Grambo
01-14-2003, 01:20 PM
----- Original Message -----
From: "Newgca" <newgca@aol.com>
Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 10:29 AM
Subject: GCA "Johnson's Joust?" R U JOKING?
>
>
> Johnson's Joust ?
>
> The first thing I ask is everyone who reads this post and has a copy of the
> FAMOUS CHEATING TAPES, fast forward the tape to the final minute or so. I state
> at the finale of the tape I am willing to go before the state gambling
> commission and tell them everything I know about the cheating and scamming in
> Los Angeles card rooms for around the last 30+ years. I also state my knowledge
> is very vast on this subject and I can't remember all the incidents, but with a
> little prodding, I should be able to recall most. Well, I got the prodding.
>
> First let me tell you about Chip Johnson, another person I have known for over
> 25 years. For those of you looking for Chip Johnson these days, his health
> wasn't to good the last time I saw him. And for Mike Caro, the place was in
> Hollywood Park Casino in the year 2000. Amazing he would be in the Hollywood
> Park Casino and none of these guys would know. I was walking through the
> smaller limit section to get a race form, when who do I spot, but Chip Johnson
> playing small limit poker, possibly 6-12 or in that range. He didn't look
> anything close to what he looked like many years ago, as age had caught up with
> him quicker than many. He was either on crutches or in a wheel chair when I
> spoke to him. So to those of you who haven't seen him, look a little harder,
> because he was around a couple of years ago.
>
> About 25 years ago Chip Johnson was a pretty good limit lowball and draw poker
> player. He was considered a high stakes player during that period. Chip Johnson
> was somewhat like Mike Caro, as he was cheated quite a bit in those days also.
> But unlike Mike Caro, he learned who the cheats were.
>
> The story is this. Chip Johnson was a best friend of a high stakes players
> known as Gale. Gale confessed to Mike Caro as being a scammer in the Gardena
> Casinos, if I remember correctly. Gale was a very good lowball player that was
> always in the games we were scamming. We gave him plenty of latitude as we
> tried to avoid confrontations with him, but soon he became a big nuisance. I
> don't remember which one of us approached him first, but soon Gale was a member
> and an associate of the major Gardena Horseshoe cheating pack, the one I was
> involved in.
>
> The rule we had in those days is we took no prisoners. We gave passes to some
> of the regulars, but if they kept getting in the way, we either recruited them
> as option number one, or butchered them. Gale was just one of many that became
> a member. Now Chip Johnson became a nuisance also, as he would also come into
> the games. Some of these guys took the same approach Mike Caro did, I was here
> first, so I am going to play. Problem is we didn't care about what they wanted.
> Soon we had Gale put an offer out to Chip Johnson. It was in the late middle
> 70's and Chip Johnson passed on the offer. We advised him it wouldn't be wise
> to continue to play in these games we were in. He was smart enough to listen.
> He dropped down a notch or went over to the draw poker section and stayed out
> of our way. The main man and the swing shift manager at this time was a very
> good friend of mine, George Urshich, nicknamed "Lurch". He was called Lurch
> only by his friends, as he was an intimidating presence in the poker room.
> George was about 6'4" and had cold eyes. Though having a great sense of humor,
> few knew this, for no one ever saw him smile in the casino.
>
> George and I went back to the late 60's, when we were both dating strippers who
> were best friends. This is where we got to know each other very well. I ended
> up marrying mine, while George's relationship lasted longer without marriage.
> In this period, we became good friends, unknown to most people. At this time
> George was a floorman in the Horseshoe casino. He knew about all the cheating,
> but as long as it wasn't crude and blatant, and wasn't complained about, he had
> to put up with it. About 1976 George Urshich became the swing shift manager and
> he was a good friend of mine. The day time manager was called Bud Minton, who
> didn't tolerate anything. During the day, the Horseshoe was a relatively safe
> place to play. The swing shift and graveyard shift brought in all the cheats.
>
> Now George came onto the swing shift scene. George was not someone you
> approached to bribe. Most of the cheats wouldn't play on his shift as he
> wouldn't take money and had a hard reputation. When George came onto the swing
> shift, it was like a changing of the guard. The previous cheats now lost power
> and were forced to go elsewhere. I took over scamming these games with my crew.
> Soon the Rainbow-Monterey cheats were talking to me, as the Horseshoe and the
> Eldorado had the biggest games in town. Soon we were all together, scamming and
> cheating the biggest games in Los Angeles with total impunity, and I had the
> power of having the head of the mangers as one of my good friends. Nothing
> could be done in the casino to stop us now. We paid off the graveyard shift and
> George finally started taking the money from me. We all started doing cocaine
> in those days and plenty of money was needed.
>
> You wouldn't believe what we did in the managers office and the surveillance
> rooms. It was just one cheating, drug and sex fest in those days, with drugs
> were done right at the table and sex was normal in the office with girls during
> breaks. While George was the main manager in the Horseshoe, Marty Riposo was
> his equivalent in the El Dorado club. Cheats from the Horseshoe just couldn't
> go and cheat in the Eldorado, as cheats from the Eldorado just couldn't come to
> the Horseshoe. In those days, the card rooms were closed one day a week, with
> the Horseshoe being closed on Wednesday, while the Eldorado was closed on
> Thursday. When you're young and play everyday, you want to go and make money.
> This was the problem I had with Marty Riposo. Marty and I didn't get along,
> since he was paid by a difference faction of cheats, that didn't need me or our
> crew in the Eldorado, same as we didn't need them in the Horseshoe.
>
> Move the clock ahead about 7 years. Gardena is basically on it's last legs,
> suffering closure after closure of it's card rooms after the scandal in the
> papers. The Bell Club was open, but the place was taken by other cheats, most
> not associated with Gardena. The Commerce was opening soon and Marty Riposo was
> taking over the place. I have been quoted as saying things. I have said many
> things, like "right away the cheats moved into the Commerce". Because you take
> this terminology in the wrong perspective is your problem. When I said this, I
> meant the crooked management was put into place right away. Also to me, a few
> months is not a big issue, because as I have stated before, when the Commerce
> opened, a list was made of about 200 players who were cheats, and Marty wasn't
> supposed to let those people play. The issue was settled in a court room and
> the list was thrown out. The cheats then moved in.
>
> The Commerce had greater worries than these cheats coming however. The Bicycle
> was opening soon, with the doors wide open for the cheats. Problem was it
> wasn't for the Gardena cheats, as most of them were unaware of marked cards and
> didn't realize many of the dealers would be house mechanics. Cheats cheat each
> other whenever possible, survival of the strongest and the Gardena cheats had
> their management monopolies broken by the Vegas and Northern California cheats
> that wanted a piece of the new Los Angeles action.
>
> 1982-83 wasn't a good time for the Gardena cheats. The other cheats wanted the
> Los Angeles monopoly broken so they leaked out the information to the Los
> Angeles Times and a 27 page 3 day expose on the cheating and corruption was
> exposed in the newspaper. I have posted the articles verbatim in RGP posts.
>
> So the first 6 months weren't good for Commerce. The only reason was they
> wouldn't allow the Gardena cheats into the games, only the crooked Gardena
> management. As soon as the list was broken and dismissed in court, they rushed
> in.
>
> By this time Chip Johnson was falling on some hard times and was turning toward
> the dark side. For what he did to be considered anything but penny ante, is a
> joke. It wouldn't make more than a 30 word article in the back of the CHEATING
> TIMES. This thing called Johnson's Joust was just a joke to the cheats and
> scammers and we didn't even give it a second thought. It was penny ante so who
> cared except the fools that participated.
>
> The biggest joke of all is the people trying to sell you the idea that Commerce
> almost closed due to this. Do you think it was possible that Commerce could
> close due to something like this, when untold millions of dollars were spent
> building it? Saying it only passed by one vote, is the same thing as saying
> Bush only won in the Supreme Court by one vote. Did any of you really think
> Gore had a chance of winning when the Presidency was taken to the Supreme
> Court? He had the same chance of losing that Gore had when he went to the
> Florida Supreme Court. Justice's are placed there as being on one party or
> another. Can you imagine the outcome to a person who betrays this confidence,
> when something like this is at stake? Same thing as saying the Commerce missed
> being closed by one vote. How many people voted, five? Everyone is bought and
> paid for before the money is spent. Can anyone really imagine Commerce casino
> was going under?
>
> Yes, Commerce had some bad times, as a couple of bookies even loaned them money
> on occasions when the window was short. I know them also, as one of them has
> moved to Reno and retired. Not only was he a bookie, he was primarily a loan
> shark that was allowed to loan in the Commerce and returned the favor to the
> casino several times. I loaned the Gardena Club money when the window was short
> on a couple of occasions. My taking my money out would of done quite a lot of
> damage at that time as they wouldn't of been able to pay off their customers.
> It closed later anyway.
>
> Bottom line is this on what Mason Malmouth. and Mike Caro are saying. Chip
> Johnson was once a fairly high stakes professional player, who played honestly
> most of his life. Was invited into the cheating packs and didn't join. Finally
> things had to end up with him going bad, as the games changed and many cheats
> changed and Chip didn't know, just as many Gardena cheats didn't know. What
> Chip Johnson did wouldn't even register on a cheating or scamming scale. Though
> an issue was made, the conclusion was a show. The outcome was already known to
> all but the ignorant.
>
> If you read the articles written in the Los Angeles Times, Dick Brisbine,
> former manager of the Rainbow or Monterey Club stated, "If we barred all the
> cheats, we wouldn't have any players left", or something very close to that
> effect. This was the issue at the Commerce when it opened. As soon as the
> cheats were allowed in, 200+ unpaid props appeared in a flash, bringing the
> gullible that follow the action.
>
> While this teenie weenie issue was going on, Jack-Pots were being stolen
> everyday by management. One manager himself must of stolen [cold decked] at
> least 100 of these before being fired. All of Commerce management during the
> 80's left in scandals, the biggest being Marty Riposo and the millions he
> stole. All these people were, is the people there to protect you and run the
> casino. Did I say protect you? I'm sorry about that, I meant the people there
> to make sure you WEREN'T PROTECTED and have you donate to there favorite
> charities, themselves and their cronies.
>
> So to those who haven't seen Chip Johnson in ages, he isn't wearing his old
> trademark hat. His hair has turned mostly white, instead of the red it was. I
> saw him last in the Hollywood Park Casino, where he told me he doesn't play as
> often as he used to, and not at the levels. The issue known as Johnson's Joust
> isn't worth talking about, as it was like stealing nickels and dimes, while all
> around you, $10,000's and much more were being stolen, and not even noticed.
>
> Incidentally, if I am not mistaken, the phony duplicate watches furnished for
> this little enterprise was done by none other than Nick A., a long time jewelry
> salesman in the casinos. Nick A also worked for Stu Ungar [when he was in town]
> and myself. Now's here a really good one for the skeptics.
>
> In the very early 90's while I was playing and cheating high stakes poker at
> the Bicycle Casino, I had a major heart attack. Nick A was the one that took me
> to UCLA Harbor Medical Center where I stayed in intensive care for 5 days
> before being released. He was the one that brought me fresh turkey and visited
> me everyday. Of course the fact I paid him $100 a day didn't hurt. Guess where
> I went after the heart attack? I moved to Arizona for a while to recuperate. My
> address at that time was 5032 N. Silver Sands Dr., Fort Mojave, Az. 86427. Here
> I also renewed my drivers license and thus have proof of this. My former Az
> drivers license number was my social security number. I will be glad to fax a
> copy to a legitimate RGPer to put up as evidence of what I am saying. Guess
> which FORMER HEAD of the COMMERCE CASINO I moved in with, as he had just been
> fired from Commerce? This was his house I moved into, so here we have me moving
> into the house of the former HEAD of COMMERCE Casino, the one that took down
> over 100 Jack Pots from the customers by cold decking the casino during the
> night shift. Only a plain manager who was there first hand while Chip Johnson
> ran this little fiasco, as he was later promoted to the HEAD of the CASINO. So
> why would I know anything about any of this, outside the fact it was so minute,
> the cheats didn't bother talking about it. The suckers thought they had a major
> issue though. What a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Russ Georgiev
>
From: "Newgca" <newgca@aol.com>
Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker
Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 10:29 AM
Subject: GCA "Johnson's Joust?" R U JOKING?
>
>
> Johnson's Joust ?
>
> The first thing I ask is everyone who reads this post and has a copy of the
> FAMOUS CHEATING TAPES, fast forward the tape to the final minute or so. I state
> at the finale of the tape I am willing to go before the state gambling
> commission and tell them everything I know about the cheating and scamming in
> Los Angeles card rooms for around the last 30+ years. I also state my knowledge
> is very vast on this subject and I can't remember all the incidents, but with a
> little prodding, I should be able to recall most. Well, I got the prodding.
>
> First let me tell you about Chip Johnson, another person I have known for over
> 25 years. For those of you looking for Chip Johnson these days, his health
> wasn't to good the last time I saw him. And for Mike Caro, the place was in
> Hollywood Park Casino in the year 2000. Amazing he would be in the Hollywood
> Park Casino and none of these guys would know. I was walking through the
> smaller limit section to get a race form, when who do I spot, but Chip Johnson
> playing small limit poker, possibly 6-12 or in that range. He didn't look
> anything close to what he looked like many years ago, as age had caught up with
> him quicker than many. He was either on crutches or in a wheel chair when I
> spoke to him. So to those of you who haven't seen him, look a little harder,
> because he was around a couple of years ago.
>
> About 25 years ago Chip Johnson was a pretty good limit lowball and draw poker
> player. He was considered a high stakes player during that period. Chip Johnson
> was somewhat like Mike Caro, as he was cheated quite a bit in those days also.
> But unlike Mike Caro, he learned who the cheats were.
>
> The story is this. Chip Johnson was a best friend of a high stakes players
> known as Gale. Gale confessed to Mike Caro as being a scammer in the Gardena
> Casinos, if I remember correctly. Gale was a very good lowball player that was
> always in the games we were scamming. We gave him plenty of latitude as we
> tried to avoid confrontations with him, but soon he became a big nuisance. I
> don't remember which one of us approached him first, but soon Gale was a member
> and an associate of the major Gardena Horseshoe cheating pack, the one I was
> involved in.
>
> The rule we had in those days is we took no prisoners. We gave passes to some
> of the regulars, but if they kept getting in the way, we either recruited them
> as option number one, or butchered them. Gale was just one of many that became
> a member. Now Chip Johnson became a nuisance also, as he would also come into
> the games. Some of these guys took the same approach Mike Caro did, I was here
> first, so I am going to play. Problem is we didn't care about what they wanted.
> Soon we had Gale put an offer out to Chip Johnson. It was in the late middle
> 70's and Chip Johnson passed on the offer. We advised him it wouldn't be wise
> to continue to play in these games we were in. He was smart enough to listen.
> He dropped down a notch or went over to the draw poker section and stayed out
> of our way. The main man and the swing shift manager at this time was a very
> good friend of mine, George Urshich, nicknamed "Lurch". He was called Lurch
> only by his friends, as he was an intimidating presence in the poker room.
> George was about 6'4" and had cold eyes. Though having a great sense of humor,
> few knew this, for no one ever saw him smile in the casino.
>
> George and I went back to the late 60's, when we were both dating strippers who
> were best friends. This is where we got to know each other very well. I ended
> up marrying mine, while George's relationship lasted longer without marriage.
> In this period, we became good friends, unknown to most people. At this time
> George was a floorman in the Horseshoe casino. He knew about all the cheating,
> but as long as it wasn't crude and blatant, and wasn't complained about, he had
> to put up with it. About 1976 George Urshich became the swing shift manager and
> he was a good friend of mine. The day time manager was called Bud Minton, who
> didn't tolerate anything. During the day, the Horseshoe was a relatively safe
> place to play. The swing shift and graveyard shift brought in all the cheats.
>
> Now George came onto the swing shift scene. George was not someone you
> approached to bribe. Most of the cheats wouldn't play on his shift as he
> wouldn't take money and had a hard reputation. When George came onto the swing
> shift, it was like a changing of the guard. The previous cheats now lost power
> and were forced to go elsewhere. I took over scamming these games with my crew.
> Soon the Rainbow-Monterey cheats were talking to me, as the Horseshoe and the
> Eldorado had the biggest games in town. Soon we were all together, scamming and
> cheating the biggest games in Los Angeles with total impunity, and I had the
> power of having the head of the mangers as one of my good friends. Nothing
> could be done in the casino to stop us now. We paid off the graveyard shift and
> George finally started taking the money from me. We all started doing cocaine
> in those days and plenty of money was needed.
>
> You wouldn't believe what we did in the managers office and the surveillance
> rooms. It was just one cheating, drug and sex fest in those days, with drugs
> were done right at the table and sex was normal in the office with girls during
> breaks. While George was the main manager in the Horseshoe, Marty Riposo was
> his equivalent in the El Dorado club. Cheats from the Horseshoe just couldn't
> go and cheat in the Eldorado, as cheats from the Eldorado just couldn't come to
> the Horseshoe. In those days, the card rooms were closed one day a week, with
> the Horseshoe being closed on Wednesday, while the Eldorado was closed on
> Thursday. When you're young and play everyday, you want to go and make money.
> This was the problem I had with Marty Riposo. Marty and I didn't get along,
> since he was paid by a difference faction of cheats, that didn't need me or our
> crew in the Eldorado, same as we didn't need them in the Horseshoe.
>
> Move the clock ahead about 7 years. Gardena is basically on it's last legs,
> suffering closure after closure of it's card rooms after the scandal in the
> papers. The Bell Club was open, but the place was taken by other cheats, most
> not associated with Gardena. The Commerce was opening soon and Marty Riposo was
> taking over the place. I have been quoted as saying things. I have said many
> things, like "right away the cheats moved into the Commerce". Because you take
> this terminology in the wrong perspective is your problem. When I said this, I
> meant the crooked management was put into place right away. Also to me, a few
> months is not a big issue, because as I have stated before, when the Commerce
> opened, a list was made of about 200 players who were cheats, and Marty wasn't
> supposed to let those people play. The issue was settled in a court room and
> the list was thrown out. The cheats then moved in.
>
> The Commerce had greater worries than these cheats coming however. The Bicycle
> was opening soon, with the doors wide open for the cheats. Problem was it
> wasn't for the Gardena cheats, as most of them were unaware of marked cards and
> didn't realize many of the dealers would be house mechanics. Cheats cheat each
> other whenever possible, survival of the strongest and the Gardena cheats had
> their management monopolies broken by the Vegas and Northern California cheats
> that wanted a piece of the new Los Angeles action.
>
> 1982-83 wasn't a good time for the Gardena cheats. The other cheats wanted the
> Los Angeles monopoly broken so they leaked out the information to the Los
> Angeles Times and a 27 page 3 day expose on the cheating and corruption was
> exposed in the newspaper. I have posted the articles verbatim in RGP posts.
>
> So the first 6 months weren't good for Commerce. The only reason was they
> wouldn't allow the Gardena cheats into the games, only the crooked Gardena
> management. As soon as the list was broken and dismissed in court, they rushed
> in.
>
> By this time Chip Johnson was falling on some hard times and was turning toward
> the dark side. For what he did to be considered anything but penny ante, is a
> joke. It wouldn't make more than a 30 word article in the back of the CHEATING
> TIMES. This thing called Johnson's Joust was just a joke to the cheats and
> scammers and we didn't even give it a second thought. It was penny ante so who
> cared except the fools that participated.
>
> The biggest joke of all is the people trying to sell you the idea that Commerce
> almost closed due to this. Do you think it was possible that Commerce could
> close due to something like this, when untold millions of dollars were spent
> building it? Saying it only passed by one vote, is the same thing as saying
> Bush only won in the Supreme Court by one vote. Did any of you really think
> Gore had a chance of winning when the Presidency was taken to the Supreme
> Court? He had the same chance of losing that Gore had when he went to the
> Florida Supreme Court. Justice's are placed there as being on one party or
> another. Can you imagine the outcome to a person who betrays this confidence,
> when something like this is at stake? Same thing as saying the Commerce missed
> being closed by one vote. How many people voted, five? Everyone is bought and
> paid for before the money is spent. Can anyone really imagine Commerce casino
> was going under?
>
> Yes, Commerce had some bad times, as a couple of bookies even loaned them money
> on occasions when the window was short. I know them also, as one of them has
> moved to Reno and retired. Not only was he a bookie, he was primarily a loan
> shark that was allowed to loan in the Commerce and returned the favor to the
> casino several times. I loaned the Gardena Club money when the window was short
> on a couple of occasions. My taking my money out would of done quite a lot of
> damage at that time as they wouldn't of been able to pay off their customers.
> It closed later anyway.
>
> Bottom line is this on what Mason Malmouth. and Mike Caro are saying. Chip
> Johnson was once a fairly high stakes professional player, who played honestly
> most of his life. Was invited into the cheating packs and didn't join. Finally
> things had to end up with him going bad, as the games changed and many cheats
> changed and Chip didn't know, just as many Gardena cheats didn't know. What
> Chip Johnson did wouldn't even register on a cheating or scamming scale. Though
> an issue was made, the conclusion was a show. The outcome was already known to
> all but the ignorant.
>
> If you read the articles written in the Los Angeles Times, Dick Brisbine,
> former manager of the Rainbow or Monterey Club stated, "If we barred all the
> cheats, we wouldn't have any players left", or something very close to that
> effect. This was the issue at the Commerce when it opened. As soon as the
> cheats were allowed in, 200+ unpaid props appeared in a flash, bringing the
> gullible that follow the action.
>
> While this teenie weenie issue was going on, Jack-Pots were being stolen
> everyday by management. One manager himself must of stolen [cold decked] at
> least 100 of these before being fired. All of Commerce management during the
> 80's left in scandals, the biggest being Marty Riposo and the millions he
> stole. All these people were, is the people there to protect you and run the
> casino. Did I say protect you? I'm sorry about that, I meant the people there
> to make sure you WEREN'T PROTECTED and have you donate to there favorite
> charities, themselves and their cronies.
>
> So to those who haven't seen Chip Johnson in ages, he isn't wearing his old
> trademark hat. His hair has turned mostly white, instead of the red it was. I
> saw him last in the Hollywood Park Casino, where he told me he doesn't play as
> often as he used to, and not at the levels. The issue known as Johnson's Joust
> isn't worth talking about, as it was like stealing nickels and dimes, while all
> around you, $10,000's and much more were being stolen, and not even noticed.
>
> Incidentally, if I am not mistaken, the phony duplicate watches furnished for
> this little enterprise was done by none other than Nick A., a long time jewelry
> salesman in the casinos. Nick A also worked for Stu Ungar [when he was in town]
> and myself. Now's here a really good one for the skeptics.
>
> In the very early 90's while I was playing and cheating high stakes poker at
> the Bicycle Casino, I had a major heart attack. Nick A was the one that took me
> to UCLA Harbor Medical Center where I stayed in intensive care for 5 days
> before being released. He was the one that brought me fresh turkey and visited
> me everyday. Of course the fact I paid him $100 a day didn't hurt. Guess where
> I went after the heart attack? I moved to Arizona for a while to recuperate. My
> address at that time was 5032 N. Silver Sands Dr., Fort Mojave, Az. 86427. Here
> I also renewed my drivers license and thus have proof of this. My former Az
> drivers license number was my social security number. I will be glad to fax a
> copy to a legitimate RGPer to put up as evidence of what I am saying. Guess
> which FORMER HEAD of the COMMERCE CASINO I moved in with, as he had just been
> fired from Commerce? This was his house I moved into, so here we have me moving
> into the house of the former HEAD of COMMERCE Casino, the one that took down
> over 100 Jack Pots from the customers by cold decking the casino during the
> night shift. Only a plain manager who was there first hand while Chip Johnson
> ran this little fiasco, as he was later promoted to the HEAD of the CASINO. So
> why would I know anything about any of this, outside the fact it was so minute,
> the cheats didn't bother talking about it. The suckers thought they had a major
> issue though. What a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
> Russ Georgiev
>