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Legendary Gamblers
- Page 1: John Aspinall
- Page 2: William Crockford
John Aspinall
John Apsinall was a legendary gambler of the old school. Educated at Oxford he found more interest in backgammon, poker and horses than his studies. He never graduated, since during his finals he decided to attend Royal Ascot instead. He made a small fortune there and never looked back. The money enabled him to enter the black market casino business in the 50's. In 1962, when casinos were legalised in the UK, Aspinall bought the Clermont Club in Mayfair, London with the money he had acquired in the previous years running illegal chemin de fer clubs.
John Aspinall is also known for his love of animals. He bought Howletts, a country estate in Kent, whch he developed into one of the best zoos in the world. The Howlett Zoo is home to the largest gorilla colony in captivity. He also had unusual success with breeding programs for other endangered animals, which is probably a direct result of what good care the animals were taken care of.
The zoos were funded totally from the income generated by the Clermont Club, it wasn't until 1970 that the zoo was opened to the public. John held some right wing views and his methods of zoo keeping were unconventional as best, but he remains a colourful character and firmly among the legends of gambling.
John Aspinall died June 29, 2000, after a long battle with cancer. His zoos are now owned by his son Damian Aspinall, who is also the founder of Aspinalls online casino.
