UNUSUAL SPORTS LEGENDS--STANLEY FUJITAKE

The legendary Stanley Fujitake has a plaque in his honor in Downtown Las Vegas to commemorate an unusual record. Mr. Fujitake, a Honolulu native, who was known as "the man with the golden arm", became known locally when, on May 28, 1989, while playing casino craps, took his turn at the table shooting the dice and didn't "crap out" until 3 hours and 6 minutes later. The players who were fortunate enough to be at the table with him made thousands of dollars in that time. The California Hotel and Casino lost approximately $1 million on Stanley's long roll.

By the second and third hours, Stanley was steaming. He was rolling sixes, eights, fives, tens, even yos (11's)--but nary a seven. The other players were screaming encouragement--it sounded like Yankee Stadium in there.

Take a break for the restroom or to get a hot dog. Fuggedaboudit. Each time Stanley threw the dice--118 times--the casino slowly and grudgingly paid off the players.

The lesson here is that if Stanley is going to take his turn rolling the dice, mortgage your house if you have to, but get in the game. Sadly, however, it won't happen again because Stanley died in 2000 at age 66.

Before his death, he had 2 other memorable dice rolls exceeding an hour each, which, besides making other players a lot of money, were commemorated on plaques at the Crapshooter Hall of Fame at the California Hotel in Las Vegas, making him a platinummember of this unusual Hall of Fame.

One last note: A day or so after that roll, the dice table was taken out into the alley behind the casino, chopped into pieces and burned.

KENNETH SUSKIN