Evening star., 1951-02-18


a day-long session, obtained a be-
hind-the- scenes view of the oper-
ations of betting commissioners
and 'layof bets" from one of the
top men in the horserace gam
bling throughout the country and
three self-admitted comeback
money" operators.
The top figure who testified was
pudgy, bespectacled Louis Rosen-
baum Of Cincinnati who told the
committee that he had paid $780,
900 in income taxes in 1947 but
that the years since then had not
been good"
Takes "Layoff" Bets.
Rosenbaum acknowledged that
he was a betting commissioner"
and that his main business was
taking "layoff bets" from book
makers and others. This is q
means by which a bookmaker who
has taken heavy bets on race
spreads the risks with other bet
ting men.
Two of the comeback money"
operators who testified said they
were employed by Rosenbaum and
one of them-Richard Remer Of
Miami Beach, Fla.-detailed his
operations at Maryland tracks and
particularly at Bowie where the
matter is the possible subject Of
an investigation of the manage
ment at that track.
Remer testified he used a tele-
phone in the Office of Richard
Pending inside the Bowie track
to obtain Rosenbaum's betting
orders and that he also was able
to leave an account of $4,000 to
$4,000 with the tracks cashier
who would keep record of his
wins and losses.
Downey Rice, associate commits
tee counsel, described Mr.. Pend
ing as superintendent of the
Bowie track
Keeps Racing Strip.
At his home in Baltimore, the
Associated Press reported Mr..
Pending as saying that his jog
was to keep the racing strip and
other facilities in good condition
and to direct the laborers. He
said he had nothing to do with
the mutuels."
Mr.. Pending said Remer asked
me to use the phone and I said
go ahead. He didn't say what he
wanted to use it for and I didn't
question him. He used it two or
three times day." He added that
he knew Remer only as somebody
who came around the track lot"
Both Remer. who was served
with committee subpoena at the
Bowie track in December. and
Fred Cogan of New Orleans. an
other Rosenbaum employe. ex-
planned they operated at a loss
and never had a record of win
ming at any of the meets. Their
job, they explained, was to place
track bets to protect the betting
commissioner against heavy losses.
How System Works.
This protection system was ex-
planned at the hearing in this way:
The agent steps in just before
a race is run with bets on a long
shot which has been given a heavy
play with the bookies. Mr.. Rice
said this drives down the odds and
helps balance the books" for the
bet takers.
The attorney gave this example:
A big bookie may have taken
$4,000 worth of bets on a horse
at 10 to /. If the horse won ct
that price. the bookie's loss would
be 100000.
So the gambler has comeback
agent at the track bet $4,000 On
the horse. This may force the
odds down to perhaps to l..
If the horse wins at 3 to /.
the bookie has cut his loss to the
bettors, and has collected SIS
900 on his own bet. If the horse
loses, the gambler pockets the
$4,000 left from the bets.
Similar testimony also came
from the third operator-Joe
Uvanni of Rome, N. Y, former
Western Maryland University
football player. Uvanni testified
he worked for John Mooney Of
Continued on Page ALA. Col. ~