"Detroit Red" opens with a discussion on the gambling scene, where Malcolm, among many others, would play a numbers gambling game. While he never hit big, he did occasionally win a few hundred dollars. Almost everyone played the numbers game in the poverty-stricken Harlem. It is in this chapter that Malcolm introduces the reader to West Indian Archie, a large black man who was a "runner" of the numbers. He had an excellent memory, and would memorize the numbers that everyone played rather than keeping slips--this was advantageous because he would never be caught by detectives with gambling papers.
Malcolm also learned how to detect undercover police officers, a necessary ability for hustlers who were involved in illegal activities. He also learned much more about the various activities in Harlem, including robbery and prostitution......
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