District 16

By Ken Monzingo​​​​​​​​

Contributing heavily to this two-part article are excerpts and observations from autobiographies of three former Dallas Aces: Bob Hamman from his autobiography, At the Table: My Life and Times, Mike Lawrence and his new book, My Life with Bridge, and Bobby Wolff from his novel, The Lone Wolff.

 

Ab initio (In the Beginning)

The Dallas Aces, initially the U.S. Aces, later simply the Aces, was the world’s first full-time professional bridge team, a sponsored team of hired pros who devoted their lives to nothing but learning and enhancing their bridge skills to the highest possible level. This team concept was conceived in 1964 and organized in 1968 by Dallas businessman Ira Corn whose mission was to return world bridge supremacy to America after decades of domination by the formidable Italian Blue Team (16 world titles from 1957-1975). 

Bobby Wolff, a bridge club owner in San Antonio at the time, and Ira Corn’s friend Dorothy Moore were the first recruits, and both invaluable in assembling (hiring) a professional team dedicated to this winning concept. During the fledgling years the original Aces featured bridge stars Billy Eisenberg, New York City, Bobby Goldman, Philadelphia, James Jacoby, Dallas, Mike Lawrence, San Francisco, Wolff, and Canadians Sami Kehela and Eric Murray. Soon afterward came Paul Soloway, Mill Creek, Washington, and California’s Bob Hamman. 

They were all hired full time at salaries of $800/month for singles and $950/month for the married players – a livable wage in mid-1960s Dallas. Corn also paid the team’s expenses at major tournaments. 

Alas, this grouping of individuals and pairs changed in composition from year to year making it difficult for continuity and maintaining a unified team spirit. More important, the early players didn’t work on their partnerships to a degree necessary to defeat the vaunted Italian Blue Team. 

Solution: Wolff/Corn brought in a team coach, Joe Musumeci (Moose), a veteran military officer to quell the egos of this exceptionally gifted group of proud bridge players, and instill camaraderie. Moose was to create a working job description for the team, and create an environment to keep the guys in line and on the same page. Which he achieved. Now they had a team, not a group.

In their autobiographies Mike Lawrence and Bobby Wolff include fascinating chapters on the formation and beginnings of these famed Aces, the early regimented training, the dedication, their personal feelings, and Dallas living conditions. Both Mike and Bobby pay homage to Aces founder/financier, Ira Corn for their career defining decisions: Lawrence for Corn getting him into successful bridge writing and teaching, and Wolff for Ira’s persuading him to join bridge politics resulting in ACBL and World Bridge Federation presidencies. 

One thing remains consistent from all three authors: the Aces was specifically formed by Corn to compete with and defeat Italian teams in world championship play. 

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Observations and excerpts from autobiographies by original Aces.

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​The Lone Wolff

By Bobby Wolff

 

​It’s hard to pinpoint where the original idea for the Aces came from, but it is safe for history to recognize three people: Dallas businessman Ira Corn, Dorothy Moore, a Texas native, and Bobby Wolff of San Antonio. Corn was to finance the team, Moore, an underrated player, ably assisted in its formation which Ira could not do. The original idea came in 1964 after Ira traveled to New York to view the latter stages of the World Team Olympiad in which the Italian Blue Team bested a group of six US players. But the first serious discussions of Aces formation came in 1966. Ira noted how the Marconi-inspired Italians had their way with our American teams and began dreaming of a well-oiled squad to reclaim world championships. His focus was just to get the Aces off the ground, and he didn’t have a clue where to start. That’s where Dorothy and I came in. The Aces experiment seemed to represent an unparalleled opportunity. 

At the Spring 1968 NABC in New York the Aces won the Men’s Board-A-Match Teams, national championship playing together for the very first time. The legend had its start.

 

My Life with Bridge

By Mike Lawrence

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Bobby Wolff had asked if I was available to play on a professional team. That meant I would have to leave my regular partner, Harold Guiver, and relocate to Dallas by March 1968 for a new role yet to be defined. The adventure began. 

We started with five players: pairs Wolff & Jim Jacoby, and Bobby Goldman & Billy Eisenberg. And now Lawrence. Corn, a decent player himself, had hoped to be the sixth but was talked out of it. He thought if he got five good players, he could play with them and win anything. That was the furthest from the truth imaginable.

Wolff broke the bad news to Corn in a hotel hallway as Ira puffed a typically giant cigar: “The Aces will never become what you want them to be – what they can be – if you keep playing,” said Wolff. Ira said nothing.

Wolff half-expected Corn to dissolve the team right then, and perhaps that wouldn’t be the worst thing. Ira had the best of intentions, but he was dragging his creation down. As Wolff began to plot out his next endeavors in case of Aces demise, Ira spoke, “Well, you better win,” he grumbled. 

They lost the next day.

Invited to join were Chuck Berger, Bob Hamman, Eddie Kantar, Sammy Kehela, Eric Murray and Sidney Lazard. All declined but later Hamman changed his mind and accepted just about the time the team was given its new name: Dallas Aces. Hamman and I played four card majors; both of us had backgrounds in them and they worked for us. Bob was not tolerant of bullshit – if someone messed up, they would hear about it. 

Our imported coach, Joe Musumeci (Moose) invited top notch teams to Dallas for practice matches. These were four session matches over three weekend days followed by 2-3 day intensive bull sessions going over the hands. Moose took over for Bob as yet another new cop on the block.

One day Ira was in negotiations for a daily newspaper column, "Aces on Bridge." He asked if any of us could write columns of 300 words. Mine were more than 800 words so I did not get the job, but Ira suggested I write books. 

[Editor: to date, including his new book, My Life with Bridge, Mike has published more than 30 titles and is heralded as one or our truly great bridge authors.]

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Careers

Both Mike and Bobby pay homage to Aces founder/financier, Ira Corn for their career defining decisions: Lawrence for Corn getting him into successful bridge writing and teaching, and Wolff for Ira’s persuading him to join bridge politics resulting in ACBL and World Bridge Federation presidencies.

[Editor 2: Aces on Bridge became a syndicated newspaper column and following Corn’s demise Bobby Wolff bought it, changed the byline to his own name, and it’s run for more than 30 years.]

 

At the Table: My Life and Times

By Bob Hamman

 

Bob’s book goes more into details of Aces life together following the addition of Joe Musumeci (Moose) as the coach. He expands on the regimentation Moose brought to the group including their personal behavior in addition to very strict scrutiny of every bid and play an Ace made in competition. Moose also brought in rules (Seven Deadly Sins) for maintaining partnership discipline, confidence, and harmony. He even added a three-color graded set of charges for each error made – who, when, and why. Errors were discussed in detail in his skull sessions following each match, and accountability was assigned.

Bob talks candidly about the breakups of several of the Aces pairs due mostly to style and approach. Never about talent. It’s fascinating how players at this level have difficulties in their partnerships, just like us. For example, Bobby Goldman was a strict by-the-book player, his partner Billy Eisenberg was a table presence, play-your-hunch expert. The result was a predictable change of partnerships within the Aces. 

This searing autobiography also goes deep into the Aces’ victories and losses in national and international events. Plus uncovering the cheating scandals at world bridge championship play. To be featured in the next installment.

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