Poker stick-up in NYC leads to accidental death

[UB7]

In a very unfortunate turn of events, a robbery gone botch lead to the accidental shooting of a player in brand new underground club "The Straddle"...My brother who's a pro poker player living in NYC knew the guy personally. His name was Frank and from what my brother has told me he was a very very nice, easy going laid back guy which is often rare in the poker world..Apparently he had just showed up at the club 15 minutes before the robbery and had not even sat down at a table to play..The article mentions something about the other players getting arrested, but from what i've heard the NYPD did not make any arrests and everyone else at the club is OK..The underground (illegal) club was obviously shut down immediatly and the dealers and club owner were most likely charged..Just want to send my prayers and pay my respect to his family and friends, he will be very missed in the poker community.

http://gothamist.com/2007/11/03/poker_stickup_l.php

An illegal poker game in the Flatiron district may cost a participant his life after he was accidentally blasted with a shotgun during a hold-up. Three robbers crashed the game shortly after 11 p.m. last night and ordered the players to dump their cash on the table for collection. The illegal club was operating a game out of an office on the 7th floor of 251 5th Ave.

The three gunmen, who identified referred to themselves during the robbery, as "One, Two, and Three," would have made a cleaner getaway if one of them hadn't nervously dropped his sawed-off shotgun and then accidentally fired it while picking it up. The shot struck one unlucky gambler in the abdomen. The 47-year-old injured man was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The trio of bandits escaped with thousands of dollars and police made no arrests in the armed robbery and shooting. Neither the Daily News nor the New York Post mentioned whether any of the poker players would be charged with illegal gambling. According to the WCBS TV report, there were four masked gunmen who conducted the hold-up and the man who was shot was 55 years old, not 47.

Edited November 4, 2007 by UB7

[Guest watchbuff]

O well. It would be involuntary manslaughter even though it was in the commission of a robbery. That is IF they get caught, and in my experience they know where to go and who to hit. If these guys are smart they will lay low....forever.