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The Notorious John Morrissey - How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course (Hardcover)
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The Notorious John Morrissey - How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course (Hardcover)
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An Irish immigrant, a collection agent for crime bosses, a
professional boxer, and a prolific gambler, John Morrissey was --
if nothing else -- an unlikely candidate to become one of the most
important figures in the history of Thoroughbred racing. As a young
man, he worked as a political heavy in New York before going to San
Francisco in search of a fortune at the height of the Gold Rush.
After returning to the east coast, he was hired by Tammany Hall and
was soon locked in a deadly rivalry with William Poole, better
known as "Bill the Butcher." As time went on, Morrissey parlayed
his youthful exploits into a remarkably successful career as a
businessman and politician. After establishing a gambling house in
Saratoga Springs, the hardnosed entrepreneur organized the first
Thoroughbred race meet at what would become Saratoga Race Course in
1863. Morrissey went on to be elected to two terms in the U.S.
House of Representatives and two terms in the New York State
Senate. In The Notorious John Morrissey, James C. Nicholson
explores the improbable life of the man who brought Thoroughbred
racing back to prominence in the United States. Though few of his
contemporaries did more to develop the commercialization of sports
in America, Morrissey's colorful background has prevented him from
getting the attention he deserves. This entertaining and
long-overdue biography finally does justice to his astounding
rags-to-riches story while exploring an intriguing chapter in the
history of horse racing.
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