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It's December 18, 1978. Ernie Cobbs sits on the couch in his living room and drapes one of his long muscular arms around his girlfriend. She says something, but he doesn't quite hear it because at the moment Cobbs brown eyes are fixed on the TV screen in front of them. A news reporter is standing at JFK Airport in New York City. It was here just last week that a spectacular robbery took place. Masked gunmen stormed the cargo building for Lufthansa Airlines, and they made off with a massive amount of unmarked cash. Today the news reporter has the latest update. It appears the thieves stole a total of $5 million. Cobb let's out a low whistle. $5 million. Cobbs an unpaid basketball player for the Boston College Eagles. He can hardly imagine money that big. Cobb shifts his arm. He can tell that his girlfriend, LeVern Mosley, isn't paying attention to the newscaster, but it seems that she's also thinking about money. Her eyes are locked on a thick envelope that's resting on the coffee table. The envelope and its contents are from Rocco Perla. Cobb only met Perla once and that was eight days ago when he came to Cobb's apartment. After the two spent some time talking basketball, Perla brought up another subject, gambling, and changing the final scores of the Eagles games through point shaving. The two hadn't seen each other since, but two days ago Perla reappeared. He approached Cobb's girlfriend, LeVern, after the Eagles barely squeaked out a win against Harvard. Perla handed her an envelope and said it was something for Cobb. When Cobb finally opened it, his jaw dropped. Inside was a thousand dollars in cash. Cobb looks over it mostly and sees she's glaring at him. He leans forward and turns off the TV. LeVern, do I have to say it again? This money isn't dirty, okay? When that man came here with Rick Coon, you said he asked you to cheat. Now he hands me an envelope full of bills and says, give this to Ernie for a job well done. What am I supposed to think? Honey, I told you what I said to him last night. I don't miss shots. When the ball is in my hands, the next stop is the net every time. Then what did you do to earn this kind of cash? I didn't do anything. I just said to bet big on the Harvard game and we won. I guess they're showing me some appreciation or something. No, there's something else going on. Are you cheating the games? Be honest with me. Cobb frowns and leans back. I am being honest and I don't want to argue. Plus it's not that much money. You want to talk about cheating? Look at those boys on the TV. They took $5 million. Ernie, I don't care if it's $20. You need to give that money back. Rick and his friends, they're criminals. No, no, they're not. Rick's on my team. Mosley fixes him with a stare. Ernie, none of those people are on your team. Mosley then stands and walks out of the room. Cobb shakes his head. He doesn't understand the problem. They needed money. Now they have some. What's wrong with that? Cobb turns the TV back on. On the screen, a New York City police captain is addressing reporters. The issue is a stern warning. Police are coming for all the thieves who stole from Loftonza. No one is going to get away with this. And soon these criminals will be in custody. American scandal is sponsored by the new ABC drama Alaska Daily. When an indigenous woman goes missing in Alaska, it sparks new questions about other missing and murdered indigenous women. And that's where the thrilling new ABC drama Alaska Daily begins, and where it's headed, will have you on the edge of your seat. Two time Academy Award winner Hillary Swank stars as Eileen, a veteran reporter, who joins a team of local journalists working to bring the truth to light. From Academy Award winning screenwriter Tom McCarthy, Alaska Daily premieres Thursday, October 6th on ABC, and streams next day on Hulu. If you're into true crime, the Generation Y podcast is essential listening. We started this podcast over 10 years ago to dissect some of the craziest and most notable murders, crimes, and conspiracy theories together. And we'd love for you to join us. Follow the Generation Y podcast on Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. MUSIC From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scan. In the late 1970s, New York's mafia hatched a potentially lucrative plan, placing bets on Boston College basketball games. But to make sure their bets would pay off, the mafia needed help from the basketball players themselves. Boston College players would have to manipulate the outcomes of games. And in return, the mafia would give some of their winnings to the players. But the scheme got off to a rocky start, as players were reluctant to get in line. Then, as the season rolled along, and money kept pouring in, there were more surprises. This is episode two. You can bet your life. MUSIC It's December 20, 1978, in Queens, New York City. Henry Hill sits at a bar inside the dimly lit Roberts lounge, wearing a silk suit, and nursing his third Scotch in soda. Hill has plenty to celebrate. His drug running business is making huge profits. Just last week, he and Paul Maisie moved another $10,000 worth of cocaine and heroin. And that's not their only money maker. He'll also has the fix at Boston College. Finally, those kids got their act together, and it's paying off. Because right now, Hill has thousands of dollars in his pocket, thanks to the Boston College Eagles poor performance against Harvard in their recent basketball game. And that's not even the end of it. He'll learn that his friend and mentor, the mobster Jimmy Burke, just pulled off the greatest cash heist in American history. Burke's crew, Rob Lufthansa, the German airline, and made off with over 5 million in cash. So yes, it should be time to celebrate. And yet, Hill feels anything but festive. He takes a sip from his drink and looks down at the end of the bar. That's where Jimmy Burke is sitting and chain smoking. The Lufthansa robbery itself did go off without a hitch, but it was after the heist that the problems started. A man known as Stax Edwards was supposed to drive the getaway van to a junkyard. There, the van would be crushed, along with any evidence inside. But Edwards never made it to the junkyard. The man, one of Hill's friends, instead, got high and drove the van to his girlfriend's place, parking it in front of a fire hydrant. Early the next morning, police discovered it and identified the vehicle. Even worse, they dug around the van and found ski masks and gloves. Soon, the news got around to Jimmy Burke, and he went after Edwards. Hill grimaces as he looks toward the empty stool in the corner, where his friend Edwards often sat and played guitar. Just two days ago, Stax Edwards was shot and killed. Henry Hill still can't believe it. He lost a friend, but he also began to sense an ominous threat. He can tell that Burke is growing anxious and paranoid and nothing is more dangerous than when Jimmy Burke feels like he's in a corner. Hill watches the aging mobster exhale another cloud of smoke. Burke then stubs out his cigarette and with a cold menacing looking his eyes, reaches down, grabs a telephone, and places it on the bar. He asks Hill to find the bedding spread on the upcoming game between Boston College and UCLA. Hill breathes a sigh of relief. In recent days, his income had dried up because Burke put a stop on Hill's drug run in order to avoid any scrutiny from the police. The scam at Boston College became Hill's only option to make a dollar, but Burke said he might shut it down too. Now though, it appears the scheme is alive and kicking and Hill's livelihood is back on track. But then Hill looks again at the empty stool where Stax Edwards used to sit. He feels a noiling worry. To become a dangerous game to partner with Jimmy Burke and not just for people like Stax Edwards who got sloppy and dug his own grave. Hill knows that when it comes to Boston College, he could face serious consequences even for small mistakes from Burke. So the scam has to go right. The next day, Rick Coon ducks his head and writes his new leather coat as he steps through the door of a DC 10 airplane in Boston's Logan Airport. Today, the Boston College team is bound for Los Angeles where they'll take on the UCLA Bruins. Coon got the message loud and clear from his associates in the mob. Boston College needs to lose the game against UCLA and they need to lose big. Coon walks down the airplane's aisle, finds his seat and takes off his coat. This should be easy. No one expects the Eagles to keep the score close. The Bruins are legendary and have won eight of the last 10 national titles. So Coon is already counting the money in his head. But right then, Coon hears something and looks up. The sound of Marvin Gaye coming from the front of the plane. Ernie Cobb strides down the aisle carrying a new boom box. Coon smiles, shakes his head. He knows Cobb doesn't have a dollar to his name. If he's buying toys, that could only mean one thing. He must have finally gotten in on the scam. Coon sits back with a satisfied grin. Now that Cobb is part of the plan, nothing can go wrong. But one thing still does bother Rick Coon and that's Jim Sweeney. His friend Sweeney's been distant these past days, but there's reason to be optimistic. Sweeney did agree to sit next to Coon during the flight and that should offer them a chance to make up, set things right. Coon watches his Sweeney walks down the aisle. He doesn't have any fancy luggage, just a modest backpack. Coon wears him over. But then Sweeney does something unexpected. He stoves his backpack and sits down several rows up. At first, Coon is confused. He's positive that Sweeney saw him. The flight attendant announces that everyone should take their seats. Coon keeps his eyes trained on Sweeney, hoping he'll look back. Then he feels a hand tapping on his shoulder. He turns and finds another player who asks if he can take the empty seat. Coon glances again at Sweeney, but his friend remains looking forward. Coon's size. He lists the new coat from the next seat and makes room for the teammate. Soon the engine's roar and the plane takes off. Coon stares out the window at the gray December sky. He'll just have to wait and talk with Sweeney when they land in California. It's the night of December 23rd and Rick Coon can fuel the electric energy that's rocketing through Paulie Pavilion just two minutes into the game against the UCLA Bruins. The band is blasting and tan college kids are shouting. And of course, the seats are full of NBA scouts who come to find the next stars in Pro Basketball. One player on the Boston College Eagles has risen to the occasion. Ernie Cobb, he floats through the players, sinks another shot. Rick Coon cringes. Obviously he was wrong. Cobb is not on board with this game. Instead, the Eagles star is playing his very hardest against UCLA. Coon bites his nails. If this doesn't turn around soon, the game could be a disaster. Coon promised the gamblers that the Eagles would dump the game losing by more than the 15 point spread. But not only is Boston not losing by 15, there's the terrifying chance that they may actually win this thing. Coon knows the mob is betting big. If they lose, they'll want more than just answers. The game reaches halftime and Rick Coon blanches as he reads the score. The Eagles are down by only two points. The team huddles together. And Coon tries to catch the eye of Jim Sweeney. He desperately wishes they could have talked alone before the game. Coon needs to know is Sweeney in? Because if he's not, Coon has to let him know that the mobsters have lost their patience. They expect results. They expect them tonight. Finally, Sweeney does look up, and Coon feels a flutter of hope. But that feeling quickly sinks. Sweeney's face is blank, unreadable. A moment later, the team splits apart and heads back to the court for the second half. Coon's not sure what's going to happen, and it's not looking good. But as the second half gets underway, Sweeney seems to be slowing the game down. He's walking the ball at the court, and he's no longer firing off passes to Ernie Cobb. And soon enough, UCLA starts to pull away. As Sweeney doesn't pick up the pace, and he doesn't pass the ball to Cobb. Finally, the buzzer sounds. Coon checks the scoreboard. UCLA 103, Boston College 81. Coon closes his eyes, feels a huge surge of relief. The Eagles have lost, and they've lost big. And that means the mobsters won. It looks like Coon will live to see another day. And if this scam does have to keep going, there's a silver lining. Looks like Jim Sweeney is playing along. It's January 1979, a month after Boston College's defeat at UCLA. Barbara Reed stands in the doorway of her apartment, which she shares with her boyfriend, Rick Coon. Holding the door open, she sees Coon approaching with a group of friends. They're carrying several large boxes toward the apartment. Coon return from the West Coast several weeks ago, and since then, Reed has watched the same scene unfold over and over. She's held the door for boxes of all kinds, a large color TV, queen size brass bed, expensive clothes. There have been smaller boxes too. One held a pair of Jade earrings. They were a gift from Rick. He's also given her several necklaces, and a ring made a black coral and gold inlaid with diamonds. When Reed saw that, she lost her breath. And yet she also feels tense with worry. Where was all this money coming from? Coon sets down the last of the boxes and thanks his friends. He closes the door behind him and grins at Reed and tells her to open a box. Reed searches through the packing peanuts and discovers something large and metallic, too heavy for her to lift. So Coon leans over and pulls it out proudly. It's a stereo receiver, a Pioneer SX 1280. Wow. Reed stares at the receiver. Her mouth hangs open. Rick, how much did this cost? You won't believe it. Only 1,500 for the whole system. What? That's more than a half a year's rent. Rick shrugs, starts opening the other boxes. It's top the line, turntable, tape deck, reel to reel. How can we afford the top of the line? I'm a nurse. My salary's not enough, and you don't even have a job. I told you, I'm making some side bets. Reed shakes her head, looks away. This isn't right. It doesn't add up. And they're not the only ones suddenly living like their rich. Reed turns back to Coon. I saw Jim's girlfriend the other day. Moira's got a coral ring with diamonds exactly like mine. Oh yeah? Well, I bought yours first. He's copying me. That's not the point, Rick. Is Jim gambling, too? Babe, enough with the questions. Just listen to this. Check it out. Coon powers on the stereo and starts dancing to a disco song in the radio. Base thumping. Reed trusses her arms. She wants answers. She wants them now. Then Coon shimmies up to her and shakes his hips. She feels her concern slipping away. Coon spins and raises her hand in the air. And soon she can't help its mile. He reaches out and Reed lets him pull her close. Two dance as music fills their apartment. But then, when she looks at Rick and sees his giant grin, her thoughts begin to spin again. She needs to know, what are these boys up to? And how long could it possibly last? What if your family was the victim of a home invasion? Or you woke up in the morgue? Or you were seriously injured miles from help? What would you do? This is actually happening. Ask our listeners this very question, while we bring you captivating real life stories of trauma and perseverance. This is actually happening, brings listeners extraordinary true stories from the people who lived them. You'll hear stories about conflict, turmoil, or threats that dramatically alter the course of someone's life. Each episode is an exploration of the human spirit and how survivors manage to overcome hardship and move on with their lives, even thriving afterward. The new season of this is actually happening is available ad free only with Wondry Plus. And if this new season isn't enough, you can listen to more than 120 exclusive episodes available only to Wondry Plus subscribers. Join Wondry Plus on Apple Podcasts or on the Wondry app. It's February 3rd, 1979. Jim Sweeney sits on his bed, peering out into living room. Right now, his roommates are welcoming in Rick Kuhn and another man, guy who looks like a TV villain with a thick beard and a black coat and gloves. Sweeney's heard the stories from Kuhn and he knows this has to be Rocco Perla. Sweeney feels lightheaded. Ever since he returned to Boston from the West Coast, he's barely been able to sleep or eat. And now it looks like things are about to get worse. Kuhn glances at Sweeney from the living room and steps aside from the group. He makes his way into Sweeney's bedroom. Kuhn closes the door, breaks out and giddy laughter. Tell Sweeney that he should receive a trophy for his work at UCLA. His performance was masterfully bad. He hopes Sweeney will provide an encore for the upcoming game against St. John's. Sweeney looks out the window at the falling snow. When this game started, he knew it was a bad idea. But Kuhn gave him a lot of money and he decided to buy some jewelry for his girlfriend, Mora. The look on her face made his anxieties melt away. But those good feelings didn't last. Sweeney wants out. Except he isn't sure how to make that happen. He could confess. He'd almost certainly be thrown off the team and maybe thrown out of school. Sweeney has also been worrying about another threat. If he walked away from the scam, what would the Mafia do to him? Where his girlfriend, his family? Sweeney rubs his temple and tells Kuhn to sit down. He tells Kuhn that he wants out. Kuhn doesn't say a word. He just smiles and calmly explains that it's natural to be anxious, but no risk, no reward. Before Sweeney can respond, his bedroom door shoots open. Standing in the doorway is Rocco Perla, arms crossed. He asks if everything is good in here. Kuhn nods and says that Sweeney is just feeling a little scared. Perla laughs, then he squintes his eyes and turns to Sweeney. He says that to be actually scared is to find your feet and cement as you're tipped off a boat in Boston Harbor. Is that the sort of scared Sweeney feels right now sitting in his warm room with money to burn? Sweeney swallows, says no. He doesn't feel that scared. Kuhn slaps Sweeney on the knee and he and Perla leave the bedroom. Sweeney looks down at his hands. They're shaking and he stands and quietly closes the door. It's February 6th, 1979 in New York City. Outside the St. John's alumni hall, the street is crowded with college kids. They're dressed in red and celebrating St. John's big win over Boston College. But inside the arena, Ernie Cobbs sits alone on the bench. He stares at the scoreboard. St. John's 85, Boston College 76. Tonight, Cobb played the worst game of his life and in the audience, there were NBA scouts from the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets. Cobb saw them during warm up with their clipboards and pencils he knew they were tracking him. A great performance in this game would send his name to the top of their lists. But the game was a disaster. It turned out he wasn't competing with the other team. His opponents were Jim Sweeney and Rick Coon. Once again, they wouldn't pass him the ball and this time Cobb lost his cool. He screamed at Sweeney and ended the night only making one out of seven shots from the floor. Cobb buries his face in his hands. He's ashamed but also livid. The teammate he sees now is the reason why. Across the gym, Rick Coon is headed to the exit. He looks glum but Cobb knows it's not because the eagle's lost. It's because they didn't lose by enough. The St. John's was favored by nine points and they won by exactly nine. That means the gamblers didn't win any money on the game but they didn't lose any either. It's Cobb's only consolation for a night gone so wrong. Cobb stands and surveys the empty basketball court. This is where he belongs and this is where he can build a future for himself. Rick Coon and Jim Sweeney may have stopped him this game but not next time. Two nights later, Rick Coon stands alone at his kitchen sink. He and his girlfriend, Barbara Reed, just had a huge fight. Now he's eating raisin brand for dinner and trying to calm himself down. Reed said she'd had it with Coon's evasiveness about money and she added maybe she should ask Jim Sweeney about it. That's when Coon lost it. He warned her never to speak about the money to anybody ever or else. He didn't need to look at her eyes to know he'd gone too far. What the damage was done. When he did meet her gaze, she told him angrily that she was leaving. Coon's tears normally out the kitchen window. What happened to his life? His best friend stopped talking to him and now his girlfriend is leaving. He may be winning bets, making money, but he's losing what actually matters. Just then the phone rings. Coon knows who it is. His old Pittsburgh acquaintance Tony Perla, Rocco's brother, wanting to confirm that the gambler should bet on the upcoming game. This time Boston is facing off against the Holy Cross Crusaders. Holy Cross is favored, but still it's a hard game for Coon to guarantee. Holy Cross is a rival school and anything can happen at a rivalry game. Still Coon knows the gamblers won't accept that kind of talk. Coon picks up the phone and here's the familiar Raspi voice online. As he guessed, it's Tony Perla. Perla doesn't ask Coon anything. He only says that their New York friends are betting and betting big. They expect paths, Jimmy Burke in particular. Coon begins to protest, but Perla cuts him short. He warns Coon to dump the Holy Cross game. No ifs, ands or buts. Boston College needs to lose by at least seven points. If they don't, there will be problems. And Perla says, you don't wanna create problems for Jimmy Burke right now. Not when all his solutions require body bags. Coon hangs up, his heart pounding. He looks at his cereal and dumps the bowl down the drain. He's lost his appetite. It's February 10th, 1979 in Queens, New York City. Henry Hill rubs his hands together, trying to warm them up and looks to his side where his friend Jimmy Burke is standing. He'll give Burke a pat on the shoulder, a two stepped outside to check on Burke's home renovations. In a couple of minutes, they'll head back in and keep watching the game between Boston College and Holy Cross. Hill is in a good mood tonight. Burke seems calm and at ease. Maybe he's finally letting go of his paranoia. He gripped him the moment the police found the getaway van and it's turned lethal. But Hill knows that the Lufthansa investigation is probably a dead end. The police found the masks and gloves from the robbery, but the only prints in the van belong to Stax Edwards and he's certainly not talking. But still, Burke had been ruthless. One of Burke's associates, the man who brought the Lufthansa deal has vanished. Another was found dead inside a meat freezer. But tonight Burke is all smiles as he looks over the new brickwork on his house. Maybe the tides of change, Hill thinks. Maybe the killings are over. The two head back inside the house and grab a seat in front of the TV again. The announcer has just said that coming into the second half, Holy Cross is at 82, Boston College Eagles are trailing by 10 points at 72. Burke cracks a smile and takes the sip of whiskey. Beautiful, keep that express elevator going down boys. Hill watches as the Eagles race up the court. The two teams get caught in a tangle of elbows. A Holy Cross player goes down and Jim Sweeney fowls out of the game. It's good news for their bet though. The Eagles have to lose by at least seven points and with Sweeney out, scores not likely to get any higher. He grins and raises a glass. Maybe we do open up that second bottle, Jimmy. I got it right here, hammer your glass. But before Burke can pour, he sees a streak of movement on the screen. Ernie Cobb steals an inbound pass and races down the court. He then lays the ball up into the basket. On another play soon after, Cobb fakes a pass then lifts it into the air and arcs a shot. The ball switches in all net. Hill stares at the screen. He can't believe what he's seeing. What the hell is that? And just as quickly Cobb does it again. Burke turns a hill with a glint of fire in his eyes. Henry, what's happening here? Why is that young man losing his mind? I don't know. Where is he? Where's Koon? Koon has got to stop him. Hill watches as Koon tries to get in Cobb's way. But Cobb just spins right past him and scores again. The Eagles are now within four points. OK, OK. It's the game's not over. Koon and Sweeney stopped him last time, so a really sweety, the guy sitting on the bench. Burke riffs his chair's arm rest, grits his teeth. It's unbelievable. The way Cobb is playing, he could win it all by himself. Hill feels a panic rising inside him. He wants to somehow stop this, turn this game around, but sitting here in Jimmy Burke's house in front of Jimmy Burke's TV, he feels completely helpless. The final whistle blows. Ernie Cobb almost won the game, but Holy Cross barely held onto victory, 98 to 96. But that's not good news for Hill and Burke. He'll shut his eyes and breathe, hoping for something to change. But when he reopens them, the final score is still there. Boston College lost by two, and they needed to lose by at least seven. Burke gets up, turns off the television. He stands there, calmly nodding. Then suddenly he raises his leg and kicks in the TV with a roar. Shattered glass rains down on the carpet, as the TV set falls off its base. Henry, I just lost $60,000, $60,000. OK, Jimmy. OK. What did they even teach at that college? Because it sure ain't common sense. Burke gulps his drink, slams his glass down. But I think I can teach them a lesson. And here it is. The lesson is that nobody loses my money and walks away. Nobody. You understand? Hill opens his mouth to protest, but before he can, Burke's looks at him and snarls. Call up Tony Perlin. Tell him I want those three kids, Coo, Swaney, and Cobb. Make him go away. Cold draft comes through the window. Those dumb kids, Hill thinks. All they had to do was play by the rules, and follow Jimmy Burke's orders. Now it's too late. Hill knows that tonight was probably the last time they'll step on a basketball court. Maybe the last time they'll walk on this earth. It's mid morning on May 21, 1979. Three months have passed since Boston College was narrowly defeated by Holy Cross. The basketball season has since ended, and on this warm spring day, sunlight falls on a mass of eager, black robed students. Today they're gathered outside Boston College's alumni stadium. Their square caps and tassels bounce as they file inside for graduation. Rick Cooan walks in the middle of the crowd, towering over his classmates and sweating under his cap and gown. Can't believe he's actually here. Cooan feared the worst after that disastrous Holy Cross game. That same night Henry Hill called him personally. Cooan's hands get clammy just remembering Hill's describing what exactly the group of high level gangsters wanted to do to him and the other Boston boys. That night Cooan tried to explain himself. He told Hill that his hands were tied after Jim Sweeney intentionally fouled out, that he couldn't stop Cobb all by himself. Cooan begged Hill to let him somehow make amends with him up. But Hill cut him off and said that he had some good news. He told Cooan that he was one lucky brat. His associates had enough headaches right now. They didn't need a bunch of dead college kids to add to the mess. So the basketball fix was over. In fact, Hill said it never happened. Forget all about it. Just make yourself scarce. With that, Hill hung up the phone. Cooan stood there, gripping the phone receiver, stunned in disbelief and joy. Now, as Cooan makes his way toward graduation, he smiles. He's making himself scarce alright. This summer he's headed to South America. His plan is to play basketball and have a few adventures. The timing is an ideal. Barber Reed is back in his life and she wants them to settle down. But what can a man do if the mob tells you to get out of town? Cooan makes his way up the aisle and spots Jim Sweeney in the crowd. Sweeney is a junior and so today he's only wearing khakis and a white shirt. There he is, America's golden boy, ready to support the graduates. Cooan once had a friend in Sweeney. But since the season ended, Sweeney has completely avoided him. Cooan heard that Sweeney plans to marry his girlfriend Mara after graduation. Cooan chuckles to himself. He sure that Mara didn't mind all the jewelry that Sweeney bought her, courtesy of course, illegal gambling. Cooan decides to approach Sweeney. And when he nears his old friend Sweeney finally looks over him. There's a long pause and then Sweeney offers his congratulations. Cooan nods. He asks how Sweeney will get on next year without him, without all the excitement. Sweeney gives a right smile. He tells Cooan that he'll get on just fine. He's looking forward to feeling a little more bored. With that, Jim Sweeney turns and walks away. Cooan feels a familiar, bitter sweet sadness as Sweeney leaves. But what's done is done. Cooan can accept the decisions he's made. Cooan takes a seat. He looks out of the crowd at all the bright faced young graduates, all of them excited to embark on good and prosperous lives. He shakes his head. If only they knew what he'd been through. But that chapter of his life is over. And he realizes he's ready for the next one. That he too is ready to live a good and prosperous life. It's April 27th, 1980, about a year later. Henry Hill is high on cocaine and driving way too fast as he heads home to Nassau County, New York. But Hill feels great, and it's not just the Coke. He's flush with cash from his drug running enterprise, and finally, he feels in control of his life. He pulls up behind an old van that's idling and stops on. It looks familiar. It looks just like the one that stacks Edwards was supposed to have crushed after the Lofthands of Heist. It was the van that got him killed. Hill shakes his head. This time last year, Jimmy Burke was still in a murderous rage. He even wanted those college kids dead. Thankfully, Hill commenced him otherwise. He told Burke that killing mobsters is one thing, but if you start whacking college boys, folks will hunchy down. Burke grudgingly agreed, and he just walked away. Hill's Boston College headache had mercifully ended. Hill leans on the horn, but for some reason the van's not moving. He can't even get around because there's another car alongside him. He throws his Lincoln into reverse and turns to check his side mirror. But instead of a mirror, Hill is looking straight down the barrel of a 357 Magnum revolver. The police officer on the opposite side of the weapon tells Hill to raise his hands slowly. Hill is ordered to exit the car and march to an awaiting squad cruiser. It's there he learns he's being arrested on narcotics charges. Hill's mind whips through the math. Drug charge for someone with his record can bring 25 years, and he's positive there will be multiple charges. Not to mention, he still faces 5 years per role on his old extortion conviction. Hill feels the blood rushed from his face. He's going away forever. But then he thinks about Jimmy Burke and his whole body goes cold. How will Burke react to his arrest? Hill's been working for Burke since he was 13. He knows the mobsters crimes and he knows where all the bodies are buried and that's no metaphor. If Burke thinks Hill might talk, doesn't need to worry about jail time. He's already a dead man. Just then a week later in Brooklyn, New York, two US marshals lead Henry Hill down a long hallway. Hill is shackled in chains and the group is walking through a federal courthouse toward the offices of the US Department of Justice. The marshals bring Hill to a small room where the large mahogany desk is covered with manila files and legal papers. Behind the desk sits a 30 year old man with dark hair and a conservative grey suit. The man nods and the marshals unshackle Hill and guide him into a chair. He looks around at the stacks of papers and locks eyes with the man. So you the big Kahuna? I'm Ed McDonald, Mr. Hill, Chief Prosecutor of the Lofthands of Investigation. I understand you may have some facts related to the case. Hill nods and looks away. From the moment he was arrested, his imagination ran wild with terror. Every shadow was a threat, every inmate, a possible assassin ordered by Jimmy Burke. Finally, Hill realized there was only one way to survive. He had to play ball with the authorities and share what he knew about the Lofthands of Heist. Becoming a rat was terrible, but a sure beat dying. Hill turns back to the prosecutor. Sure Ed, I know where a few bodies are buried. Okay, I'm listening. Any bodies I might know? Well, let's see. Stacks Edwards, Marty Krugman, Richie Eaton and the Freezer Truck, Tommy Monteloni. Yeah, I'm pretty much your ticket to ride. And what's the price of this ticket, Mr. Hill? Well, Ed, I'm thinking complete immunity for my charges. Plus witness protection from me, my wife and my kids. Otherwise, Jimmy Burke will have me whacked before I can even think about helping you. McDonald takes a sip of his coffee and shoots Hill a cold look. Usually Mr. Hill, I'd be very interested in your assistance. Problem is, it's not just your word against Mr. Burke's. Hill one else, as you appear to know, is dead. Yeah, they're dead because of Jimmy Burke. Well, all right, let's at least get your story. And then we can talk about what's fair. Where were you the day of the Loft Hans robbery? I was in Boston. I remember hearing about it on the radio. Okay. And what were you doing there in Boston? I was there for this side deal, fixing basketball games. Actually, Jimmy was a part of that too. McDonald leaned forward in the seat. Hill can see a hint of rage in the prosecutor's eyes. You were fixing basketball games in Boston. Where exactly? Lost in college? I was paying some brash there to shave points. God, he was a real headache. Anyway, I heard about Loft Hans on the radio, and I knew it was Jimmy. McDonald hurls his coffee mug across the room. It smashes against a far wall, and Hill looks back in disbelief at McDonald, who's breathing heavily. Okay? I can see you're upset, but I haven't really told you the bad parts yet. Did you know, scumbag, that I went to Boston College, that I played basketball at Boston College, and now you're telling me you fixed the games there? Well, that's a strange coincidence. You said that James Burke took part in this Boston College ski? Oh, yeah. Yeah, we used Jimmy's bookies. He threw a ton of money at it, even wanted the kids dead after they cost them 60 grand on a game. I talked him out of it. Hill is surprised to see a slight smile spread across the prosecutor's face. Wow, Mr. Hill, I think we might be able to work out a deal after all. Immunity, protection, all of it. That is, if you're interested in telling me more about Boston College. Henry Hill leans back in his chair. The prosecutor waits for a response. Hill feels a wave of relief. He smiles. This is his ticket to freedom. Now all he has to do is talk. Next on American Scandal, the FBI begins investigating the ties between Boston College basketball players and Jimmy Burke's crime rate. As the point shaving trial gets underway, the athletes discover there's a larger game being played, and they're the pawns. From Wondery, this is episode two of the Boston College gambling scheme for American Scandal. And a quick note about our reenactments. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but those scenes are dramatizations based on historical research. If you'd like to learn more about the Boston College gambling scheme, we recommend fixed by David Porter and the Lufthansa Heist by Daniel Simone. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executed produced by me Lindsey Graham for airship. Radio edited by Molly Bach, sound designed by Derek Barrett. This episode is written by Charles Olivier, edited by Christina Malsberg, produced by Gabe Riven, executive producers for Stephanie Jen's Jenny Lauer Beckman, and her nonlop as for Wondery.