Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler
    Unavailable
    Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler
    Unavailable
    Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler
    Audiobook7 hours

    Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler

    Written by Gianmarc Manzione

    Narrated by Chris Lutkin

    2.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Most of us think of bowling as a "sport" in quotation marks, and bowling alleys are places with disco balls, matching shirts, and funny shoes. But in the 1960s, New York City was the center of "action bowling", a form of high-stakes gambling in which bowlers—often teenagers—faced off for thousands of dollars every night. When money like that is changing hands, you can bet the pressure is on (and the balls are rigged), and losses come with dire consequences. But for a few kids, the world of action bowling would turn out to be a ticket off the mean streets and onto the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. For Ernie Schlegel, it would be a chance to shed his hustler ways and become a bona fide champion.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDreamscape Media Audio
    Release dateDec 9, 2014
    ISBN9781633794214
    Unavailable
    Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler
    Author

    Gianmarc Manzione

    Gianmarc Manzione is the most recognized writer in the bowling industry today. He has written on the subject for the New York Times and all of the bowling industry's highest-profile publications. Manzione fell in love with bowling as a kid growing up in Brooklyn, where he spent so much of his childhood in local bowling alleys that he was virtually raised in them. Manzione currently teaches English and creative writing at the College of Central Florida, and lives with his wife near Tampa.

    Related to Pin Action

    Related audiobooks

    Criminals & Outlaws For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Reviews for Pin Action

    2.5/5

    2 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      If Quentin Tarantino were to make a movie about bowling, he might look here for inspiration. This throwback look at the late-night NYC action bowling scene is colorful and outrageous, full of crazy gangsters, hustlers, gamblers and of course bowlers. Non-bowlers may be confused by all the name-dropping and I was less engaged once the book focused on Ernie Schlegel's pro path. It's a treat for bowling fans but even casual bowlers may be intrigued by this bygone era.
    • 2/5
      An interesting premise, but a disappointment in the execution. In particualr I found three major problems with it:

      First - rather than being a general account of the subject, this is more a biography of a single bowler (and while this could admittedly be inferred from the sub-title, it is most decidedly not made clear to the general public).
      Second - While it is a few times alluded to (mentions of child support payments and adult children), the author has - for undisclosed reasons - intentionally censored portions of his main subjects life. One could speculate that he bartered discretion for access or is attempting to protect a self-described hero of his, but the reason is immaterial, the offense stands.
      Third - Describing individual bowling matches is boring enough with only two characters directly involved in any contest and a limited number of outcomes, but to never included score sheets (or in many cases even scores)is supremely unhelpful.