Howard Spira | |
---|---|
Born | 1959 |
Alma mater | New York University |
Occupation(s) |
Gangster gambler journalist |
Known for |
Extorting
George Steinbrenner Informing on the Five Families of the American Mafia |
Howard "Howie" Spira (born 1959) is an American convicted felon and gambler who was central to Fay Vincent's decision to ban George Steinbrenner from baseball during the 1990s. [1] In 1991 he was convicted of trying to extort $110,000 from Steinbrenner and spent over two years in prison. [1]
Howard Spira was born in 1959 in the Bronx to poor parents. Spira attended New York University, studying broadcast journalism, [2] but dropped out in 1980. [1] [2]
During the 1980s, Spira was an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation against the Five Families. [2]
In the late 1980s Spira, working as an unpaid publicist for Dave Winfield's foundation [3] was in debt and contacted Steinbrenner, [3] [4] who was in a conflict with Winfield over payments to Winfield's charitable foundation. [1] Spira offered to provide proof Winfield was misusing charitable funds in exchange for Steinbrenner paying him $150,000, giving him a job, and providing him a room in a hotel owned by Joan Steinbrenner. [3] In January of 1990, Steinbrenner paid him $40,000. [2] [3]
Steinbrenner was suspended from baseball for three years for paying Spira $40,000 to find dirt on Winfield. [1] [5]
Spira was the subject of a 2016 film, The Rise and Fall of Howie Spira. [6]
As of 2011, Spira lived with his parents in The Bronx. [2]