Manny Kimmel
Encyclopedia
Manny Kimmel, born Emmanuel Kimmel, was a notable underworld figure between the 1930s and 1960s. Founder of the Kinney Parking Company
, a chain of parking lots and garages. According to Connie Bruck, he cooperated with the major racketeer and bootlegger in Newark, Abner Zwillman
, leasing his garages for storage of liquor during the Prohibition Era. FBI kept tabs on him for his business dealings with known mafia figures, and compelled to testify in the trials of two of them, Abner Zwillman and Joe Adonis
. An illegal bookie in his early years, running the numbers game and other illicit gambling bookmaking activities in New Jersey. Perhaps the biggest horseracing bookmaker in New York at one time, and owner of several racing horses himself. He is also known for his early forays into card counting in blackjack in the early fifties as the Mr. X in the classic book on card counting
, Beat the Dealer by Edward O. Thorp
.
He is mentioned in at least two other historical books (according to Amazon), including the Master of the Game: Steve Ross and the Creation of Time Warner by Connie Bruck. In this well-known book, the multi-year evolution of the company Kimmel founded, Kinney Parking Company
, into Time Warner
of today is described. The second book in which Kimmel prominently figures, Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street
by William Poundstone
has a less scholarly quality, and in any case Kimmel should not be credited with any inventions in the field of mathematical gambling, that honor goes to Manny's nephew Seymour Lubetkin, a brilliant mathematician in his own right and a graduate of the Newark College of Engineering (today the New Jersey Institute of Technology where there is a Lubetkin Field donated by he and his brothers), who determined the secret to be in 10's which contradicted the work of Edward O. Thorp and Jess Marcum.
Manny took the information from Seymour and traveled to MIT to meet with Thorp whom had theorized the secret to be with 5's. Manny used Seymour's math to take all of the matchsticks Thorp had in a simulated game prior to the two men agreeing to head to Reno to try out the more successful of the two theories (Seymour's 10's theory).
Kinney Parking Company
Kinney Parking Company was a New Jersey parking lot company owned by Manny Kimmel, Sigmund Dornbusch and mob figure Abner Zwillman. Prior to its public listing in 1960, it merged with a funeral home company, Riverside, and then expanded into car-rentals, office cleaning firms and construction...
, a chain of parking lots and garages. According to Connie Bruck, he cooperated with the major racketeer and bootlegger in Newark, Abner Zwillman
Abner Zwillman
Abner "Longie" Zwillman , known as the "Al Capone of New Jersey," was an early Prohibition gangster, founding member of the "Big Seven" Ruling Commission and a member of the National Crime Syndicate, who was also associated with Murder Incorporated.-Biography:According to the Social Security Death...
, leasing his garages for storage of liquor during the Prohibition Era. FBI kept tabs on him for his business dealings with known mafia figures, and compelled to testify in the trials of two of them, Abner Zwillman and Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis
Joe Adonis , also known as "Joey A", "Joe Adone", "Joe Arosa", "James Arosa", and "Joe DiMeo", was a New York mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families.-Early years:Adonis was born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in the small town of Montemarano,...
. An illegal bookie in his early years, running the numbers game and other illicit gambling bookmaking activities in New Jersey. Perhaps the biggest horseracing bookmaker in New York at one time, and owner of several racing horses himself. He is also known for his early forays into card counting in blackjack in the early fifties as the Mr. X in the classic book on card counting
Card counting
Card counting is a casino card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino games to determine whether the next hand is likely to give a probable advantage to the player or to the dealer. Card counters, also known as advantage players, attempt to decrease the inherent casino house...
, Beat the Dealer by Edward O. Thorp
Edward O. Thorp
Edward Oakley Thorp is an American mathematics professor, author, hedge fund manager, and blackjack player. He was a pioneer in modern applications of probability theory, including the harnessing of very small correlations for reliable financial gain.He was the author of Beat the Dealer, the first...
.
He is mentioned in at least two other historical books (according to Amazon), including the Master of the Game: Steve Ross and the Creation of Time Warner by Connie Bruck. In this well-known book, the multi-year evolution of the company Kimmel founded, Kinney Parking Company
Kinney Parking Company
Kinney Parking Company was a New Jersey parking lot company owned by Manny Kimmel, Sigmund Dornbusch and mob figure Abner Zwillman. Prior to its public listing in 1960, it merged with a funeral home company, Riverside, and then expanded into car-rentals, office cleaning firms and construction...
, into Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
of today is described. The second book in which Kimmel prominently figures, Fortune's Formula: The Untold Story of the Scientific Betting System That Beat the Casinos and Wall Street
by William Poundstone
William Poundstone
William Poundstone is an American author, columnist, and skeptic. He has written a number of books including the Big Secrets series and a biography of Carl Sagan...
has a less scholarly quality, and in any case Kimmel should not be credited with any inventions in the field of mathematical gambling, that honor goes to Manny's nephew Seymour Lubetkin, a brilliant mathematician in his own right and a graduate of the Newark College of Engineering (today the New Jersey Institute of Technology where there is a Lubetkin Field donated by he and his brothers), who determined the secret to be in 10's which contradicted the work of Edward O. Thorp and Jess Marcum.
Manny took the information from Seymour and traveled to MIT to meet with Thorp whom had theorized the secret to be with 5's. Manny used Seymour's math to take all of the matchsticks Thorp had in a simulated game prior to the two men agreeing to head to Reno to try out the more successful of the two theories (Seymour's 10's theory).