Just Call Me Lucky

Eddie Rack was a professional golfer who grew up along Route 30 just a few miles from where my family lived. Son of a coal miner like me, Eddie came from a poor beginning but he carved out a good life for himself and his family before passing away just a few days short of his 100th birthday. When he died, he had accomplished the following:

He and his family were multi-millionaire, owning two golf courses, a public course called 7 Springs jut three miles from where I grew up in Sutersville, PA., and a country club near Ft. Lauderdale, FL., that he rescued from bankruptcy. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: the golf course recently changed its name to Victory Hills Golf Course, Elizabeth, PA.

The courses provided employment for many people, including any member of his family who wanted to work there. It also made millionaires of many member of his family.

He became close friends with golf legend Arnold Palmer who lived near Latrobe and who Eddie once beat in a celebrated golf match. And for many years, Rack was a well respected tax collector in his county, a position he served honorably and with the deserved trust of the citizens.

I knew Eddie very well. As a professional ghostwriter, I helped him write his autobiography, 'Just Call Me Lucky: The Eddie Rack Story.' The book tells about his growing up poor, becoming a caddie at the Youghigheny Country Club where my two younger brothers and I caddied, how he met the wealthy publisher of the McKeesport Daily News, a banker who took a personal interest in him and who guided him to a good life, wealth and prestige in the community.

And lest I forget, Eddie was also a successful gambler who never forgot his roots.

He loved going to Las Vegas, Atlantic City and other places where gambling was legal. He would play anything from poker to blackjack and dice, and would bet on the horses. When Eddie won, everybody won.

He and his lovely wife, Ginny, were good friends with my late father, a coal miner and steelworker. After Dad retired from U.S. Steel Corp. where he had worked for many years, he went to work as a grounds keeper at 7 Springs helping to keep the beautiful golf course in good condition.

It was because of his friendship with my father that Eddie trusted me to write his book. I was working as editor of a small daily newspaper in Brownsville, a river community about 15 miles from where I grew up. My brother, Legs, a gospel singer, was invited to sing at a birthday party for Eddie, who was then in his 90s. He was so impressed with Rack's personality and accomplishment that he said, 'You should write a book about him.'

I approached him about the subject. Eddie never did anything without the approval of of his wife and children. He discussed the idea with them and I was hired for the job.

For the next three month, Eddie and I met regularly at his home on the golf couse where he would reminisce about his life and I would take copious notes. Ginny kept the coffee pot hot and provided us with delicious homemade sandwiches and cookies.

He told me how a friend who owned the golf course property made him an offer to sell the property. After conferring with his wife and family, Eddie borrowed money from William Manchester, the banker who owned the McKeesport Daily News and who had talked him into finishing high school when Eddie became a dropout to help his family. Manchester did it by promising Eddie a job on hi newspaper if he got hi degree -- a promise he kept.

Rack and his wife put members of their family to work on the golf course. He gave each of them a car and paid them the same salary regardless of whether they were a waitress or the golf course manager. Later when his family purchased the country club in Florida, Eddie followed the same philosophy. His generous and work ethics knew no bounds. He gave all of them stock in the corporations and today many members of the Rack family are millionaires.

I was particularly touched by an aspect of Eddie's life. He was stricken with severe stomach pains and after an extensive operation, the doctors informed him and his wife that he had cancer. They gave him six months to live.

Rack refused to accept their diagnosis. He turned to a doctor who believed in natural healing. The physician gave Eddie a strict diet to follow, Eddie went along with it, and the 'cancer' just vanished.

Eddie and Ginny loved to dance. On a weekly basis, they would visit the local dancing establishments in the Monongahela Valley and dance the night away. Friends could not get over how deep their love was for each other -- a love that would last all of their lives.

Eddie also loved to gamble and made it a regular practice to fly to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to try his luck at the tables. His favorite games were poker, blackjack and dice.

As she refiled our coffee cups in their comfortable home on the beautiful tree-lined golf course, Ginny said, 'Eddie does enjoy gambling, but he never jeopardized our finances by getting out of control. He makes sure the bills are paid first, then he goes to the casino. When he wins, we all win. Any time he comes home a winner from a poker game or blackjack table, he gets a big kick out of distributing money to everyone in the family.'

While I was researching the book, I contacted one of his friends, a man who owned a Cadillac agency where Eddie bought all the family cars. Lou shared a story about a trip he and Eddie took to Las Vegas.

'We went there to watch a Mike Tyson fight,' said Lou. 'We booked a suite at a resort on the Strip and had a great time. That night after the fight, we went to casino and gambled he night away. Both of us lost -- especially Eddie. The cards just didn't come to him.

'As we headed back to our suite, he passed a shoeshine man. Eddie walked up to him and pushed a green $25 chip into his hand. He smiled and said, 'Have a nice day.' The guy didn't know how to repond. He finally shook his head and said, 'Thank you, Sir. God bless you.'

'After we got to our room, I said, 'Eddie, you're unbelievable. You jut lost a couple of thousand playing blackjack and you give a total stranger $25. What gives?'

Eddie just smiled 'Lou,' he said, 'that guy works hard every day of his life just for a few dollars. You own a Cadillac dealership, I own two golf courses. At our age, we're still alive and walking. I'd say we're pretty lucky, wouldn't you?'

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter. If you have a unique gambling story to share with him, you may qualify for a cash award. Send your story with all the details to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).