Skip to content

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix Paperback - 2013

by John Christgau


From the publisher

"Scandal on the Turf!" the Los Angeles Times proclaimed. It was October 1940, a mere few months after Seabiscuit had won the Santa Anita Derby, and now this bombshell: "Six Jockeys Admit Horse Races Fixed." The Gambler and the Bug Boy recounts this dark chapter in horse racing history. At its center is Bernard "Big" Mooney, a flashy L.A. bookmaker who began his seedy career by threatening young jockeys with death if they didn't "pull" their horses. His unwilling partner is Albert Siler, a callow, eighteen-year-old apprentice rider (a so-called bug boy) from eastern Oregon. John Christgau tells how Big Mooney manipulated this promising rider and how Siler tried to escape the gambler's criminal grip without ruining his career. Christgau's book gives all the harrowing details of the unraveling plot and the botched court case that followed which riveted the attention of the nation. Told in full for the first time, this story brings to light a little-known but important horse racing scandal.

Details

  • Title The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix
  • Author John Christgau
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 280
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Bison Books
  • Date 2013-11-01
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780803271708 / 0803271700
  • Weight 0.75 lbs (0.34 kg)
  • Dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.7 in (21.08 x 13.21 x 1.78 cm)
  • Themes
    • Cultural Region: Western U.S.
  • Dewey Decimal Code 364.172

About the author

John Christgau (1934-2018) is the author of several works, including The Origins of the Jumpshot: Eight Men Who Shook the World of Basketball, and Tricksters in the Madhouse: Lakers vs. Globetrotters, 1948, both available in Bison Books editions.
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

by Christgau, John

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780803271708 / 0803271700
Quantity Available
40
Seller
Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$21.67
CA$5.52 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Bison Books. New. BRAND NEW, GIFT QUALITY! NOT OVERSTOCKS OR MARKED UP REMAINDERS! DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER!
Item Price
CA$21.67
CA$5.52 shipping to USA
The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

by John Christgau

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780803271708 / 0803271700
Quantity Available
10
Seller
Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$34.07
CA$17.29 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Paperback / softback. New. Scandal on the Turf!"" the Los Angeles Times proclaimed. It was October 1940, a mere few months after Seabiscuit had won the Santa Anita Derby, and now this bombshell: ""Six Jockeys Admit Horse Races Fixed."" The Gambler and the Bug Boy recounts this dark chapter in horse racing history.
Item Price
CA$34.07
CA$17.29 shipping to USA
The Gambler and the Bug Boy – 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Gambler and the Bug Boy – 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

by Christgau, John

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780803271708 / 0803271700
Quantity Available
2
Seller
Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$39.51
CA$17.37 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Bison Books, 2013. Paperback. New. reprint edition. 254 pages. 8.50x5.50x0.75 inches.
Item Price
CA$39.51
CA$17.37 shipping to USA
The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

by John Christgau

  • New
  • Paperback
Condition
New
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780803271708 / 0803271700
Quantity Available
10
Seller
Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$40.70
CA$17.29 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Paperback / softback. New. Scandal on the Turf!"" the Los Angeles Times proclaimed. It was October 1940, a mere few months after Seabiscuit had won the Santa Anita Derby, and now this bombshell: ""Six Jockeys Admit Horse Races Fixed."" The Gambler and the Bug Boy recounts this dark chapter in horse racing history.
Item Price
CA$40.70
CA$17.29 shipping to USA
The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

by Christgau, John

  • New
Condition
New
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780803271708 / 0803271700
Quantity Available
93
Seller
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
CA$33.14
CA$20.74 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
Bison Books. New. Special order direct from the distributor
Item Price
CA$33.14
CA$20.74 shipping to USA