The modern ideal of a bowling center is one of full-service food and beverage, clean surroundings, music, video games, and other modern amenities. This is a far cry from the 1950s and 1960s when, although centers were modern for their time, they housed an entirely underground culture called “action bowling.” Much like characters such as Fast Eddie Felson and Minnesota Fats in the movie, “The Hustler,” action bowlers were those who would travel from bowling center to bowling center and sometimes from city to city to risk large sums of money betting on themselves or others. The action usually started after regular league bowling ended at around midnight and often went on long after sunrise. Con men and hustlers with nicknames like The Whale, One Finger Benny, and Joey the Snake bet thousands of dollars on the outcome of a single game. Large crowds usually attended the matches, and much like a horse race, the spectators bet among themselves on the results of each game. This presentation will focus on how the culture of action bowling developed and explore the reasons why it is virtually non-existent today.
About the presenterGlenn Gerstner
Glenn Gerstner is an Associate Professor of Sport Management at St. John’s University, and currently also serves as Associate Dean for Academics and Assessment in the College of Professional Studies.