Wheeling's Gambling History to 1976 - Paperback

by Mike Minder (Author)

This complete and remarkable history of gambling in Wheeling begins with the origins of odds and evens as an old fortune telling "game" and ends shortly after the death of "Big Bill" Lias. Minder, historian-turned-detective, gets credit not only for his care in recounting the evolution of gambling in the Wheeling area, but also for gambling in local Native American cultures. In the same way, he assesses the attitudes of religion regarding the human tendency to gamble. Minder describes the rules of various games and the stories of famous and not-so-famous players. He also investigates the reasons people gamble and methods of cheating. Government-sponsored gambling is also explored.

Author Biography

Mike Minder was born and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia. He graduated from Wheeling Park High School in 1981. Mike served in the U.S. Army's Military Intelligence Branch as a morse code interceptor. He was later assigned to the Army Reserve, first as a radio operator in Special Forces, then as an operations sergeant in an engineer company. Mike also worked as a store detective and internal security manager for a major U.S. retailer. In 1995, he graduated from Bethany College, winning the Chapman Prize in History. Mike finished third in a six-candidate race for Mayor of Wheeling in 1996.