Chapter 5
The Hustle
The first real experience I had witnessing a total hustle, involved Bernie Bananas and Al, Bernie was a young Jewish boy that looked like your typical book worm, a real nerd or so you thought , he was my age, 15. Al was in his mid twenties about 6ft tall with a spare tire around the middle, just married, just moved into the neighborhood, a real nice guy, lived above a store on Ave M across from the bowling alley, he had a hi paying job as a fur cutter. Right after Al moved onto Ave M, he made the biggest mistake of his life.
Al would take the D train home from his job in Manhattan, which ran on the elevated line on McDonald Ave right along side the bowling alley. It was pay day, Als pockets were full, as he walked down the steps from the train he decided to check out the bowling alley. The second he walked through the door, Bernie new he had a pigeon. What went on the next year changed and ruined Als life forever.
Bernie would bowl Al every Friday when he got paid, after he beat Al for his the whole paycheck he would bowl one more game on credit, this way Al would have to come back the following week on pay day to give Bernie what was owed him from the previous week. That would start the whole cycle over again. Al couldn't beat Bernie if both his eyes were covered; it was an out and out hustle. Al became a degenerate gambler, lost his wife, his job, and everything else.