The Superfecta Trial

Book Synopsis: I have been contemplating the writing of this book titled the Superfecta Trial since 2017. We wrote a chapter about the Superfecta trial in the “Roosevelt Raceway Where It All Began” book. But I always felt that there was much more to the story than what was presented in one chapter. One of the other reasons for the writing of this book is that before he passed away Kenny McNutt (one of the indicted drivers) had asked me to do so.

The sources that have contributed to writing this book include some of the people that were there as eyewitnesses myself included, news articles from the New York Times, Newsday, New York Post, New York Daily News, F.B.I. report, and trial transcripts.

On the morning of December 20, 1973, at around 5am there is a pounding on our front door. I looked out of my bedroom window, and I saw multiples of cars with blue lights flashing. I had no idea what was going on. I went downstairs and I open the front door only to be pushed to the side by a man wearing a raincoat who then pushed me up against the foyer wall and held me there. As he was doing this several other men all wearing raincoats and holding badges in their hands start pouring into the house yelling as they were entering FBI, FBI, FBI.

One of them asked me where William Hudson (my dad) is I answered him “upstairs.” Two or three of the agents went upstairs, it could have been more, and a couple others went to the back door of the house and let several more agents in. My guess is that there were about 10 agents in the house and about the same number outside. Did mention that they also had the house surrounded.

About 20 minutes later the agents that went upstairs came down the stairs with my father who has now been arrested. I must add the fact that they did let him take a shower and get dressed before they took him into custody.

After the agents and my dad came down the stairs, they took my father into the den which I couldn’t see them, but I could hear them. One agent said to my dad “tell us what you know, and we will let you go”. My dad said something to the effect of sure or gladly and they then said, “what do you know” which my dad answered, “nothing now can I go.” At about that time, I was released from where the agent was holding me and other agents escorted my dad away to be arraigned at the Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York, being charged for the race fixing of Superfecta races at Roosevelt and Yonkers Raceways.

At that time, I was working for my dad as a second trainer/groom at Roosevelt Raceway and I now had to go to the track. I was told, I think, by my mother not to say anything about the arrest to anyone. But when I got to the track at about 7am there were many rumors being spread around the track that multiple harness drivers had been arrested that morning and people were trying to figure out who.

At about 10am the guessing was over because every news channel was covering the story that the F.B.I. that morning had arrested 28 people on superfecta race fixing charges that included 13 drivers, my dad being one of them. I do remember one person saying “Insko no way.”

Sometime during that day my mother contacted me and asked me to go pick up my dad at the Federal Court House in Brooklyn, which I did. When I picked him up, I also picked up and drove home two other drivers, Billy Myer and Murice Pusey. I would say that all three of them were in shock.

The next morning at around 8am I had a meeting with George Morton Levy (President of Roosevelt Raceway, Harold Weil (Attorney) and my mother. At that meeting it was agreed that I could take the stable over and all my dad’s horses and assets were transferred into my name, and I was now the trainer of 15 horses. “It didn’t last long” At around 10am one of the owners (Lindy Mon Stables) pulled all 5 of their horses and I was now down to a 10-horse stable. Soon I would be down to zero.