when Woody was not available. Scarpone always had at least one guy as a driver and one or two others, he didn’t like being alone. By then, Scarpone had been married to four young and very pretty wives. He never let them be around his gambling. They all left him within two years or less. He’d say once they had good bank roll from him and got mad enough, because he was seldom home, they left him. The trips I went on there were always many who knew him. Most places were country cock fights. One place in West Virginia was huge and unbelievable and there were no worries about the law. You may find it online under the history of cock fighting in USA. When it came to women, Scarpone was like a trap for flies, he attracted pretty girls.
February 18, 2024 – Text Message from Sailor
Well, I called my first granddaughter, age 47, who has always lived in Robstown where I grew up and joined USMC, then later on at 29 I joined the navy. She never saw Scarpone, but she told me, before her aunt died, a long time ago, her aunt was Scarpone’s girlfriend long ago. That was all she remembered. However, she thinks Scarpone, and her aunt were members of Dixie Mafia which was busted up before she was born. She thinks at one time the headquarters of Dixie Mafia was in Robstown. I bet what you found in the Robstown paper was the end of Scarpone’s working years. From what little bit I heard and know, there were always a lot of people who wanted him dead. I heard him say those words on two trips to cock fights in West Virginia. That was in early summer 1970. You have a fab spring and summer. Thanks for bringing back many grand old memories.
On the Coat Tales of a Gambler continues in
Episode 29 – Synchronicity