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Pin Action
Most of us think of bowling as a "sport" in quotation marks, and bowling alleys are places with disco balls, matching shirts, and funny shoes. But in the 1960s, New York City was the center of "action bowling", a form of high-stakes gambling in which bowlers—often teenagers—faced off for thousands of dollars every night. When money like that is changing hands, you can bet the pressure is on (and the balls are rigged), and losses come with dire consequences. But for a few kids, the world of action bowling would turn out to be a ticket off the mean streets and onto the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. For Ernie Schlegel, it would be a chance to shed his hustler ways and become a bonafide champion.For the more than 100 million bowlers worldwide and for fans of timeless sports histories, Pin Action captures the underbelly of 1960s and '70s New York and tells the true story of how the most notorious action bowler of all time became a Hall of Famer. Set in the gritty, flashy, lost world of action bowling, Gianmarc Manzione tells an epic tale filled with seedy characters, uproarious eccentricities, improbable twists of fate, and a rags-to-riches narrative so crazy it has to be true.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2014
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227 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 12, 2015
An interesting premise, but a disappointment in the execution. In particualr I found three major problems with it:
First - rather than being a general account of the subject, this is more a biography of a single bowler (and while this could admittedly be inferred from the sub-title, it is most decidedly not made clear to the general public).
Second - While it is a few times alluded to (mentions of child support payments and adult children), the author has - for undisclosed reasons - intentionally censored portions of his main subjects life. One could speculate that he bartered discretion for access or is attempting to protect a self-described hero of his, but the reason is immaterial, the offense stands.
Third - Describing individual bowling matches is boring enough with only two characters directly involved in any contest and a limited number of outcomes, but to never included score sheets (or in many cases even scores)is supremely unhelpful.
First - rather than being a general account of the subject, this is more a biography of a single bowler (and while this could admittedly be inferred from the sub-title, it is most decidedly not made clear to the general public).
Second - While it is a few times alluded to (mentions of child support payments and adult children), the author has - for undisclosed reasons - intentionally censored portions of his main subjects life. One could speculate that he bartered discretion for access or is attempting to protect a self-described hero of his, but the reason is immaterial, the offense stands.
Third - Describing individual bowling matches is boring enough with only two characters directly involved in any contest and a limited number of outcomes, but to never included score sheets (or in many cases even scores)is supremely unhelpful.
January 14, 2018
I was blessed to have grown up in the 1960's, when bowling was a popular participation and spectator sport. My parents gave me a toy bowling set and I spent hours playing with it in our basement. I developed my four-step delivery there; I didn't have room for five. I watched Championship Bowling every week, first hosted by Fred Wolf and later by Jack Drees. Those were three game matches by the greats: Don Carter, Dick Weber, Ray Bluth, Harry Smith and so many others. I was also a regular viewer of the PBA TOUR on ABC with Chris Schenkel and Billy Welu, later Nelson Burton, Jr. That's where I first saw the Bicentennial Kid, Ernie Schlegel.
This book brought back many wonderful memories of Saturday mornings bowling in junior league and in adult leagues, eventually a senior league.
I found the action bowling portion of the book to be a little long and repetitive. Bets, bowling and brawling sum it up.
Unfortunately, there are only so many ways to describe a strike but I did appreciate learning about the nuances of the game, such as reading lanes.
For baby boomers this book would have appeal.
Four stars with a wobbly ten pin.
This book brought back many wonderful memories of Saturday mornings bowling in junior league and in adult leagues, eventually a senior league.
I found the action bowling portion of the book to be a little long and repetitive. Bets, bowling and brawling sum it up.
Unfortunately, there are only so many ways to describe a strike but I did appreciate learning about the nuances of the game, such as reading lanes.
For baby boomers this book would have appeal.
Four stars with a wobbly ten pin.
October 13, 2022
Growing up with parents who bowled every Sunday night in an adult league and whose one brother still bowls in a league, I understand the draw of bowling and understand its place in history (and when Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community came out and read that in college). It's a good time sport but it also had some seedier sides of it and the cultural implications of the hobby versus the professional sport too is intriguing.
The story Manzione weaves is curiously worth taking a look at but I wasn't engrossed like I could become with others in the same category. It worked but I wasn't over the moon with the storytelling or unfolding of the central conflict. It had its moments though.
The story Manzione weaves is curiously worth taking a look at but I wasn't engrossed like I could become with others in the same category. It worked but I wasn't over the moon with the storytelling or unfolding of the central conflict. It had its moments though.
April 11, 2023
A biography of Ernie Schlegel, from his tough beginnings as an action bowler/hustler in NYC to his eventual PBA tour wins. Despite his enormous talent, Ernie's path to the PBA was not guaranteed, as his action bowling led to assaults that nearly landed him in jail. As a pro, it took Ernie years to finally win, though he was a fan favorite for his wacky outfits and outsider attitude. Interesting story but not told in the most compelling way
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2025
I enjoyed learning more about the history and nuances of bowling. I appreciate the sport more because of this book. The writing itself was bland and disjointed. The first three chapters felt particularly repetitive and unfocused. The book improved around Chapter 4 when it began to focus more on Ernie’s story, even though the writing remained dull.
July 1, 2019
I pretty sure that if you enjoy the sport of bowling, this book will be right up your alley :) I thought it was very good; I just wish I loved bowling more than I actually do. Having read this, I will definitely never be able to watch bowling on TV the same way ever again.
November 30, 2019
A fascinating story that dips a little and finishes strong with a climactic match late in Ernie Schlegel's career. It isn't perfect, but it's a great introduction to the golden age of bowling, and its seedy underbelly which informs the more flamboyant aspects of the game today.
August 13, 2021
Fascinating but also a little meh of a read at the same time. A bit of bravado without the climax as we cycled through each person's bowling story and how they were the best. Got pretty invested in Ernie though, that was great.
January 25, 2022
The “Action Bowling” portion of the book was over halfway through the book; I literally doubled checked where I was in the audiobook to see how much time was left. I would have liked more of this section and less of Ernie’s attempts to win a PBA tournament.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2017
Strike!
A book filled with guys who play with ten pound balls, yet somehow it is nowhere as dirty as it sounds.
A book filled with guys who play with ten pound balls, yet somehow it is nowhere as dirty as it sounds.
June 28, 2017
it was fine.
March 4, 2020
It was more of a biography, which I didn't mind but not what i was expecting.
October 30, 2023
This good story expanded my mind about bowling and its sordid past. Far too much bad language to give this a great review.
April 10, 2022
Listened to the audiobook, enjoyed it as an avid bowler myself. Thought it got a bit repetitive at times, but an interesting look of a forgotten era of bowling.
October 8, 2016
The first half is half- Warriors/half-The Hustler. The second half follows one bowler on the PBA and is quite boring. I recommend reading the first half for 60's NYC/gambling story fans.
March 6, 2015
This is just not that good.
It started off promising, there's a confidence to the writing, it's a world I know nothing about -- so I could learn a lot, it starts with a whole bunch of colorful characters, and Manzione's passion for the subject is evident and real. But it didn't take long for me to see that the confidence isn't necessarily deserved, the cast wasn't being used well, and I wasn't going to learn all that much (at least not right away, it turned out), and while he cared a lot -- I just didn't. Eventually, around the half-way point, the book found its way and became tolerable -- but, by then it was too late -- Manzione had already lost me.
The first few chapters are a hodgepodge of stories about the "Action Bowling" scene in and around NYC in the 1960s. They center around wunderkind Ernie Schlegel, but Manzione spreads the wealth -- telling stories about several bowlers of similar aptitudes at the time. But really, these chapters aren't a stories of bowling, they're stories about small-time gangsters (see the subtitle) -- think of some of the small anecdotes in Wiseguy, told without Pileggi's style. The bowling's just an excuse for criminal and/or stupid behavior.
The last half of the book is all about Schlegel's professional career -- from the rocky start, to accomplished (but not championship heyday), to the last bits of glory. This is the best part of the book, no doubt about it. But Manzione has difficulty maintaining the story line, keeping the narrative tension going, and basically becomes rabid fanboy (I've got no beef with rabid fanboys, readers of my reviews or blog know I can go that way myself -- but it didn't fit here).
The greatest weakness of this book has to be the writing. Manzione has a tendency to "nest" stories in other stories that in other stories worse than Inception. It'd be pretty easy to lose track of the ball when he's doing this. He frequently seems to operate on the philosophy: never use one sentence when you could use three instead. Throughout there's an overuse/over-reliance on superlatives. And lastly, I'm not sure how many Ali/Frazier metaphors one book can take (but it's less than this one tries)
One unexpected pleasure for me was that as a long-time listener to The Nerdist podcast, it was fun reading so much about Billy Hardwick.
Just can't recommend this one, it wasn't horrible, but I'm sure there are better books about professional (or gambling-enhanced amateur) bowling out there for anyone who's looking for that.
It started off promising, there's a confidence to the writing, it's a world I know nothing about -- so I could learn a lot, it starts with a whole bunch of colorful characters, and Manzione's passion for the subject is evident and real. But it didn't take long for me to see that the confidence isn't necessarily deserved, the cast wasn't being used well, and I wasn't going to learn all that much (at least not right away, it turned out), and while he cared a lot -- I just didn't. Eventually, around the half-way point, the book found its way and became tolerable -- but, by then it was too late -- Manzione had already lost me.
The first few chapters are a hodgepodge of stories about the "Action Bowling" scene in and around NYC in the 1960s. They center around wunderkind Ernie Schlegel, but Manzione spreads the wealth -- telling stories about several bowlers of similar aptitudes at the time. But really, these chapters aren't a stories of bowling, they're stories about small-time gangsters (see the subtitle) -- think of some of the small anecdotes in Wiseguy, told without Pileggi's style. The bowling's just an excuse for criminal and/or stupid behavior.
The last half of the book is all about Schlegel's professional career -- from the rocky start, to accomplished (but not championship heyday), to the last bits of glory. This is the best part of the book, no doubt about it. But Manzione has difficulty maintaining the story line, keeping the narrative tension going, and basically becomes rabid fanboy (I've got no beef with rabid fanboys, readers of my reviews or blog know I can go that way myself -- but it didn't fit here).
The greatest weakness of this book has to be the writing. Manzione has a tendency to "nest" stories in other stories that in other stories worse than Inception. It'd be pretty easy to lose track of the ball when he's doing this. He frequently seems to operate on the philosophy: never use one sentence when you could use three instead. Throughout there's an overuse/over-reliance on superlatives. And lastly, I'm not sure how many Ali/Frazier metaphors one book can take (but it's less than this one tries)
One unexpected pleasure for me was that as a long-time listener to The Nerdist podcast, it was fun reading so much about Billy Hardwick.
Just can't recommend this one, it wasn't horrible, but I'm sure there are better books about professional (or gambling-enhanced amateur) bowling out there for anyone who's looking for that.
March 2, 2017
Started out great but then got overly repetitive. Fight, gamble, loan shark, rivalry, fight, loan shark, gamble, fight, rivalry, fight, overly explain bowling, fight, gamble, overly explain bowling.
January 14, 2015
This is without a doubt the first book I've ever read about bowlers! And, to be honest, possibly my last. Not that I'm down on the book but I just don't expect another bowling related book to pique my interest. What helped w/ this one was that it involved gambling, crime, mobsters and the early era of the PBA tour...I had no idea that there was so much action placed on bowlers during the post-WW2 bowling heyday when there were bowling alleys in every decently sized city. That element of the book was a complete surprise. Unfortunately, the book is a bit repetitive and Manzione is a tad over dramatic as well, but if you want to read at least one book about the intersection of gambling and bowling in the 1960s and 1970s...PIN ACTION is for you.
April 18, 2015
Gianmarc Manzione recreates the world of 1960s and 1970s action bowling in this story of championship bowler Ernie Schlegel.
Using interviews, archival materials, and his own love of bowling, the author makes the reader feel like he or she is at the bowling alley, watching Schlegel bowl in one of his flashy outfits or witnessing a gangster draw his knife if a bet didn't turn out as planned. This is an exciting read, even if you aren't a fan of bowling.
Using interviews, archival materials, and his own love of bowling, the author makes the reader feel like he or she is at the bowling alley, watching Schlegel bowl in one of his flashy outfits or witnessing a gangster draw his knife if a bet didn't turn out as planned. This is an exciting read, even if you aren't a fan of bowling.
Kathleen K. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
May 25, 2015
I'm not much of a bowler--life was better when our kids were young and I could take advantage of the bumpers--but I remember when bowling was a big deal on television and I do enjoy a good sports story. This one gets down and dirty as it explores the late night, big money world of action bowling--with high bets--before it settles in to coverage of the professional association and sanctioned events. Interesting characters, notably flamboyant, intriguing sports history, gritty details, and language as colorful as the game itself fill this fast-paced story, rich in action, story, and memorable characters.
April 21, 2015
If you enjoy bowling, or if you bowl on a league, you will enjoy this book. I had no idea of this hidden world of high stakes gambling called "Action Bowling" that took place in New York during the 60's and 70's. The author, Gianmarc Manzione, does a spectacular job of acquainting the reader with a number of bowling history's most colorful real-life characters, specifically he follows the history of one of the greats, Hall of Famer, Ernie Schlegel. This is truly a rags to riches story that offers insight into a history of one of the greatest hobby sports of all time.
December 23, 2024
I am a life-long bowler, so my review is biased. Still, I found the first half of the book, where Manzione details the late nights hustlers bowled for thousands of dollars per game, with gangsters betting and watching in the background, incredibly gripping! The second half of the book, which focuses on Ernie Schlegel's career as a pro-bowler, was less interesting, but it still contains Manzione's sarcastic humor.
If you're a bowler or any kind of competitor, you'll thoroughly enjoy the first half of this book at the very least!
If you're a bowler or any kind of competitor, you'll thoroughly enjoy the first half of this book at the very least!
February 4, 2016
If Quentin Tarantino were to make a movie about bowling, he might look here for inspiration. This throwback look at the late-night NYC action bowling scene is colorful and outrageous, full of crazy gangsters, hustlers, gamblers and of course bowlers. Non-bowlers may be confused by all the name-dropping and I was less engaged once the book focused on Ernie Schlegel's pro path. It's a treat for bowling fans but even casual bowlers may be intrigued by this bygone era.
August 28, 2015
After reading such casual use of the word "shylock," for the I-don't-know-how-many-th time, I had to stop reading. Maybe if Manzione wrote more engagingly, maybe if he didn't feel so comfortable with antisemitism, I would have finished the book; but that just wasn't the case. Such a shame too, since the story has potential in the hands of a capable author.
December 5, 2014
Interesting and entertaining stories of bowling back in the 60's, however Ernie isn't the nicest guy (or so the stories paint him) so I had trouble rooting and feeling for him...
April 2, 2015
Awfully repetitive in phrasing.
May 15, 2015
Interesting subject, I certainly didn't know that there was such a dark history attached to bowling!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews