Brian was born and grew up in a small but populated part of Manhattan in New York City. He was an only child to immigrant parents who came from China. Being that his parents didn't know much English, it was quite difficult for Brian to get help with his homework and other school projects. It took quite a bit of discipline for Brian to stay in school. His parents worked 14-hour days, everyday. His father was a cook at a Chinese restaurant. His mother is a seamstress working in a sweatshop for very little pay. Brian was always a smart kid. He did well in school and always helped out with the house chores. He never stayed out late or got in trouble with the law. His family would have get-togethers, where they would game, smoke and drink. Brian never had any interests in any of those things except, gambling.
English: Bird's eye panorama of Manhattan & New Yo...
Brian Potrait - 2006-04-17 e
English: Chinatown, Manhattan, New York City 2009 ...He would start playing cards with his other classmates for money.
By the time he was in high school, he was a full-fledged gambler. He gambled anything and everything. He also started hanging out with the wrong type of people. Juveniles that would smoke and drink and skip school everyday. On occasion, they would mug people and just vandalize all around the city. Picking fights were also on their agenda. Brian and his socially disreputable friends started hanging out everyday. He started missing classes and altogether just dropped out of school. His parents were hardly ever home, so his school had a tough time controlling his absences. Brian and his friends had their little hangout spot a tiny grocery store. The store was small but it had a backroom. That was where the kids gambled and did all their other non-productive things. The store was owned and ran by...