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Story
May 9, 1919
The Fayette Falcon
Somerville, Fayette County, Tennessee
What is this article about?
Private Louis J. Stasko, a U.S. Army doughboy, amassed $17,000 in craps winnings over nine months of service, from Joliet to European camps, turning his $30 pay into a fortune through skillful gambling.
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LOUIS J. STASKO, "DOUGH" BOY
The United States army points with pride—though individual soldiers at times viewed with alarm—to Private Louis J. Stasko, champion crap shooter, A. E. F. He has been nine months in the army and now he is going to Joliet with $17,000 in his clothes, all of it won at craps.
No; not to the penitentiary—Joliet, Ill., is his home. And no man can win $17,000 with "phony" dice in the A. E. F.; there are too many quick-eyed and hard-fisted players in the game.
Well, Private Stasko was born twenty-eight years ago in Joliet of Slav parents. He was earning $40 a week as a machinist in a rolling mill when Uncle Sam put him on his pay roll at $30 a month. Stasko had "rolled the bones" at home; after enlistment he spent his leisure and the other doughboys spent their money shooting craps.
From Joliet Stasko went to Jefferson barracks, Missouri. His first two weeks showed a profit of $1,100. Four weeks at Fort Leavenworth yielded another thousand. At Camp Merritt, the embarkation camp on the edge of New York, money was plenty and his winnings were large. At Havre, France, he trimmed the negro stevedores. At Knotty Ash, Liverpool, England, a distribution camp, he had a constant stream of new customers.
Stasko's working capital was $30. He never made a pass for more than $50. He is taking his $17,000 winnings home with him.
The United States army points with pride—though individual soldiers at times viewed with alarm—to Private Louis J. Stasko, champion crap shooter, A. E. F. He has been nine months in the army and now he is going to Joliet with $17,000 in his clothes, all of it won at craps.
No; not to the penitentiary—Joliet, Ill., is his home. And no man can win $17,000 with "phony" dice in the A. E. F.; there are too many quick-eyed and hard-fisted players in the game.
Well, Private Stasko was born twenty-eight years ago in Joliet of Slav parents. He was earning $40 a week as a machinist in a rolling mill when Uncle Sam put him on his pay roll at $30 a month. Stasko had "rolled the bones" at home; after enlistment he spent his leisure and the other doughboys spent their money shooting craps.
From Joliet Stasko went to Jefferson barracks, Missouri. His first two weeks showed a profit of $1,100. Four weeks at Fort Leavenworth yielded another thousand. At Camp Merritt, the embarkation camp on the edge of New York, money was plenty and his winnings were large. At Havre, France, he trimmed the negro stevedores. At Knotty Ash, Liverpool, England, a distribution camp, he had a constant stream of new customers.
Stasko's working capital was $30. He never made a pass for more than $50. He is taking his $17,000 winnings home with him.
What sub-type of article is it?
Personal Triumph
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Triumph
Fortune Reversal
What keywords are associated?
Craps Winnings
Soldier Gambler
A.E.F. Champion
What entities or persons were involved?
Louis J. Stasko
Where did it happen?
Joliet, Ill.; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Fort Leavenworth; Camp Merritt, New York; Havre, France; Knotty Ash, Liverpool, England
Story Details
Key Persons
Louis J. Stasko
Location
Joliet, Ill.; Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; Fort Leavenworth; Camp Merritt, New York; Havre, France; Knotty Ash, Liverpool, England
Event Date
Nine Months In The Army
Story Details
Private Louis J. Stasko, a 28-year-old machinist from Joliet, Ill., enlisted in the U.S. Army and won $17,000 playing craps across various camps in the US and Europe, starting with $30 working capital and never betting more than $50 per pass.