Bridge & Humor: Reese spent the Night in Jail

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Source:  The Bridge Bum: My Life and Play by Alan Sontag

Alan Sontag
Alan Sontag

Bob Sheehan told me a funny Reese-Schapiro story. Reese had no sense of humor. Boris Schapiro had said as much. Reese had gone to Schapiro’s apartment a few years earlier to pick up many trophies he had won, which he was storing with Schapiro. Reese loaded them all in a scruffy bag and headed for his own home. He was dressed in the manner of most bridge players — badly — and a bobby stopped him and inspected the scruffy bag.

«What have we here?» the bobby asked, pulling out Reese’s World Championship trophy and turning it over and over in his hands.

«That’s mine,» said Reese.

«Sure it is,» said the bobby. «You’re Her Majesty the Queen and these are the Crown Jewels.»

«Look, you thickhead, I can prove they’re mine.»

The outraged Reese led the bobby back to Schapiro’s apartment.

«Tell him, Boris,» Reese said. «Tell this bloody copper that these trophies are mine!»

«Who is this man?» Schapiro asked. «What’s the meaning of this? Why are you bringing a madman to my home?»

Reese spent the night in jail and did not think the incident was the least bit funny.