Gambling junkets put a spring in seniors' steps

By STEPHEN HART STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE Joe Miloscia got up gingerly from his chair at Sprinkles Ice Cream Parlor after finishing the free breakfast the restaurant offers to those who purchase an advance ticket for one of the daily bus trips to Atlantic City. He grabbed his collapsible walker, one with two cut-out green tennis balls for wheels in the back, and made his way toward the door and the awaiting Atlantic Express bus. And he was happy. "You can forget all your troubles, all your problems, for six or seven hours, instead of thinking about them all day long," said the 68-year-old New Dorp resident, who usually limits his casino poker-playing to once a month. Advertisement Yale University caught some flak recently for a study that found that older recreational gamblers seem to be healthier than those who don't play the one-arm bandits or put a shilling or two on the ponies from time to time. But according to many senior Staten Islanders, the Ivy Leaguers have it right. "I think it's true. Win or lose, you get out and have a good time," said Florence D'Angelo, 68, a former Eltingville resident now living in Hudson, Fla. She makes periodic trips to Atlantic City when she returns to see her family. "It makes you feel good." "I do terrible, but I like to get out, I like the action," admitted 72-year-old Grant City resident Martin Rizek, a retired life insurance salesman, who visits the Off-Track Betting parlor in New Dorp about four times a week and goes to Atlantic City once every two weeks, usually playing craps. "I enjoy it, that's why I go," said Chuck Ciccarelli, 76, of New Dorp, who visits the New Jersey casinos once every three weeks to play the 25-cent slots. "I don't enjoy losing money, but I enjoy the excitement." The thrill of victory can pale in comparison to the agony of blowing part of one's retirement nest egg. All of the seniors, however, were cognizant of those dangers. "I think you have to have a set amount of money to play with," said Mrs. D'Angelo. "You can't go over your 'fun money.'" "If you don't overdo it, it's OK, just like with anything else ... like to have a drink occasionally is OK," said 81-year-old New Dorp resident Vito DeAngelo, sporting an OTB baseball cap, before heading to Atlantic City with his wife, Frances. "You have to budget yourself. When people go down there specifically to gamble, that's when it becomes a stressful situation." "I take a certain amount of money with me and that's it. I'm pretty good at not dipping into my pocket," added Ciccarelli. "When I'm done, I just sit on a chair and wait for the bus. I've never gotten out of control." A MINI-VACATION For many seniors, a bus trip to Atlantic City -- or even an afternoon at OTB or a night playing bingo -- is that much-needed break. "I don't go to gamble, but for a change of atmosphere," said 74-year-old New Dorp resident Bob Bowman of his twice-a-week trips to the OTB parlor. "I only bet a few dollars, just to kill a couple of hours." "It's nice, it's like a day out. You meet people, you meet friends," added Pat Santasine, 64, of Oakwood, who plays the 25-cent slots. "You look forward to it a couple of times a month." "We're both on in years," said DeAngelo, motioning toward his wife. "This is a chance for us to get away, from 9 a.m. till 8 p.m." "If you're on a budget," Florence D'Angelo said, "you can't take a trip to Europe." A SOCIAL EVENT Even after 20 years of sponsoring casino trips, Sprinkles owner Frank Buonviaggio still can't get over how the words "Atlantic City" can put a spring in the step of even the oldest full-house hopeful. "I've seen people as old as 95 go three times a week ... it's amazing. They don't complain about their aches and pains when they're there," said Buonviaggio, whose customers pay between $22 and $23.50 for bus tickets and usually get back anywhere from $16 to $20 from the casino upon arrival. "But I don't think it's the gambling part. I think they just want to get out of their cramped apartments. And many don't have family close by. They like the camaraderie, they meet new people. It motivates them to get out of bed in the morning." That's the case for OTB patron George Verhill of Dongan Hills. "I'll usually bet three or four races a day, but sometimes none. I just come to sit ... I can come here for days without playing," said the 78-year-old retired steamfitter. "It's something to do. If I didn't have someplace like this to go, I think I'd go crazy, go nuts. I'm out of the house every morning around 7:30 or 8 a.m. "It's the same guys every day. We meet at Wendy's first to have coffee, and then we're in [the OTB parlor in New Dorp] usually till about 4. "I guess it's OK," Verhill chuckled. "I'm still here." Stephen Hart is a news reporter for the Advance. He may be reached at hart@siadvance.com.