After the death of his brother Harry, Arnold made a serious
attempt at mending the relationship with his father. He moved back
home, worked at his father’s factory, stayed away from the
poolrooms and even attended the synagogue. Arnold’s efforts
failed. After an argument he left home again feeling that he was
unloved and unwanted. He would never spend another night in his
parents’ house.
Rothstein’s new home was the Broadway Central Hotel and his new
profession was that of a cigar salesman, which kept him in close
contact with gambling houses, hotels and saloons. His favorite
hangout became a poolroom owned by John J. McGraw, the manager of
the New York Giants baseball team. Here Rothstein honed his talents
as a pool player and gained the reputation of being one of the best
on Broadway.
During this period, the first decade of the twentieth century,
Rothstein began working on his bankroll. He believed that by
carrying a large sum of money, and flashing it, that it helped gauge
his prominence. “Money talks,” Rothstein told a reporter. “The
more money the louder it talks.”
In Leo Katcher’s fine biography of Rothstein, The Big Bank
Roll, the author discusses Rothstein’s work philosophy:
“The cigar salesman made a good living. He lived frugally,
did not dissipate. Each week the roll in his pocket grew a little
thicker. He knew he could never attain his ultimate aim by simple
economies, but these could start him on his way. He didn’t like
long range projects. He was essentially a short-term, quick-turnover
man.
“Rothstein pursued a fixed course. He worked at selling
cigars until he accumulated $2,000. He decided that this was
sufficient to base an entry into gambling as a profession. He quit
his salesman’s job. He would never again work for anyone else. All
the rest of his life, no matter what else he might be, he would
always be a professional gambler.”
With “Big Tim” Sullivan’s backing, in 1902 Rothstein began
working on his own. He booked bets on baseball games, elections,
horse races and prizefights. In addition, he gambled on his own –
shooting craps, playing pool and participating in poker games.
Rothstein had a simple philosophy, “Look out for Number One. If
you don’t, no one else will. If a man is dumb, someone is going to
get the best of him, so why not you? If you don’t, you’re as
dumb as he is.”
Rothstein was cautious not to over expose himself in bets. He
found that the secret of winning was simply to have a large enough
bank roll to be able to lose one more bet than anyone else could
afford to lose. Rothstein continued to prosper from his gambling
endeavors and he was still lending money at exorbitant interest
rates. He began to invest his income in legitimate businesses as a
silent partner. He became part owner of an automobile dealership and
several drug stores.
By 1906 his bankroll had grown from $2,000 to $12,000. To flash
his roll served as a sign of his ability and success and earned him
respect in his chosen field. In 1907, he met his future wife Carolyn
Greene, a 19 year-old actress. He once took her to dinner and spread
his money out over the table. “This is going to make me
important,” he told her. “I know how much money means. I’m
going to have more and more of it. Nothing is going to stop me.”
Rothstein had selected his wife very carefully. Not a womanizer,
he had Carolyn checked out thoroughly before presenting her to his
family. At an uncomfortable meeting in his parent’s home, Abraham
questioned his daughter-in-law to be.
“Are you Jewish, Miss Greene?” he inquired.
“My father is Jewish and my mother is Catholic. I have been
brought up as a Catholic,” Carolyn replied.
“But you will change your religion if you and Arnold should
marry, will you not?” Abraham asked.
“No, Mr. Rothstein,” came Carolyn’s response.
“If he marries outside his faith, he will be lost to me,”
said Abraham.
Rothstein left his parent’s house for yet another time with a
feeling of being unloved. His father’s wishes had no effect on his
plans to wed Carolyn. On August 12, 1909 Rothstein and Greene were
married in Saratoga, New York during the heart of horse racing
season. Newspaperman Herbert Bayard Swope was Rothstein’s best
man. Rothstein’s parents did not attend. When word of the wedding
reached Abraham, he reacted by donning a prayer shawl and reciting
the Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead, for the second
of his sons.
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