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One of worst kept secrets in these parts is that you could make a friendly wager on sporting events at Patte's Sports Bar in the North End of Wilkes-Barre. When I was a little boy my dad would take me there occasionally on a Saturday afternoon for a burger and a soda to watch a baseball or football game. Listening to the chatter of the patrons I remember asking him "what is a point spread?"
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When I was a kid the place was just another corner bar that was later renovated and expanded and over the years the clientèle expaned from just the local working stiffs to include the who's who of the local Democratic Party. That seemed to accelerate after the closing of Aldino's Manor in East End.
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The owner Patrick Patte and an employee have now been charged with what amounts to bookmaking. The TL story suggest that they were wiretapped. I have seen many local politico's there over the years and many of them are now under indictment or copped a plea. It looks like they are all singing to the Feds trying to save their own asses and will give up a name no matter how unrelated to the government corruption that has been going on forever.
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A crime is a crime but you can legally gamble a few miles to the north at the casino in Plains that used to be called Pocono Downs. I think that the thing that should be investigated is how his kid got the job as the Coughlin High School football coach.
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The Blogfather wasn't impressed by the food or the atmosphere. I think the food is good and I always enjoy talking politics.
8 comments:
Gort...didn't you know? It's only a vice if the government doesn't get a piece of the action.
The gambling is small potatoes compared to what else is going on. If Dunn or Pizella gave up these names to save their own asses I find it a little sad because what those bastards did is far worse than what Patte allegedly did.
If you were a Fed, would you want to be chasing down Drug lords and spending time on the borders or earning points by crushing the devil that lives in Patty Pats? Do you realize how dangerous it was to uncover the graft of a new suit or the paying of a Christmas party? These Feds are doing an outstanding ob and they are protecting us taxpayers from the dangers in Luzerne County. Thank you Feds, we can sleep because you're protecting public square.
Love the quote! Casablanca is my favorite movie.
I hope the place doesn't shut down, I really like their food.
yyaawwnnn
Ironically, I just watched Casablanca yesterday. Are you some kind of mind reader?
Hmmmm. Why would the Feds care about something as small-time as bets being placed at a sports bar?
Unless...
If it was worth something to some of the already-indicted to rat out Patte's, then how much more worthwhile will it be to Patte's to rat out a few choice individuals?
I suspect a grand scheme. Higher and higher up the chain we'll go, with the ultimate goal...who? Maybe a certain big fish who got away when the Dauphin County DA cut a deal and dropped all charges? There must be some people in the law enforcement community who are pissed about that one.
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