[ArtK78]

With the passing of Mike Cappeletti, Sr., a topic arose in a thread on Bridgewinners relating to the 1979 Mens BAM at the Spring Nationals in Norfolk, Virginia. Cappeletti's team lost by less than a board to the Sternberg (NPC) team - Cokin, Sion, Sontag and Weichsel. I, like everyone else old enough to have been around then, and many who were not, know that Cokin and Sion were found to be cheating through the use of "unlawful communication," i.e., signalling short suits by placement of their pencils on their scorecards, and subsequently banned from the league (and subsequently reinstated several years later, but Sion was later barred permanently for other transgressions). What I did not know were many of the details of the story. I was completely unaware of a series of posts by Cam French on Bridgewinners in 2008 in which he details the cheating, how it was uncovered, and the fact that Cappeletti's team was unfairly deprived of a National Championship directly due to the cheating.

For those of you who are just as much in the dark about this sordid affair as I was, I suggest you take a look at the series of posts beginning at http://cam.bridgeblo...teral-damage-i/

[aguahombre]

For those who might not choose to read the link, one thing should be made perfectly clear.

Only two players were implicated in the elicit behavior, and this was neither the first nor the last time they did it. Knowledge of the cheating by any other member of the team was neither alleged nor remotely implied.

[blackshoe]

The sad thing about that incident was not the fact that Sion and Cokin were cheating, but was the way that the ACBL handled it. They were, apparently, too afraid of lawsuits to do the right thing.

[mike777]

blackshoe, on 2013-November-26, 23:01, said:

The sad thing about that incident was not the fact that Sion and Cokin were cheating, but was the way that the ACBL handled it. They were, apparently, too afraid of lawsuits to do the right thing.

35 years later we are even more afraid, not less.


35 years later I am more amazed acbl did more rather than less.

Keep in mind the really big thing back then was smoking and drinking at the table.

Yes we used to smoke and drink and flirt with the pretty women at the table.

I know this may cost masterpoints.

[Fluffy]

Doesn't surprise me the least, I have many times complaint that Buratti-Lanzarotti owe me a lot of money for all the prizes they stole from me. The sad thing about Buratti-Lanzarotti is that everyone knew what was going on,yet they were allowed to go on for years, they even managed to bring Spain into second place of a European championship when they had been banned from playin for Italy.

The reason for all of this is always the same: People are not allowed to tell the truth!, simply stating the true facts and opinions would had seen situations like that fade away in a flash, when Buratti-Lazarotti where finally accused, there were so many people talking about it... and everybody had stories to tell!, I am taking about dozens of players with records or memories against them.

I am aware that allowing for anyone to say whatever would mean that so many dull accusations would fly here and there, but it still strikes me as insane. Nowadays we all know of a popular bridge game online where we are all excluded from talking about what really happens, and I find it very sad.