FROM OUR ARCHIVES: Story originally published June 27, 1991

Defining `The Fixer': Gambler, coach, or basketball junkie?

By A.D. Hopkins
Review-Journal

     Who is Richard Mark Perry?
      To federal prosecutors and UNLV officials, he's "Richie the Fixer" -- a convicted sports fixer whose closeness to the UNLV basketball team has shaken it to its roots. To Nevada gaming authorities, he's a candidate for the Black Book.
      But to many Las Vegans, he's amiable Sam Perry -- just another sports bettor looking for a good angle.
      To others still, he's "a basketball junkie" and a selfless playground coach who gives kids from Harlem and the Bronx a chance at the NBA.
      Perry, 46, isn't talking. Although he answered some questions in a press release early this month, he has declined repeated requests for interviews.
      Perry was involved in the now-infamous recruitment of Lloyd Daniels, which is at the center of the NCAA's current investigation of UNLV.
      It was not until a 1989 article in Time magazine claimed Perry gave money to two UNLV players that many Las Vegans realized "Sam Perry" and "Richie the Fixer" were one and the same.
      University administrators have squirmed as Perry sightings mounted this past year. He attended basketball games in seats originally assigned to Coach Jerry Tarkanian but given to Perry by middlemen.
      Earlier, he had developed friendships with key basketball players. This led to pictures, published in the Review-Journal in May, of three players sharing a hot tub and playing basketball with Perry at his home in The Lakes subdivision.
      Just this week, reports that complimentary basketball tickets for Perry were authorized by Tarkanian drew angry denials from the coach.
      Who's the man behind it all?
      Most significantly, Perry helped perpetrate the Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal (1978-79) and the 1973 Superfecta harness racing scandal in New York state.
      There's another reason Perry is perceived as a threat to the UNLV basketball program. Perry is mentioned in Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 best seller, "Wise Guy," a biography of Lucchese family soldier Henry Hill, who is now in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Hill called Perry a dealer in inside information for sports bettors. "He knew what kind of shape the field was in, whether the quarterback had been drunk."
      In a recent Sports Illustrated article, Hill was quoted about Perry's relationship with UNLV players: "Richard does everything for a reason. He wouldn't even talk to a player unless he had something going."
      Providing information to bettors isn't illegal; newspapers do that. But for a player to provide it to a gambler is a violation of NCAA rules. Thus, some teams forbid players from associating with known gamblers. UNLV recently adopted a rule forbidding association with those convicted of gambling crimes. It's commonly called "The Perry Rule."
      While the Nevada Gaming Control Board won't discuss why Perry is being considered for Nevada's List of Excluded Persons -- the famous "black book" of card cheats, mobsters and others banned from casinos -- one reason may lie in a fundamental change in illegal betting practices.
      It's against the law for Nevada's legal books to take bets on Nevada school sports. And in the past, say lawmen, even illegal bookies didn't in Nevada. "Action on UNLV was something we watched for," said one lawman, "because we wanted to nip it in the bud if it got started. I never saw one betting slip on UNLV."
      But that has changed. "During the last season," said one gambler, "there was a lot of action on UNLV. ... On a big game that might be on Saturday afternoon TV on a major network, the action in Las Vegas alone could be in the millions."
      In that environment, Perry's potential for embarrassing the Nevada establishment is multiplied.
      Perry's defenders in Las Vegas claim that although he was convicted of sports fixing, his role in each case was minor.
      But records indicate otherwise.
      In 1984 Perry would plead guilty to conspiracy to commit sports bribery in the Boston College point-shaving case.
      Ed McDonald, in those days a prosecutor for the Organized Crime Task Force and now a New York corporate lawyer, said the Boston case was based on information supplied by Hill. An attorney for one defendant described Hill as "a drug user, whacked out of his skull from all the junk he's been using."
      In view of that assessment, said McDonald, it's important to remember that Hill's story was corroborated.
      Tony Perla, a Pittsburgh bookmaker, told Hill that he had cultivated Boston College player Rick Kuhn for more than a year and that Kuhn was willing to shave points during the upcoming 1978-79 season. Kuhn said he could get Jim Sweeney, team captain, to go along. The players wouldn't have to throw games; they would simply fail to beat the point spread set by bookmakers.
      Hill and his mob boss, Jimmy Burke, were brought in as "muscle" to assure bookmakers paid off, McDonald said.
      Burke reported the plan to his own boss, Paul Vario. "Vario said OK, but check it out with Richie Perry first," explained McDonald. "Henry had a series of meetings with Perry and Perry advised him on how to proceed. He told him they should check the kids out, and (later) Richie advised him to get the third player, Ernie Cobb, into the fold.
      "Also, Henry described Richie as somebody who could put the money down in large amounts."
      Kuhn went to prison for his part in the fix. Sweeney was not prosecuted because he became a government witness. Cobb was acquitted in 1984.
      Perry was to stand trial with Cobb, but didn't show up. Later the same year, threatened with the testimony of Hill, Perry pleaded guilty. The agreement called for a year's probation, a $5,000 fine, and time served -- 21 days at the time of his arrest.
      Earlier this month Perry released, through Las Vegas attorney Oscar Goodman, a lengthy statement concerning his relationship with UNLV and also his Boston College conviction. "I did not serve prison time for this ...," wrote Perry, "because I advised against the proposal of informant Henry Hill to shave points at Boston College ....
      "Unlike the other defendants in the case who received substantial prison time, the court recognized that I pled guilty because I was promised probation and a $5,000 fine.
      "Obviously, because of my prior conviction I was concerned that if I went to trial I would be convicted because of prior conduct or my punishment might be enhanced if I was convicted. I would like to state that I have paid for my mistakes and that I have moved to Las Vegas where gambling activity is legal so as to avoid any problem for myself and my family."
      The prior conviction Perry cited was in the race fixing scheme. Out of 28 people indicted, only two were convicted -- Perry and a horse broker named Forrest Gerry Jr. Those acquitted included Peter Vario, son of Lucchese mob boss Paul Vario.
      Government prosecutors cast Gerry as the ringleader. But a former investigator, who asked for anonymity, said Perry was given a central role because of his friendship with Peter Vario. "Perry decided how they would bet. ... He was the brains behind it."
      This scheme was also described in Hill's biography.
      Hill explained, "In the Superfecta races ... a bettor had to pick the first four winners in a race in their exact order. Perry figured that by getting two or three of the drivers to pull back or get their horses boxed in, we could eliminate two or three of the eight horses from the race. Then we could bet multiples of the remaining combinations at minimum cost."
      The payoff in a superfecta race was usually about $3,000, and it cost $5,040 to buy one ticket for all possible winning combinations. But the ring only needed to bet on the horses it hadn't secretly eliminated. That cost only $1,089, guaranteeing them a profit of nearly $2,000 per set of tickets.
      A witness, Perry's former employee, testified Perry consulted with Gerry by phone on race mornings. Then Perry would pass information to other insiders, and give the employee money to bet on certain horses.
      By some reports the conspirators made $3 million in 30 races over four months, though Hill called that an exaggeration.
      The bribes to sulky drivers were often winning tickets, guaranteeing they kept their end of the deal, according to witnesses.
      The defense attempted to prove that good handicappers, which Perry and others are reputed to be, could win the superfecta without cheating. However, no defendants took the stand.
      In 1974, Perry was fined $10,000 and sentenced to 2 1/2 years; he served six months for sports bribery.
      About 1985, a year after pleading guilty in the Boston College case, Perry met Lloyd Daniels, a New York playground wonder nicknamed "Swee'pea." UNLV later would be charged with violating NCAA rules in recruiting this talent.
      Perry participated in some of those actions.
      Whatever else Perry may be, he also is a basketball junkie. He has coached in the famous Rucker Tournament, played on outdoor courts in Harlem, N.Y., each summer. In the Rucker, college and even NBA stars team up with playground wonders with names like "Helicopter," "Pee Wee" and "The Destroyer." Inner-city denizens perch on rickety chain-link fences to see basketball at its most uninhibited.
      Perry's written statement adds that he also has coached in the city league of Yonkers, N.Y., and the summer league at Mount Vernon, N.Y. Through coaching he met not only Daniels but also Moses Scurry, who would later become a UNLV player and one of the three whose association with Perry embarrassed UNLV.
      "I would like to indicate that I have coached not only Lloyd and Moses, but Mark Jackson, presently with the New York Knicks; Duane Causewell, another NBA player; Gerald Green, who was drafted by the Miami Heat; Boo Harvey, the star point guard of St. John's University; and Conrad McRae of Syracuse," Perry wrote.
      In the same statement, Perry wrote, "Some time after having moved to Las Vegas, I was approached by two other coaches and asked if I could assist Lloyd (Daniels) in paying for a trip to Las Vegas so he could speak to university officials about enrolling in UNLV and playing for UNLV."
      This trip is at the heart of the NCAA's current accusations against the school. UNLV's guilt or innocence on that charge depends upon whether Perry can be considered a recruiter or booster.
      Perry denied he is. In his written statement, he said, "Prior to that time I had no personal contact with the university and, of course, I am not a graduate of UNLV nor am I a booster or a scholarship donor. In fact, I needed to look up the number of the basketball office in the telephone book to make my initial contact with them ....
      "At no time did I assist Lloyd to help the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, or its basketball program, but was only interested in helping Lloyd as an adult who cared about him and had known him for a long time."
      The dream of a UNLV team starring Daniels went up in smoke, however, when Daniels was arrested in a sting operation at a North Las Vegas crack house in February 1987. Perry posted his bond, which the NCAA also questioned.
      Tarkanian, working hard to clean up his team's image and aware that Daniels' drug problems ran deeper than a single arrest, said Daniels would never play ball for UNLV. Perry was reportedly outraged that Tarkanian dropped Daniels before his trial.
      It was in that 1986-1987 season that Perry was authorized complimentary tickets to UNLV basketball games -- something the public learned only this week. Tarkanian defended the comps. At the time, he said, Perry was known to UNLV only as "a coach from New York City with some great players."
      It isn't even clear that Perry actually received the tickets authorized for him. Tarkanian said his own name is forged on one slip authorizing tickets.
      Daniels' drug arrest set the stage for the unveiling of the real Richard Perry.
      Bernie Glannon, a Kansas businessman who then owned the minor league Topeka Sizzlers, came to Las Vegas as soon as he learned Tarkanian might drop Daniels from the program. "I knew Daniels was great and I owned a pro basketball team," explained Glannon.
      Glannon put Daniels in a drug rehabilitation program, which resulted in the charges against Daniels being dropped. The day they were dismissed, Glannon was introduced to a man named Sam Perry.
      "He came to the Maxim to say `Hi' to Lloyd," Glannon recalled. "He thanked me, said, `I've tried to help him as best I could. We understand you spent a lot of money and if there's anything I can do to help you I will."'
      In their many subsequent conversations, said Glannon, that was always Perry's main concern: "How's Lloyd doing?"'
      Learning that Perry had coached, Glannon in 1988 asked Perry to help out in a summer basketball camp. "Now, if anybody needs proof that Perry is genuinely interested in the game, there it is," said Glannon. "He came to Topeka and spent three or four days unpaid. There was absolutely no way he could have made financial gain from it. There was no betting on CBA games at the time and I don't think there is now."
      The Sizzlers were then affiliated with the Los Angeles Lakers. In 1989, the Lakers were scheduled to play an exhibition game in Las Vegas, and Glannon brought his general manager and coach to see it. He also scheduled a lunch with Bill Bertka, the Lakers assistant coach.
      "I was told that Bertka liked Italian food. So I called Perry and said is there a good Italian restaurant at Caesars Palace, where they were staying. Perry said, `There's a good one right there by the pool. I'll make you reservations.'
      "I said, `It's gonna be a bunch of guys talking basketball, and you're welcome to come.' And Perry did.
      "While we were sitting at the table, Perry got a call. I think it was on a beeper. He took it, and said, `That's Moses Scurry and David Butler; they're coming in to have lunch."'
      Both were players for UNLV.
      "In about five minutes they came in and did not sit at our table," related Glannon. "Some of us went over and shook hands. The big joke was they ordered a cheeseburger in a fancy restaurant.
      "Perry paid the tip on the table I was at, and the one where Scurry and Butler sat. I don't know for sure who paid the checks. I believe I paid the one at my own table; the people were my guests."
      Later, Time magazine would write that Perry had also given each of the UNLV players $100.
      "I've said this before," said Glannon. "I don't think it's true that Perry gave money to the players. What I know is true is that he did not set the meeting up. Perry was a last-minute invited guest."
      Butler also denied receiving money, and Tarkanian, after questioning his players, said Perry may have left $20 for a tip. Yet the story has lived on that Perry gave each player "$100 during lunch at the Palace." As a result of this incident, Tarkanian says, he warned all his players to stay away from Perry.
      Glannon has also taken heat for making Perry an unpaid scout for the Sizzlers, even though he knew Perry to be a gambler. "I saw no problem with it because there was no way a gambler could make a penny on our games.
      "I have continued to be a friend of Perry," said Glannon. "I understand a man of Mr. Perry's history has made a mistake ... but I think the world has read a whole lot more into this than what was there."
      Perry has lived in Las Vegas since 1986, although he registered as an ex-felon with Metro, as required by law, only in March 1989.
      He lives in a two-story, tudor-style house that cost $163,000 new in 1987; since then the home has had a number of improvements. Property records indicate the home belongs to Perry's brother, Alan, who lives at another address.
      "Richie never has anything in his own name," explained a confidential source. "He lets other people own it."
      Among the improvements to the house are a large swimming pool, a spa and a basketball court with the words "Perry's Court" painted on the transparent backboard.
      It was here that Perry was photographed playing basketball and sharing the tub with three members of the 1990 championship team -- Scurry, Butler, and Anderson Hunt. The photographs were published on the front page of the Review-Journal in May. Although Tarkanian has claimed the photos were taken before Perry's gambling convictions were common knowledge, their publication closely preceded Tarkanian's decision to leave UNLV after the coming season.
      Perry's friends say he is deeply upset at the trouble his appearance at games and with UNLV players has caused.
      They also say he has been a likable host, a good casino customer, a genial companion. They say he wouldn't associate with basketball players for any reason other than loving basketball.
      But few will attach their names to those statements.
      Meanwhile, Perry, divorced less than a year, lives the life of a bachelor. He's out of the house early each morning to make the rounds of casino books, often with a buddy called "Magic" for his gambling success. In the evenings, he often dines at Richie's Room, an Italian restaurant and bar on West Sahara Avenue, which has been frequented by UNLV players.
      Each summer, Perry reportedly returns to New York to coach summer basketball and travels extensively during the rest of the year.
      Ed McDonald, who prosecuted the Boston College cases, said it's understandable that not everybody believes Perry has gone straight. "How many people in this country have been convicted of fixing two different sporting events?" McDonald asked one sportswriter. "I mean, the number of prosecutions brought under the federal sports bribery statutes, you could probably count them on one hand."