Bowery Boogie | A Lower East Side Chronicle

This might be the last we see of Off Track Betting at 105 Delancey, between Ludlow and Essex Streets, so break out the cameras.  Barring any miracle rescue in the eleventh hour, the state-owned OTB will die on Sunday, and with it, another gritty vestige of city history.  Going out of business seems pretty likely [...]

Regardless of the season, gamblers generally tend to congregate outside the OTB outpost on Delancey.  They are usually civil, pacing back and forth, talking shop, and discussing their wagers.  Nothing crazy.  But every now and again, there is a scene.  On this particular occasion, the NYPD responded to a drowsy drunkard sleeping at the foot [...]