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- Killing in New York Poker Club Rocks The Boat Sending Riptides Across Manhattan
Killing in New York Poker Club Rocks The Boat Sending Riptides Across Manhattan
- By Dave Zamzack
- Published 11/11/2007
- Poker Information
- Unrated
For years, illegal poker clubs have operated in the shadows of Manhattan, attracting thousands of at all hours of the day and night.
From cabdrivers to young, well-paid professionals it's the players that run the tables. Their numbers have grown significantly as poker has taken the spotlight of American pop culture. Prime-time Texas Hold ’Em poker tournaments have taken hold of millions of TV viewers, and the image of the dimly lighted poker game has claimed a favored spot in movies.
Manhattan’s players are part of a secretive network of “members,” who can join games only after being vouched for by others. According to players the clubs more resemble a retirement home bridge party than a covert operation. But that was not the atmosphere at 11 p.m. on Nov. 2, when armed robbers forced their way into a crowded club called the City Limit at 28th Street and Fifth Avenue, where they shot and killed Frank DeSena, a former math professor from New Jersey. There have been no arrests in the case.
The murder has created riptides across the Manhattan poker community; if criminals knew the location of at least one secret club, what's to tell if it will not happen again. Many people are really shaken, and this may make them think twice about going to the clubs.
This incident has attracted broad interest to a semisecret world that seems filled with contrasts, Manhattan clubs for years adhered to an almost universal set of rules: no liquor or drugs are allowed, no bets are accepted on credit, and no one is allowed to play without passing muster among fellow players and being granted membership, sometimes with a fee. Most players do this as a way of blowing off steam, and that is healthier than sitting in front of the TV.
Police crackdowns have been periodic in New York City. On May 27, 2005, police officers in Manhattan shut down two clubs: Playstation, and the New York Players Club, arresting 39 employees, including dealers, waiters and security guards. No evidence of weapons, alcohol or drugs was found in either of the two clubs.
Players are hesitant to say who sponsors and operates the Manhattan clubs, but rather are adamant in pointing out that there was no involvement by organized crime. Operators tend to be devoted poker players themselves, who opened their clubs largely out of a love of the game.
From cabdrivers to young, well-paid professionals it's the players that run the tables. Their numbers have grown significantly as poker has taken the spotlight of American pop culture. Prime-time Texas Hold ’Em poker tournaments have taken hold of millions of TV viewers, and the image of the dimly lighted poker game has claimed a favored spot in movies.
Manhattan’s players are part of a secretive network of “members,” who can join games only after being vouched for by others. According to players the clubs more resemble a retirement home bridge party than a covert operation. But that was not the atmosphere at 11 p.m. on Nov. 2, when armed robbers forced their way into a crowded club called the City Limit at 28th Street and Fifth Avenue, where they shot and killed Frank DeSena, a former math professor from New Jersey. There have been no arrests in the case.
The murder has created riptides across the Manhattan poker community; if criminals knew the location of at least one secret club, what's to tell if it will not happen again. Many people are really shaken, and this may make them think twice about going to the clubs.
This incident has attracted broad interest to a semisecret world that seems filled with contrasts, Manhattan clubs for years adhered to an almost universal set of rules: no liquor or drugs are allowed, no bets are accepted on credit, and no one is allowed to play without passing muster among fellow players and being granted membership, sometimes with a fee. Most players do this as a way of blowing off steam, and that is healthier than sitting in front of the TV.
Police crackdowns have been periodic in New York City. On May 27, 2005, police officers in Manhattan shut down two clubs: Playstation, and the New York Players Club, arresting 39 employees, including dealers, waiters and security guards. No evidence of weapons, alcohol or drugs was found in either of the two clubs.
Players are hesitant to say who sponsors and operates the Manhattan clubs, but rather are adamant in pointing out that there was no involvement by organized crime. Operators tend to be devoted poker players themselves, who opened their clubs largely out of a love of the game.