A BLACKWOOD bookmaker whose family was once more accustomed to selling ice creams than taking bets is celebrating 50 years in business.

Con Minoli and Sons opened in 1961, when the Minoli family decided to swap running a café for a bookmaking business.

Enrico, 73, who helped his late dad Constantino and brother Gino start the venture, began taking bets at the Butcher’s Arms across from the café, before betting was legalised and they later started bookmaking in a shed next to it.

While his dad was interested in racing, the café took up much of the Italian family’s time, like many ‘bracchi’ shops frequented by miners and factory workers.

The first of their type were set up throughout the South Wales valleys during the late 19th century, and the Minoli family came over in 1912.

Enrico recalls how his bookmaking interest began at a local greyhound track in New Tredegar, aged 17.

Then he began taking money at the pub, and by 1961, he applied for a bookmakers licence at Tredegar Magistrates Court, for the Blackwood premises.

That year was when betting was legalised, and Enrico admits that not for one minute the family could make a living from it.

“We weren’t even taking a tenner a week at the beginning but we were wellknown throughout the town for the café. After a few weeks we’d built up a profit of £13, then a feller had a £1 bet and won £12 so we had £1 left and had to start again,”

he said.

At one time, there were around ten betting shops in Blackwood. But 15 years ago, the Minoli family’s was the only one left, until bookmaking giant William Hill came in. The family their empire up to seven shops in total and there are three left, in Cefn Fforest, Pontlottyn and Blackwood.

The Minolis’ exchange telegraph blower, which relayed the race and results, was a big draw, as other shops had to phone up for the results. “Nobody else had that in the Valleys. It was a big novelty and people would come from the surrounding villages to our shop to listen to the shows and the commentaries, which was unheard of,” Mr Minoli said.

The business was also cutting edge in other ways – one the first to have board prices and the Alphameric betting system for settling winning bets. As well as having success in the betting industry they also won on the track, with a greyhound in the sixties named Lord Adri, after Enrico’s cousin Adriano. He took on the local champion, Texas Rose, at Bedwellty and beat him, clocking a new track record of 28.65.

“In our heyday it was pretty good,” Mr Minoli said. “One of my first customers, now aged 80, is still with us now. I’m surprised we made a living out of it and it’s been a good adventure – we thoroughly enjoyed it.