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Subscribe to RSSA 62-year-old Chicago man was robbed of more than $10,000 he had won at a casino less than a half hour earlier, his son said Thursday.
The victim, an immigrant who speaks little English and lives in low-income housing in Chicago's Chinatown, was returning from a trip to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning when the robbery happened, according to his son, William Chan.
"He parks his car in the parking lot. He's 20 steps from the front door. He gets out of his car, and all of sudden, someone comes rushing out and wraps his arms around his neck," Chan told msnbc.com. "Then a second guy come up with a gun."
The men told him not to move and demanded all of his money, Chan said. They also robbed him of the chips he had won, reported The Chicago Tribune.
Chan said the robbers struck his father in the forehead and then fled.
"He's okay; the cut wasn't so deep, but there was a small laceration above his forehead," he said, adding that his father didn't need any stitches.
Paramedics treated the cut on the scene.
It's not clear why Chan's father was targeted, but his son doesn't think it was random.
"There are only two conclusions, one which I think is a higher possibility," he said. "He was most likely followed from the casino back to his apartment building. The second possibility is it was a random robbery, which I think is least likely."
The robbers haven't been caught. Chan said the money doesn't matter, but he's worried about his father's safety.
"There are building surveillance cameras, but when we spoke with detectives and the building manager, they said the surveillance cameras didn't work. I find it hard to believe that there's a low-income housing building with surveillance cameras that don't work."
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Easy come easy go
Easy come, maybe, but the "go" part sounded kinda hard.
Easy come? I don't think so. You're lucky enough to win some but most of the time you will lose. Winning 10k is tough unless you bet big and have a discipline to get up when you're on top.
This kinda reminds of John Steinbeck's book "The Pearl".
That's funny you mentions that....The Pearl and the Life Of Sandy Kaufax are the only 2 books I ever read.
OUCH
JFC-3426249 wow you learned to read with only two books. And advanced ones at that. :-)
joking
I highly doubt this story. He probably made sexual advances and got his ass kicked. He had to tell his son a good one.
rb - you are a jerk. I am not sure why the son is surprised that the surveillance cameras don't work; very often things go unrepaired at low income housing and the slum lords couldn't care less. They certainly don't care about the safety or comfort of their tenants.
I agree w// the son; it's more likely that he was targeting at the casino after he won big and was followed back to his home and mugged.
I hope the police catch the scumbags that did this do an old man.Cowards!I wish someone would try nd rob me like that,I'd kick their asses!
ignatius reilly- everyone is entitled to some entertainment in their life.quit judging people because of where they live.idiot.
I can't afford to waste my money at the casino but pay my taxes to support low rent housing to allow them to go to casinos and other things.My house doesn't have surveillance cameras either,does yours.
who robs the poor??
1 deleted, The Beev-2396805 with a derail about the POTUS. Write your own article.
You're suspended for a day for violating #4 of the Code of Honor.
I find it disgusting that someone who lives in low income housing has money to waste at the casino.
Absolutely agree Ignatious. A shame he lost the money since he appears to be someone who needs it, but it definitely begs the question of what someone with low income is doing wasting money at a casino to begin with.
That was my first thought as well. If he's living in low income housing, what the hell is he doing at a casino? I just hope he's not leaching the tax payers by getting food stamps as well. Some people just don't get it.
There was a statistic that was done awhile back, in Michigan, on the majority of lotto ticket buyers were that of low-income households and of people with a high-school diploma or less. The thing is, they get sucked into thinking there is instant wealth but in reality the odds are severely stacked against them.
Really? Thats what you got out of this story.
If you noticed, I was replying to the OP.
He is probably in the Development because he has no visible means of support, not that he is poor. Most likely he was followed and dumb/naive enough to walk out with cash, didn't trust banks.
Just like the guy I saw at the grocery store the other day...buying milk, baby formula and water with food stamps/wic and with cash buys 2 cases of Heineken beer.
Slap Shot: That's just one observation.
Let's look at some more:
1.) An IMMIGRANT leaves a casino with $10,000?!? Um...no S.S. Card...no cash. Understandably, you can "chunk" your way up to that amount...that's just unlikely. No, I'm not starting a "Close the borders" argument...just stating facts as listed above.
2.) Isn't a camera system in a low (or no in some cases) income housing area kind of like putting a diamond studded toilet seat in an outhouse? Sorry, just a known crime "outlet", and no cops care to visit simply because the jails are already filled with those trying to get 3 hots and a cot for nothing.
3.) Two robbers make a score like that, and the victim gets a small cut (needed no stitches)?
No need to tell me I sound insensitive...I already know that. I'm just sick of the hard-working tax-payers' dollars going to feed an addiction (and yes, gambling is an addiction).
Why take $10,000 in cash instead of a check? Why didn't the casino's security guards give this man an escort to his car since the casino payed in cash.
Ignatious, Go to any convenience store around 6:30 pm & see whose in the lotto line. 99% welfare recipients.
Um....you are aware that immigrant and illegal immigrant aren't the same thing...right? Did the article say he was here illegally?
But you have a point with people in low income housing receiving aid should not be out gambling. Now that they know what he is doing they should cut all his aid.
Asian(not all of course) people love to gamble. I go gambling with my (asian) friends all the time. Anyways, your comment is rather ignorant. He could be low income because his SS might be as little at $1200 a month or something. My grandfather is now considered low income after splitting with his wife.
Bottom line, you don't know his background, his finances, or how much he spends at the casino. Nickle slots are cheap and can serve as entertainment for example. What he spends his money is not of concern to you. Low income DOESN'T = welfare......
low income housing ? 2am? gamblin!!!! cut these welfare mooches off!
Maybe he can get Obama to hold a beer summit with the thieves and then he can apply for a government bailout (wait maybe he already is getting that). Also, why are we so certain that he won that much? Sounds like the typical compulsive gambler lie to me (BTW I am one and know what I speak of).
To Just Another American.
Once again the ignorant and uninformed join in to vomit their brain dead opinion.
Without a Socail Security Card he would not have been able to collect the winnings.
IRS regulations require any casino to collect the taxpayer information from anyone that wins more than $1000 at one time. That requires that he present a Social Security Card and a photo ID.
Dave its $2,000 for bingo lol Maybe he was playing bingo at the casino. And hit a jackpot. At least that is what the amount to report is at the Native American Casino we go to. And they do have large payouts on some jackpots. Like getting a bingo on a specific ball. Sometimes 20,000+
The story said he was robbed of "chips" that means he was playing the live games. Most casinos want your information at $3000. Should you happen to make it to $10,000 in a 24 hour period, win or lose, federal paperwork has to be filed. No exceptions. No ID and SS...no cash...no check...no chance
They've raised the limit it used to be over $500 you had to pay income tax on it.
I am so sick and tired of all this hating on immigrants. My husband is an immigrant (not that he ever planned on coming here, he, like my mother, had to come to take care of family). Both he and my mom work harder than many native born citizens (and make more too) and pay a boat load in state and federal income taxes. Neither has broken a single law of the land or received a dime in public assistance/welfare. Stop hating on the immigrants.
b-895713
"I am so sick and tired of all this hating on immigrants."
As long as you come here legally & follow the rules no problem, welcome to the USA.
At one time we were all immigrants.
As I said, neither have broken a single law of the land; that would include immigration laws. Unbelievable by today's standards, my husband got his green card in one day. 1986 - we got married in Feb, went to INS a few weeks later, that day his passport was stamped "Green Card Approved" (or something of that nature), and the green card (which was more pink than green) came in the mail in April. My friend's son married a Canadian this past January and she's still waiting to enter the US.
And I agree, except Native Americans, at one time we were all immigrants (although technically the Native Americans came from Asia across the Bering Straight I still count them as non-immigrants).
$10,000? Doesn't sound like it was wasted. At least til he got home.
phillyfan-2830508 had this to say:
And, so, you saw a fellow picking up baby items for a friend/sister who was at home with a baby and then you saw him buy himself beer with his own money? This is surprising in what way?
Or, was the guy a soldier? If he was, then soldiers' families frequently qualify for food stamps and WIC--but the soldiers do like to also have the occasional beer on their own income.
Seriously--this is like the people who can't figure out that a person driving a nice car and using food stamps probably borrowed the car or is purchasing things for someone else (an elderly person?) who has no car but does get food stamps. It is also like the people who can't figure out that they can't get by without a picture ID because they have a job and money--but that people with no job and little money (or who are elderly) often do not have picture IDs and cannot afford them.
Middle class people caught up in their little insular existences. Sheesh.
I am amazed at everyone questioning why this guy was at the casino. Just because he lived in low income housing, does this mean that he can't try his luck at a casino? How many of you guys play the lottery each week? How do you know how much money he spent to win the $10,000? I once won $5,000 in Vegas and I only spent $5.
Lastly, what about the couple in Seattle? A chiropractor and his wife living in a $1.5 million dollar home collecting welfare. No one complains about that but let an immigrant try to win a couple of dollars and everyone wants to judge him>
Yeah right beanathome. I dont buy that crap for one second. Feed that BS to someone who has half a brain.
"Lastly, what about the couple in Seattle? A chiropractor and his wife living in a $1.5 million dollar home collecting welfare. No one complains about that but let an immigrant try to win a couple of dollars and everyone wants to judge him"
Go to that article and read the comments for 10 seconds and youll see everyone for the most part is fed up with people gaming the system.
yeah, how bout spending more $$$at the gas station on lotto, fantasy, scratch-offs at one sitting than most do in 6 months? And then some have the gall to brag they are using their welfare check to do so. Heck, I'm lucky to have $2 on me once a week to piss away on a dream.
"I find it hard to believe that there's a low-income housing building with surveillance cameras that don't work." --- Duh ---
speaks little english,lives in low income housing but has a car and can go to a casino to gamble..really don't feel sorry for his bad luck....sorry
You're not sorry but sorry at the same time?
Here's to hoping you and your family die of cancer
OH BigBillyD, that is just bad Karma coming to get you....take it back bud....FAIL!!
6 isn't polite, bigbillyD, but it's about a newsmaker, not a Newsviner.
You're suspended for a week for violating #1 of the Code of Honor. Don't deathwish.
I agree- how is it that a man who lives in subsidized (by the tax payers) "low income" housing has money to blow at a casino? Is he gaming the system? You betcha!
chances are this guy is included in that group of "tax payers". We pay taxes for assistance, and many 'tax payers' never use it because there is a stigma surrounding the use of gov't assistance (which is evident in some of the comments). Also, all people who live in subsidized housing are not unemployed or unsavory characters.
The purpose of the U.S. gov't is to be for The People, so why do people always turn their nose up to those people who are holding the gov't to that?
"I find it hard to believe that there's a low income housing building with surveillance cameras that dont work"
I find it hard to believe that ANYTHING works in low income housing-including the residents...........
Now THAT one made me chuckle. LOL
Public housing with security cameras that don't work - hhhmmm. Who do you think broke them... perhaps thugs who live there and don't want to be caught committing crime. If you are living off the government, particpate and take care of what you are given. Don't blame the HA for failures. We the tax payers have to pay to fix. I don't have security cameras in my home.... perhaps someone needs to install for me while I am at work or doing volunteer work. Yea right............
What happened is unfortunate. I am glad he is OK.
Most of you people make me sick. Just because some is poor does not mean they should sit at home and stare at the wall.
If he needed to get out of the house, let him go to the movies, a park, library, museum, etc.
I have been to casinos, and since the odds always favor the house, it's highly unlikely, although possible, that this guy won 10 grand on a single bet. It takes some serious betting to accumulate $10,000 in winnings. If he has that kind of cash to blow on bets, he is sponging off the system for personal gain. A really "poor" person would have more immediate concerns than casino gambling, like keeping food on the table, for instance.
Hey! Give this guy a break. The money gambled with wasn't the welfare money, he made this money selling dope!!
Twice I have walked into casinos, plunked down a 20, and in 3 spins of the machine or less won $985 and $2,800 respectively. Only once in probably 20 to 25 visits have I lost money, and that was $1,600. My bad, of course. The generosity of the hotels I stay in with free 2 to 3 night stays, at least one wonderful meal, and graciousness make a week-end getaway pretty much on the house - that is is one does not over-extend and uses his/her god-given brains.
That said, when the above who dump on poor people for doing a bit of gaming "because they believe they'll get rich quick," my answer to that is perhaps, just maybe, they're so down on their luck already nothing could be a whole lot worse - and with a little bit of turn of that luck they can pay rent, eat tomorrow, etc. I try not to judge others. I don't know them, and it's not my place to judge. JMO!
Apparently none of you have been to the casino.... ALOT of people go with $10-$20 just to play nickle slots for hours of entertainment... Hell we were just about to leave, my friend was playing with $5 and won $40k. People are so quick to judge.....
bs medic 400 i dont gamble anymore but back in tha day i put a 20 in a slot machine in vegas and hit for 10k so i know it can happen..not saying thats the case here.but the point is no one rich or poor deserves to be mugged going form car to home.
And to the person who said go to the movies-- I could get 2 hours of entertainment and free drinks at a casino for less than I'd spend going to the movies. He may be a mooch, he may not. We don't know!
Suave,
"just because some is poor" Right, it means get out an get a frickin job!!! Low Income housing and gambling just doesn't go in the same sentence...Maybe Obama makes his car payment??/LOL
the robber should have been home in bed getting a good nite sleep so he could get up in the morning to go look for a @!$%#ing job!
my gosh...he was 62!! and there was more than one of them! Why did they have to bash him up!! And maybe he had been saving a couple dollars here or there for "mad money" or he had voucher. People are so quick to judge nowadays! Sheesh
Robbing people who won at the casino has a 100% payout rate.
Maybe take a check next time.
Oh yeah, Chicago is a safe place to live because they don't allow guns! Wait, uh, one of the thugs had a gun? Oh heck, where did that come from! He must be a criminal! Duh!
What was a person living in public housing doing at a casino? You'd think that he'd spend any extra money on food or getting out of public housing and he has a car to boot? This person is recieving money from the taxpayers but he has enough to gamble! This is a major problem with all welfare programs! Its okay for them to have extra money as long as it is O.P.s (other people's) Red
annnnnnnd
really? seriously?
Red,
Another Obumbo voter...This country is in one HELL of a mess. Hey, wait, another Czar for Barry???
10,00 dollars cash? The casino should be held liable for not writing a check for the amount.
Ok. Sick of hearing low income housing people winning in casinos. This really bothers me because I cant go and play at a casino because I have bills to pay...
Dont really care what anyone says. If you cant pay your bills, dont gamble or do drugs. It makes it look like you are abusing the system. I am wondering if a little thing called KARMA had a role in this...
Could you be just a little more hateful.
If it was Karma let's hope that the thieves get theirs.
I could be alot more hateful. But I wont. If it is Karma, Im sure they will. If I could go gamble I would. But, I have 4 kids to take care of, and bills to pay. OH! And the nice thing about that is I am also a very charitable person, usually donate quite a bit around the holidays. As much as I can, anyway. So, again, why is someone who is living in low income housing gambling at 2 am? At 2 am I am asleep getting ready to wake up in 2 hours to get my husband out the door by 5, get my before-I-wake-the-kids-up things done, and then doing my things until hubby gets home at almost 9 or 9:30 pm, when I feed him and go to bed, an hour and a half after the kids go to sleep. 5 days a week. I run an entire household while he works his ass off. On the weekends we are doing something free or cheap as a family, we dont go out but maybe once every 6 months to dinner for a couple of hours. Once a year we are lucky if we get to head off to somewhere like Denver and have a weekend vacation with the kids. This year he and I are not buying Christmas presents for each other as we are electing to save the money to have one night in a hottub suite on New Years. We have already bought most of our childrens presents, have already started on the dinner stuff, and we use every coupon and club discount we can in order to maintain a working paycheck to paycheck home. No, I have elected to not be hateful. I am sad someone was mugged, yeah. I am pissed that someone who cannot pay the same price for housing as my family can, after I was denied any assistance but medicaid whatsoever when my first husband died, leaving me with two small babies to raise, can go to a casino at 2 am and win $10,000, while I struggle to make my own ends meet, as I always have. I cannot afford to throw even $5 in a machine because I am living the way I am supposed to. The way that I was taught to. The one time I was on food stamps was for 1 month, and the second that there was a paycheck coming in, they cut us off. They didnt even wait until the first check. It was the next day I had a letter. So, again, not so hateful.
Umm, have there been more stories of low income people winning big in casinos? Because so far this has been the only one. I have heard two stories of millionaires winning the lottery. One won the lottery once, became a millionaire then played the lottery again and one some more.
Um I lived in a town that had many casinos, and yeah, there are many. Go to Cut Bank Mt. The most random winners there are all recipients of one thing or another, or all of them. And, BTW, have you ever been into a casino at 2 am (besides vegas)? The only people in there are ones that are on a trip and the ones who are addicts that have been there all day. This I know for a fact. Once upon a time I worked in one...
Who said his bills weren't paid? Are only the rich allowed to go to casinos?
Given your 'logic' maybe you should do a better job budgeting, then maybe you could go to the casino too.
Sounds like a personal issue "4 kids".... Hmmm maybe don't have so many kids dumbass. Apparently all these people have no idea what qualifies you for low income. If your ss checks are low enough you can qualify. Not all "low income" apartment are gov subsidized. Lastly, nobody here knows what he was playing with. Whats the difference if he spends $20 on a movie or $20 at the casino.....
it sounds to me like you and your husband have made some responsible decisions regarding the management of your household. You made a decision to uphold a certain lifestyle, which comes with certain sacrifices...everyone does that.
Someone might look at you and say "why are they staying in a suite for new years, they are poor, etc etc", but you know that you made sacrfices to do so. You are feeling spiteful because in these hard times 10k would really help out.
Even "poor" people deserve to have leisure time, even if it costs a few dollars.
wowed by the force, your post on #16.3 impressed me.
Please contact me at schr0009 at metnet.edu since I haven't a way to email you directly, I'm hoping that you'll see this post of mine.
OH! And here we go again. So, heres the deal. At 62, his retirement was so low that he cannot pay for his own regular cost housing, but he can afford to go to a casino? Here I am, having been raised by a single mother, having been widowed at 21, and had to always make my own bills and rent (and also manage to do so without government help, I cut the non-necessities out to make sure that I dont need help with other things), and thinking that you should only do things like gamble when you are well enough off to take care of your own things FIRST. I dont begrudge anyone a good time, however there are many that are free that you can do for leisure. If it costs something, make sure the NECESSITIES are taken care of first. THAT is how LIFE is. Not "Play first, pay later" that we have become accustomed to in this country. Do any of you see poor people gambling in poor countries? NO. They are worried about feeding their families.
OH, DUMBASS is not a word I would use to describe someone who is raising a family and makes normal sacrifices to make sure that their kids have a better life than then they did. Im not bitching about having 4 kids, I love them and they are everything in my life. I would have 4 more if it was financially feasable for me and my husband, but we take our budgeting seriously. I take care of them. THE RIGHT WAY. And they are not in need of anything. SO, maybe DUMBASS is a word you should save for someone who keeps making kids on the governments dime. Which is NOT me.
Did I mention that someone else is paying the rent he isnt? No one but me pays my rent.
Ron, will do.
I sent it off of newvine to whatever email you are registered under on newsvine. Just to let you know.
I'm sorry, what is this the 1940's? Your a stay at home mom, who takes care of an overly large family. YOUR husband pays the rent(apparently). No matter what your income is, people will always find a way to have alittle fun. This may have been several months of savings to just go to casino to do something that is fun to him. The POINT that so many people have missed, is that this guy was mugged....
Say your on low income, your ss check maybe $1200 a month. If all your bills add up to $1100, why not spend the last of it on something fun???
Nice try. Thanks, shoot again. I just recently stopped paying 100% of the rent, after my husband found this job. The recession hit hard. He has gone through 3 jobs since Jan. '09 because of it. I paid the rent then, and have always paid it with my check until June of this year. He was the stay at home dad for a bit, when I was able to get a job cleaning motel rooms. I get a small amount of Survivor benefits for my older two kids (was widowed at 21, remember?) that used to get saved until then, but bills are bills. Never had anything but medicaid for my kids. You can find free fun if you are living off of assistance. If I can be starving and not get help because I was over poverty level by $3, cant get into low income housing, and cant get help so I can find a job, making me 100% responsible for 2 babies with not even enough to pay $200 rent (1 bedroom house), $250 gas bill, $125 car payment (needed transportation after my car that was paid off died), $150 electric bill, $50 phone bill (back then before there were cell phones everywhere), and food and gas for the car for a month, no job, then I can be angry about someone who cant pay regular rent going to a casino. I dont know the story of why he is there, but obviously he isnt starving. I was volunteering everyday at Headstart, where my son got in only because we hadnt gotten our benefits yet, just so that I could feed my daughter and I lunch and breakfast for free. I used to be there all day everyday because those ladies insisted that I be there for the help. If it wasnt for them, I wouldnt have made it that first year, let alone Christmas. I ended up recieving an award for most valuable volunteer in the state that year because I was always there. So, yeah, Im a good mom because of it. It brought me and my kids together, and kept us strong and sane. It doesnt have to be the 1940s to have a good family where mom is there being a parent. I love my kids, and enjoy being a parent. I was a young mother, but that wasnt to say that all my kids werent made out of wedlock or not on purpose. I had a life plan, and it didnt work out, but now its back on a better track. But I did that, no one else. When I didnt get help, I didnt off my kids, I did something about it. When I was able, I put myself through college. I did the things necessary to do what was right by my kids. When the recession hit, I was back on a new path, and I over came that, too. I have worked for everything in my life, and I dont go to casinos or bars or things unless I really can afford it. But I also dont live off of some sort of assistance. I pay for my own lifestyle. So when I do it, no one else is paying for it. I have another grandmother who is living off her RETIREMENT, in a senior housing unit, paying NORMAL rent, and making her own ends meet. She does go gamble, but her rent is almost as much as mine is. She only retired 1 year ago, after my grandfather died. She sold their paid off home to move into her apartment, and have a smaller amount of bills so she could do the things she wanted AFTER she paid for the things she needed. That is the way she does it. She can afford it, and she doesnt live off of anything but what she has, so I really dont see where you guys have a point on this. I am a firm believer that if you cannot make it on your own, you have no business spending frivolously. If that makes me angry, oh well.
Now Im off to trade in the change that I save every year for DONATING to those less fortunate...
Wowed,you are doing a good job of doing your job.I would be one to tell you this to your face,but,I will tell you here;hold your ground on this one,you are right on the spot.
Good for you Wowed!!!! God bless you and your family!!! I don't understand the hateful posts at you..??
Stay strong, you will be blessed in the long run...
dano
Wowed - You should be commended for the sacrifices you and your family make to get by but the hateful posts you are getting is because you are applying your situation to this man and judging him without having a clue about his situation.
i think the guy called his son and told him he won big and the son had him whacked by his friends
Wowed, STOP DONATING. You clearly are angered by those who need assistance, so just stop. THis guy goes to a casino and you lose your mind, but that hasnt changed anything about your finances. You received checks for your children because you were widowed at 21, that's assistance.
You have every right to be upset, but don't expect people to feel sorry for you for living life. WE ALL have a story.
@JG - where did she lose her mind?
Wowed is not upset that the man is on public assistance. She is upset because he is on public assistance and gambling.
NONE of us know if this was a 1 time thing or something he did regularly but we all know that there is a certain stigma attached to gambling as opposed to going to a movie or a concert or out to a fancy dinner. The reason for the stigma is that there are those who have a gambling problem. None of the other activities mentioned have an organization dedicated to helping someone overcome an additiction to them.
AGAIN we do NOT know whether this man has a gambling problem but it's not too hard to mentally (subconsciously and perhaps even incorrectly) connect the dots.
A. This man went to a casino and either started with a small amount $20 and kept going til he got to $10k. Was this because he hit one big jackpot or because he kept laying it all back on the line? Did he start with a large amount and if so where did get it?
B. He lives in low income housing. Is here there because he is physically unable to work, hit by the recession, just lazy, got into debt because of gambling?
We don't know. The article is scant on answers but people who have seen the system abused repeatedly will logically question this guy's need for help AND people who have seen the system help someone or been helped by the system because they truly needed it will logically want to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. Our life experiences shape our perspective and there is NO reason to be hateful over a difference of opinion on something like this.
Thanks to all, and to you JG: I wont stop donating, there are people who really do need and get help. People who do nothing but try as hard as they can to over come this. I see these people, and I will help them. Every year, my kids pick a card off the tree at walmart and we get them gifts. I hate that store, but love the cause. There is usually 2, this year we are going for three. I have no problem with the people who are on assistance, but I have issues with system abuse. I was at the point of starvation and didnt get help, and I didnt lie on the application, which I could have easily. I was honest. I tried. I fought, and I did it because I knew that I would be ok. I had my cheerleaders behind me the whole way, pushing me harder and harder. There are many people who helped me, and for no other reason than they saw someone that needed some serious help. And they did. They helped a complete stranger. I have no issues doing the same. And you are right, I dont know his personal story. I do know many that fit what discription that was given. He was 30 minutes from the casino, at 2 am, while living on public assistance. Most casino goers at 2 am are addicts or people that are traveling to do just that. I have worked in one, have had both of my childrens grandmothers be addicts, and have seen what happens. I have helped clean up some of the damage because of it. You want to be hateful, be hateful. It wont change my opinion of these things, I have seen too much and am probably jaded because of it.
I do feel bad an old man was robbed. I just feel it could be Karma.
Utter- Perfectly said. As usual.
I am not being hateful, I think donating and volunteering is wonderful, IF you do it because you truely enjoy giving back (if you dont want to pick a name off the tree, youre not a monster).
Wowed your lengthy comments gave me the impression that you are very passionate about this story, thats why I said you lost your mind. You told us everything about your life, how you went through this up and that down, it felt like you were throwing a pity party for yourself. In my opinion.
I know what it's like to be denied assistance b/c of a few dollars, and to have honesty seemingly work against you, liek Utter said "Our life experiences shape our perspective".
It does shape our perspective, and believe me, I dont need your pity. I actually use my story to tell people that you can do what you see as impossible. I dont need pity, I have a great life. Its that way because I make it so. Thats not to say that I dont get angry at hearing people that have never taken actions to dig themselves out getting lucky doing something that probably got them into their bind to begin with. I pay my own bills, and I am not doing leisure that costs something. I am the one that is curled up on the bed with her kids and husband watching reruns of looney tunes the new movies we can watch on Starz. The most we spend is on the popcorn and candy. I am also the one who is paying a phone bill and helping with the prescriptions for my uncle who is fighting cancer and SS. So, yeah, I am passionate about this. And my life story is just that. I felt the need to share it. I dont see how you can pity someone with everything. I believe I made that clear. All because someone couldnt pay their rent, but can gamble.
Everyone seems to overlook the fact this guy is 62 and more than likely retired. Anyone living on social security is considered low income because those checks ain't s*it in todays ecnomoic climate.
So basically most people only saw low income and immediately thinks he is gaming the system etc etc etc how can he afford to go to a casino. At 62 he is not a favored choice to be hired in the job market, so he saves up what little he has to go to the casino in hopes of winning some money for his family future.
Sad that he got robbed, however i am sure he was being stalked for those winnings
Anyone living on social security is not considered to be low income. Sorry, this I know for a fact. If you have money coming in from social security, it can be over the limit easily. His social security (if he had it) had to have been around $200 a month if he was qualified for housing, and that means that he wasnt working a whole lot when he got it. This I also know for a fact, as my monthly survivor benefit after my husband died was based on his earnings at death. It wasnt alot, but it was slighltly over poverty level (by $3), and I couldnt get help with ANYTHING. No help with rent, not qualified for low income housing, TANF, babysitting so I could go back to work, anything. So. Sorry, dont buy that. My grandmother is living on Social Security, and she has a house, car, and food BARELY. Doesnt get anything but Medicare, and she has to work 2 days a week to make a little extra. She is 82. Doesnt do anything but go to work or church.
My SS check is about $1100 a month, that's a little over $13000 a year, that's all, from about 35 years working construction. Because of my outdoor adventurous life style I never thought I would live to reach 65, as I did yesterday. I retired at 62 when the economy collapsed, construction work seemed to stop overnight. I never thought I would reach retirement age, I thought there would be a world wide catastrophe or else I would die mountain climbing, or big wave surfing, or working, so I never even thought of being able get retirement money. So now after 35 years working "in the mud, the blood, and the beer", I get $13000 a year. I'm not sure if it's considered low income, but it isn't much. This is my life and my decisions, and I accept full responsibility for it, and I have loved almost every minute of it. My guess is these guys that robbed the man probably saw him at the casino and knew where he lived. The old Hawaiians say "some days you get chicken and some days you get rice". To bad this guy had them the same day!!!
And I commend you, Barlow. That is what my husband was doing, running a conveyor belt for a quary operation. He had a decent job, and things were starting to look up when he died, but the benefits were not the same as what he was making, thats for sure. It was above the low income range, albeit not much. He had only had the job for a year when he died.
Interesting: but the surveillance cameras work in and around the casino grounds - ALWAYS.
It was either another casino patron that was near him when he won that followed him home or that 'patron' tipped off the others who did the robbing. And, if I were a betting sailor, I'd wager that somewhere in the casino footage, the face(s) of the involved parties are on the media files...
In the Chinatown community you would be amazed out the # of residents who live in taxpayer subsidized housing, have a Link card which is foodstamps, yet have substantial amounts of money have no bank accouns and only deal in cash staying outside the system or keep only a small amount in the bank and most assets in safe deposit boxes etc. They also scam by turning 2 flat buildings into flop houses charging $10/night for a mattress on the floor. Ive seen 30 people at a time in these buildings many times. They even put signs in the front windows in Chinese advertising, nice to make $300/day cash= $8400/month tax free. The City of Chicago knows this very well but they don't enforce any ordinanced because they like the votes.
I hope you're not implying that Chicago is a corrupt city
Low income housing = subsidized housing = our tax dollars = gambling = ridiculous = corruption and fraud in government = when will it STOP.....
He is an immigrant living on the American tax payers dime and gambling that money away. Sounds like Karma to me, exactly what he deserves.
Poor guy, he deserved better. This scenario totally s-u-c-k-s!
Hey, wait a minute; I thought it was illegal to carry a handgun in Chicago? Those thugs are not obeying the gun laws! That's wierd.
There's a real lesson for all the rest of us: If you win any sizable amount of money at a casino, don't accept it in cash. Have it sent directly to your bank or have the casino hold it and then come back the next day and get it.
Hahaha,
That was funny :) Maybe we should tighten the gun laws more. I know if we keep making more laws the criminals will start following them ;)
This is what is wrong with American welfare! This non-english speaking man wants to come to this Country, his son should support him. I believe in entitlements, "For those that need it". But this man does not deserve it. I believe we should disengage from all the wars, close all the Military bases around the world. Cut the defence budget in half, stop all foreign aid, raise the Bush tax cuts on the for the rich back to where they were. That money should be used half to expand entitlements and half to pay down the debt.
low-income housing in Chicago's Chinatown, was returning from a trip to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Ind., just after 2 a.m.
WOW. wonder if he was going to report that to the housing authority??? and to think I was asleep so I could go to work.
Getting back to Holder, what he has done all by himself is far worse that what the boy governor of Illinois did and he got 14 years in Federal prison. Holder actually brought us close to an open full-scale war with our good neighbor Mexico. That may still happen as a result of all of this. Com'on, man. He hasn't been fired yet? It's a terrible crime (group of crimes) he commited, using tax money, buying arms for gangsters in Mexico, giving those arms to the gangsters, and sitting back (until caught) and ignoring it all. Look, I was a personal friend of Robert Kennedy when he was AG of the United States. Even the notorious Bobby K would never have done what Holder has done nor aproved of it. This scandal has got to rock Obama's admiinistration down to its foundations. Resignation is too good for Holder. What has happened here cost the lives of American border guards, compromised our principles, encouraged gangsters in both America and Mexico, and has everyone in the civilized world talking. It diminishes Obama's credibility down to zero.
Now, what do we do about it? And when? I say: what do we all do about the AG of the US? Defund his department now - the House can do that-- and turn down his appointees --the Senate has done that -- and take away all of the power of the AG until further notice. And literally hound Obama on this whole matter. Every day. If the press won't do it, then the candidates for President can do it. Chicago has always been a kind of joke in America and throughout the world. Well, with the boy Gov of Illinois in prison, it's time to say ok Chicago, change or else. The image of Chicago has got to go now.
It ain't funny no more. The old shoot em up gangster movies in black and white are all over with, and we want Illinois to clean up its act ---entirely--- and get rid of its "debris" - i,e, Barak Obama and his crooks. George W. Bush has been retired for three years, and is living on his nice ranch in Texas. He aint' no part of what's been going on in D. C. .... none of it. Grow up, America machine gun Kelly is gone.
While we're at it,let's throw some New York politicians,and some from Louisiana in the slammer, too!Oh,heck!What about half the members of Congress?Insider trading,bribes from lobbyists,perks for family and staff,exemptions from the laws they pass.We have a great system in place.I've got a rope.
casino's will give you checks,,and or direct deposits ,,never walk out of a casino with cash,, robbery's such as this are happening more than you think, or being reported