Word: gambler
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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Nicholas Forzely, or Forzelli, was his real name. He was a race-track gambler, the son of a Syrian hop-seller, who seldom bet on a horse except to win. In the course of his wild career, he was often broke and more than once a millionaire. In 1923 he swaggered into New Orleans with a few dollars in his pocket and came away, after the season's racing, with $800,000. A few months later he lost his money and got pneumonia. He went to a hospital and said, "Pneumonia is easy to beat...
When Nick F. wiggled off, the New York Times, whose city editor would not know about a race-track gambler, ran a confused story which spoke of Nick F. as "Nick the Greek." Nick the Greek (Nicholas Dandolas) is a gambler too but he seldom plays the horses. Craps, low ball, stud poker and faro are his specialties. Jack Dempsey's friend, he lost a hundred grand on the first Dempsey-Tunney fight. At last reports, Nick the Greek was alive and broke in Los Angeles...
Like Nick F. and Nick the Greek, many gamblers are known by mysterious and confusing titles. The most successful racetrack gambler at present is Chicago O'Brien, who regards running horses as an investment. Saratoga is his capital; he plays one horse a day, usually a favorite, and never goes broke overnight...
John the Barber is a gambler now somewhat obscure. He was Dempsey's first manager. Later (1919) he was connected with the Black Sox baseball scandal and is alleged to have profited by racehorse tampering...
Died. Nicholas Forzely, 50, famed racetrack gambler; of septic poisoning in Manhattan (see page...