Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Swank Celebrity Poker Club Robbed
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 16, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 16, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
We have to say this much: If you're a high profile poker club, you're probably an obvious target for robbers. The Daily News reports that The National CardRoom was robbed early Friday morning, ordering the club and patrons to fork over their dough. The robbers, who had guns, fled the Upper East Side club with $50,000.
The irony is that the club's manager was arrested after the club reported the robbery. Edgar Concepcion was "charged with promoting gambling and possessing book-making supplies" - d'oh! We wonder if any celebrities were victims of the robbers: Back in 2005, the News revealed A-Rod visited an earlier incarnation of the club ("Ace Point Backgammon Club and Chess Studio"). Also in 2005, Robert "AJ Soprano" Iler was there during a police raid. According to some reports, there are many underground clubs all over the city.
And a cute fact about the club, which operated on East 61st Street, above the Shouva Israel Yeshiva: One yeshiva teacher said, "When we come in during the morning, you can here them moving chairs. You'll hear someone go 'Wow' when they win." Ahh, we can just imagine Captain Renault saying, "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"
Tagged
a-rod
celebrities
club
clubs
daily news
east side
guns
news
News: NYC
police
robbery
the city
the daily news
the national
Upper East
upper east side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .