Pin Action: Small-Time Gangsters, High-Stakes Gambling, and the Teenage Hustler Who Became a Bowling Champion

For a few years, legends were born every night in bowling alleys all over the country. Hustlers, con men, athletes, and sportsmen all came together to forge a new arena for gambling unlike any other: action bowling. And for action bowler and future champion Ernie Schlegel, this set the stage for his entire life—knife fights, heartbreak, and triumph included.

Pin Action is a curious mix: part history, part biography, and part tribute as it mingles the rise of action bowling and the alley gambling scene with Ernie Schlegel’s quest to become a bowling champion on the PBA Tour. Schlegel’s life becomes the framework upon which Manzione hangs the entire history of the sport, from its big money heyday to now, when the PBA struggles to remain relevant and names like Schlegel chase the former highs of their glory days. The book also offers a new twist on the tired gangland scene, highlighting small-time crooks who cornered this small yet profitable niche market. There were no gang wars, just flashed pieces and lots of big talk.

Written by fan and historian Manzione, Pin Action is clearly both a loving homage to and a balanced chronicle of a curious time in sports history.