LEADER 04235nam 2200709Ia 450 001 9910825483903321 005 20230207214458.0 010 $a0-674-05696-5 024 7 $a10.4159/9780674056961 035 $a(CKB)2670000000176583 035 $a(EBL)3301061 035 $a(SSID)ssj0000657993 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)11384841 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0000657993 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)10681361 035 $a(PQKB)11280951 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC3301061 035 $a(DE-B1597)457802 035 $a(OCoLC)785925709 035 $a(OCoLC)979880384 035 $a(DE-B1597)9780674056961 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL3301061 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10567663 035 $a(EXLCZ)992670000000176583 100 $a20091211d2010 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurcn||||||||| 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 00$aPlaying the numbers$b[electronic resource] $egambling in Harlem between the wars /$fShane White ... [et al.] 210 $aCambridge, Mass. $cHarvard University Press$d2010 215 $a1 online resource (320 p.) 300 $aDescription based upon print version of record. 311 $a0-674-05107-6 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index. 327 $tFront matter --$tContents --$tPrologue --$tIntroduction --$t1. History --$t2. Beginnings --$t3 Dreams --$t4. Turf Wars --$t5. Numbers' Lore --$t6. Of Kings and Queens --$t7. The Dutchman Cometh --$t8. Of Banks and Bankers --$t9. All Over Town --$tEpilogue --$tNotes --$tAcknowledgments --$tIndex 330 $aThe phrase "Harlem in the 1920's" evokes images of the Harlem Renaissance, or of Marcus Garvey and soapbox orators haranguing crowds about politics and race. Yet the most ubiquitous feature of Harlem life between the world wars was the game of "numbers." Thousands of wagers, usually of a dime or less, would be placed on a daily number derived from U.S. bank statistics. The rewards of "hitting the number," a 600-to-1 payoff, tempted the ordinary men and women of the Black Metropolis with the chimera of the good life. Playing the Numbers tells the story of this illegal form of gambling and the central role it played in the lives of African Americans who flooded into Harlem in the wake of World War I. For a dozen years the "numbers game" was one of America's rare black-owned businesses, turning over tens of millions of dollars every year. The most successful "bankers" were known as Black Kings and Queens, and they lived royally. Yet the very success of "bankers" like Stephanie St. Clair and Casper Holstein attracted Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano, and organized crime to the game. By the late 1930's, most of the profits were being siphoned out of Harlem. Playing the Numbers reveals a unique dimension of African American culture that made not only Harlem but New York City itself the vibrant and energizing metropolis it was. An interactive website allows readers to locate actors and events on Harlem's streets. 606 $aAfrican Americans$zNew York (State)$zNew York$xSocial conditions$y20th century 606 $aCity and town life$zNew York (State)$zNew York$xHistory$y20th century 606 $aGambling$zNew York (State)$zNew York$xHistory$y20th century 606 $aInformal sector (Economics)$zNew York (State)$zNew York$xHistory$y20th century 606 $aLotteries$zNew York (State)$zNew York$xHistory$y20th century 607 $aHarlem (New York, N.Y.)$xEconomic conditions$y20th century 607 $aHarlem (New York, N.Y.)$xSocial conditions$y20th century 607 $aNew York (N.Y.)$xEconomic conditions$y20th century 607 $aNew York (N.Y.)$xSocial conditions$y20th century 615 0$aAfrican Americans$xSocial conditions 615 0$aCity and town life$xHistory 615 0$aGambling$xHistory 615 0$aInformal sector (Economics)$xHistory 615 0$aLotteries$xHistory 676 $a306.4/82097471 700 $aWhite$b Shane, $0848559 701 $aWhite$b Shane$0848559 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910825483903321 996 $aPlaying the numbers$93963795 997 $aUNINA