Came to this via a "History Buffs" rewatch, and just listening to it made things click - The DeNiro character was fixing sports betting (all the guff about know

Came to this via a "History Buffs" rewatch, and just listening to it made things click - The DeNiro character was fixing sports betting (all the guff about knowing the wind direction and so on - he was charged / convicted with bribing college athletes etc. Plus he was an informant for the gaming control board and or FBI. Makes much more sense now.