This is a totally different book than I usually read but I was so intrigued by the synopsis I had to say “yes” when asked to review.
No Grey Areas: The Inside Story of the Largest Point Shaving Scandal in History and the Consequences Thereafter
Memoir
Rebel Publishing (January 14, 2016)
Trade Paperback: 224 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0997124811
E-Book ASIN: B01AS3SUJ6
In 1994, Joseph N. Gagliano calmly sat back, put his hands behind his head and smiled as the NCAA clocked ticked down the remaining last seconds of the game. It was the third game in a row Joe had bet on where the point spread had to land on a specific number. With millions at stake, was he nervous? Not at all.
As the buzzer sounded on the 3rd game, his duffle bags were filled with millions in cash. How?
Joe had fixed the outcome of the games.
No Grey Areas
It is always the cover up, not the crime, where white collar criminals get caught. Joe was caught, convicted and served time in Federal prison for his role in coordinating and financing the 1994 ASU point shaving scandal.
His journey continued as Joe came out prison in late 2000 with a passion to clear his name and a desire to remove perceptions held by others of him. He embarked on an aggressive path to success; building a sizeable chain of full service car washes, making millions in real estate, living a life of luxury, and even buying a private jet just to get to his yacht in San Diego quicker.
But the story does not end there….
A few years later, the 2008 financial collapse engulfed the world and because of Joe’s “grey areas” a banking deal landed him in prison for a 2nd term. Labeled a 2-time felon, he made some brilliant and yet morally questionable decisions while searching for the true meaning of success.
Inside these pages, you’ll get a backstage pass on what it was like to slowly fall into the “grey areas” of scandal, greed, corruption, money, and business. Joe’s honest, detailed telling of this life of infamy, history, and successes along with the consequences of his decisions will amaze and inspire you.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was a very interesting story but I want to tell you right away I WAS NOT INSPIRED!
Joseph N. Gagliano is a very intelligent man who made some really poor choices thinking he was operating in the “grey areas” of life and he wouldn’t get caught. He pressed his luck time and time again and deserved to get caught and caught again.
This man could have made boatloads of money honestly. He had excellent ideas and was a hard worker but it wasn’t enough, he always wanted more. The whole point shaving scandal took a very smart person to put everything in sync and place all the bets in just the right way for it to work. The original two games were handled masterfully but he couldn’t say no to trying to do it again and that truly was his downfall.
Then in 2008 he took another approach to make tons of money but he did it at the worse possible time. As someone that lost her home due to a predatory loan, I have no sympathy for Joseph Gagliano. He got caught up with someone as unscrupulous as he was and got burned. He had millions of dollars running through his fingers and was juggling businesses like a circus clown and even going to jail the second time he was able to leave enough money for his family to live very well. Now he is making money from this book too.
This was a very riveting story, the sad part is that it is a true story. Had this been fiction I would probably had a totally different reaction. So many people in this country live paycheck to paycheck including me. Reading how this man squandering his money and frittered away his life was very hard to read. Why he couldn’t see how fortunate he was is beyond me, and how will he be when this jail sentence ends?
This book is written in a very straight forward manner. The way the betting took place was complex to follow at times unless you are familiar with the system. It reads very much like a true crime novel. Lots of facts but I didn’t feel like I got to know Gagliano at all. The last few pages he revealed just a bit about his new “love” and his family. Maybe if he had included more of that earlier in the story it would have made him feel more human, for lack of a better term.
Sports enthusiasts would enjoy this book but not sure how it will be received by the masses. I will note he does take responsibility for most of his actions but did he learn anything? That is the major question.
*My husband wants to read this book so I will be giving my review copy away at a later date.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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