Mob Blog: Breakfast With The Bookmaker, December 11, 2013

by Patricia Bellomo | Dec 11, 2013 | Mob Blog

[dcs_p]Mob Blog: Breakfast With The Bookmaker, December 11, 2013[/dcs_p][dcs_p]_

In Louie’s words …[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

News Café, in South Beach. We’re sitting curbside with Victor’s bookmaker, a character if there ever was one. Victor’s bookmaker is pushing eighty. He’s an old time book, with a mane of shaggy gray hair and bright blue eyes. His skin’s a little weathered—this is South Florida, but other than the skin damage, Victor’s bookmaker doesn’t look his age.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

Victor’s into his book for thirty gee’s, slipping an envelope to him beneath the table.  Victor’s the loser, so the tradition is the bookmaker buys, even if it is just bacon and eggs. And bread pudding with vanilla sauce, which is what Victor always gets when we come here.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

It’s a mild day, with a low bank of scudding clouds blowing in from the Atlantic. It’s December in Miami, and we’ve got the usual bimbo mix on the sidewalks clashing with suntanned coeds and middle-aged Germans. There’s a lot of eye candy, and we’re all looking, even the bookmaker.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

He tells us women have been his downfall. Being that he’s on his fifth wife, and she’s forty years younger than him, I’d have to agree. “At my age, I’m still paying child support,” the bookmaker says. “Imagine that. I’ll never be able to retire.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

“Well, you’re doing pretty good this year.” Victor says. “Another week like last week, and I’ll be able to retire you.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

The bookmaker laughs. “Believe it or not, I had more winners than losers last week. The lines Vegas puts out are garbage nowadays. I miss the old days.” He sighs, thinking back to a time when being a sports book was easy. “I used to write three million on a weekend back then, and nobody bothered you. Now you’ve got cowboy cops busting ten dollar bettors.”[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

If you enjoyed Breakfast with the Bookmaker, you may consider reading one of Patricia Bellomo’s mob thrillers. Books include, Louie Morelli’s Mistress, Stella di Mare, and Louie Morelli’s Daughter.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

Breakfast with the Bookmaker was written in the voice of Patricia’s main character, savvy mobster, Louie Morelli.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]

All books available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in all e-reader formats. Also available on AmazonUK and AmazonEU.[/dcs_p][dcs_p]