John F Zurawka
(17 Mar 1924 - 25 Sep 2005)

John F Zurawka  (17 Mar 1924,  Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA  - 25 Sep 2005,  Webster, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA )  
Tweet


Pedigree Chart          

John F  was the child of ?

Not who you're looking for? Try this!
son of Dr. John Zurawka and Frances Chiupinski

Ancestor's Life Events

1991 - Dog, horse bettors have Lincoln reunion   LINCOLN, R.I. - "If you wanna make a buck, bet the dogs," advised Joe Anzelone, standing in a conga line for Saratoga wagering. "But horse racing...that's the Sport of Kings." He and the other slightly schizophrenic bettors had their druthers all in the same parlor. To rub shoulders with the New York Whitneys and the classiest of thoroughbreds or go to the dogs with the Rhode Island ragtags. Yesterday (and on its debut the day before), thousands arrived for an exotic gambling feast at Lincoln Greyhound Park, offering a mixed menu. Not only its usual fast-serve dog-racing fare, but also the delicacy of horse-racing for the first time since Lincoln Downs closed its windows 15 years ago. The puppies performed live while the horses, competing at Saratoga Springs and Rockingham Park, were beamed in by satellite. Any horse cents bet right here found their way in a split second into the computerized betting pool in New York or New Hampshire and the payoffs (and losses) were the same to the penny. ONE SURE WINNER The only sure winner: Rhode Island, drowning in debt, is bailing itself out a bit by allowing Lincoln and the Newport Jai Alai fronton to plug into off-site pony races. Legislators zipped through a bill to allow 104 simulcast cards on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays for a year. Little Rhody will make nearly a nickel on each dollar bet on these out-of-state races. Those nickels add up. Taxpayers won a cool $11 million from dog racing last year at 8 cents on the dollar. They expect to pocket an extra $4 million a year on this simulcasting bonanza. "The possibilities are endless," admitted Lincoln's assistant GM Tim Leuschner. "Eventually, we could be picking up races from the West Coast." Inviting doggie-bag types into the same buffet line with the quiche crowd provided many side dishes of delight. The horsey set sneered at the canine low-brows and the puppy pickers thumbed their noses right back at the supercilious nag-lovers. But all in good fun. They know they're all chiselers angling for some easy money.LOTS OF CROSSOVERS In truth, there were lots of crossovers who'd watch a Saratoga or Rockingham race on a lobby monitor, then dart to the grandstand to catch a dog derby. "They should outlaw the dogs," grumped Livio Gramolini from his aisle seat in this puppy emporium. Harold LaPage, a retiree, nodded in agreement. "Horse racing in Rhode Island again...it's great. All my aches and pains are gone. Way back, I went to Narragansett (Park) and Lincoln all the time. But they spoiled it. Too much fooling around and, in the end, they looked like dumps. People want something nice like this." Rhode Island hasn't had horse racing since 'Gansett crumbled and Lincoln went to seed. Neighboring Massachusetts doesn't have horse racing either since Suffolk Downs went kaput and Foxboro trotted off the stage. New Hampshire's Rockingham Park, rebuilt after a tragic fire, runs simulcasts and is making money, too. Meanwhile, back in the Bay State proposals to build tracks in Sterling, Uxbridge and elsewhere have gone nowhere and OTB schemes haven't gotten off the ground. Political in-fighting is the most popular pastime in Taxachusetts. Has interest in horse racing expired as some have suggested? Hardly. Devotees flocked here to get a glimpse of the superior Saratoga stock. "You couldn't pay me to go to a dog track," growled John Zurawka of Webster, in line yesterday to bet Saratoga's second race. Like most customers, Zurawka got shut out of the first-race betting due to computer breakdowns. But he wasn't squawking. "Horse racing is back," he whinnied. The lines for the horses were much longer (and slower) than those for the bow-wows on both days. Friday afternoon, $152,618 was bet on nine Saratoga races and $201,664 on 12 local dog races. That night, Rockingham drew $124,373 while the dogs did $342,429. When the kinks work out at the horse windows and all the gimmick betting is in place, the horse handle may challenge closely. Many bettors eagerly watched the horse racing monitors while never bothering to glance at the dogs. "A 30-second rat race is all they are," one horse fan muttered. Handicapping dogs is allegedly not the science figuring horses is. Stacks of the Racing Times and Daily Racing Forms were being hawked alongside simple-minded dog programs and Louie's Lucky pens. Yet the kibbitzing, touting and bull-throwing were very similar. Everywhere hobnobbers mistakenly interchanged the words horses and dogs. "Dogs, horses, jai alai, the state lottery...heck, the Indians in Connecticut will be running casinos pretty soon. The churches run bingo...it's all the same," observed a rebel without a winner chewing on a cigar butt. Indeed, the Mashantucket Pequots will be running roulette wheels on their Ledyard, Conn., reservation next year. No matter where. Gambling is growing. Few will get lucky. Most won't." At Lincoln, they arrived from all parts and bet a ton of money. Yesterday afternoon alone, $312,622 on 12 dog races. And another $145,114 on the 10-race Saratoga card and $90,352 on 11 Rockingham races. One bedraggled soul perhaps summed it up best, screaming to the pony/puppy heavens in the middle of the Lincoln lobby, "I can't win a (expletive) nickel in this (expletive) building." Nice figuring, sport. Rhode Island gets all the nickels. And as the man says, "This game wasn't designed for the players to win." Telegram & Gazette Worcester, Mass. Jul 28, 1991. pg. D.1

Ancestor's Marriage(s) and Child(ren)

married Vivian L Feige -- Place:

Family Group Record for John F Zurawka and Vivian L Feige

Ancestor's Death-related Information

Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) - September 28, 2005 Deceased Name: John F. Zurawka, 81 WEBSTER John F. Zurawka, 81, of 79 North Main St. died Sept. 25 in Hubbard Regional Hospital. His wife Vivian (Goode) Zurawka died in 1977. He leaves one brother E. Joseph Zurawka and his wife Rita of Webster, one sister Helen Brush of PA. Two nieces Tina and Jane and a nephew Paul. He was born in Boston, the son of the late Dr. John Zurawka and Frances Chipinski and lived here all his life. He served in the Army during WWII with the Medical Detachment of the 65th Signal Battalion. John worked many years for Massachusetts Highway retiring as a Supervisor. He was a member of the Boosters Club and TSKK. John was an avid fisherman and sportsman. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday Oct.8 at 9:30AM in St. Joseph Basilica, 53 Whitcomb St. Bartel Funeral Home & Chapel 33 Schofield Ave. is directing arrangments. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions to Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Tribute Program One Harvard St. Brookline MA 02146-9795.

Added: - 1

Is John F Zurawka YOUR Ancestor? Help complete OUR family tree - Add to this Page
(Messages / Memories / Questions / Additional Information About John F Zurawka)

The comments you read here belong only to the person who posted them. We reserve the right to remove off-topic and inappropriate comments. Also, If you'd like to be contacted by others who are related to John F Zurawka, leave a message here!

There are currently no messages about John F Zurawka. YOU can be the first to add one!

Add YOUR message HERE!

Loading...