Casper Holstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Casper Holstein
Casper Holstein, in Opportunity magazine
Born	December 7, 1876 Christiansted, St. Croix, Danish West Indies (now U.S. Virgin Islands)
Died	April 5, 1944 (aged 67) New York, NY, USA

Casper Holstein (born December 7, 1876 – died April 5, 1944) was an important figure in New York during the Harlem Renaissance. He was known for his involvement in the "numbers lotteries" in Harlem.

Early Life and Beginnings

Casper Holstein was born Egbert Joseph on December 7, 1876. He later changed his name to honor his grandfather. He was born in St. Croix, which was then part of the Danish West Indies. Today, it is known as the United States Virgin Islands.

In 1884, when he was young, Casper moved to New York City with his mother. His father was a landowner and butcher. His mother's father was an officer in the Danish army. Casper went to high school in Brooklyn. After graduating, he joined the United States Navy. During World War I, he visited his birthplace again while serving in the Navy.

After the war, Holstein worked different jobs in Manhattan. He started as a janitor and doorman. Later, he became a messenger for a company on Wall Street. He eventually became the head messenger.

The Harlem Lottery System

While working on Wall Street, Casper Holstein learned about the stock market. He studied how numbers and systems worked. This helped him create his own type of lottery game.

Before Holstein, lotteries often drew numbers randomly. This meant organizers could sometimes change the outcome. It also made it hard to share the winning numbers widely. Holstein found that he could use numbers already published in newspapers. These included things like New York Stock Exchange daily share volumes. This new way allowed more people to play. It also made the game feel fairer.

As Prohibition began, Holstein's lottery system became very popular. Prohibition was a time when making and selling alcohol was illegal. Holstein became known as the "Bolita King" because of his success. He earned a lot of money from his lotteries.

Around 1932, the lottery business in Harlem started to change. Other powerful figures wanted to take control. Casper Holstein believed in his community work. He did not want violence to ruin his efforts. Because of this, he decided to step back from the main operations. The lottery continued with many Black collectors and managers. However, the top leadership often changed. Holstein continued to be involved in a smaller way for some years. He was arrested in 1937 and stopped his involvement.

Helping the Community

Casper Holstein used his wealth to help others. He gave money to build dorms at Black colleges. He also supported many artists, writers, and poets during the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time when Black art and culture thrived in Harlem.

He bought the mortgage for the Universal Negro Improvement Association's hall. This allowed it to remain a community space. Later, he developed the site into Holstein Court. This was a building for Black business owners and professionals.

Holstein also helped start a Baptist school in Liberia. He created a fund to help his home, the Virgin Islands, after a hurricane. He often wrote articles for the NAACP newspaper, Crisis. The NAACP is an organization that works for civil rights.

Later Life and Impact

By the late 1920s, Holstein was a very successful lottery organizer in Harlem. He ran a large lottery operation. He also owned nightclubs and other regular businesses. At his busiest, he earned a lot of money each day. He was known for being very generous with his wealth.

Many people in Harlem admired him. The New York Times newspaper called him "Harlem's favorite hero." This was because of his wealth, his love for sports, and his charity work in the community.

A Mysterious Kidnapping

In 1928, Casper Holstein was kidnapped by five men. They asked for a large sum of money to release him. He was let go three days later. Holstein said that no money was paid for his release. The details of this event were never fully explained.

In Popular Culture

Casper Holstein's life inspired a character on the TV show Boardwalk Empire. The character Valentin Narcisse was played by Jeffrey Wright. He appeared in seasons 4 and 5 of the HBO crime-drama series.