Handicappingwizards.com

Very saddened to hear this news on his forum. Was interfacing with him in August when I was looking for a new PC just for Valuecapper. I've been following Michael since the early 2000s when I started playing. Had a small gentleman's horse farm and got divorced. If I couldn't own horses, I'll start playing them! The first book I purchased on handicapping was Handicapping Magic. After the first seminar, we hit a nice longshot, and I purchased the software right then and there! Attended all of his seminars. Met many many great people. A true gentleman. If you were speaking with Michael, he treated you as if you were the only person in the room! Him being a Yankee fan and me being a Red Sox fan led to some easygoing banter. Michael had a significant impact on my love for horse racing! Thank you Michael! Thankful for this forum. In the end, we are a community of memories ...... RIP my friend.

Shocking news...just doesn't seem real !
Like most Wizards, I never had the pleasure of meeting Michael, but it just doesn't really feel that way. He took the time to be a friend to all of us.
I can' t say any more than has already been expressed except that I will miss him. Such a devastating loss.
Thank you Craig for your post.

My most sincere condolences to his family, wife Kim, mother Rose and brother Anthony.

Domenic

Very sad news, My heart goes out to his family. Only meet Michael by emails but he was always approachable, supportive as though I had known hm for a long time. He will be sorely missed by us all.

Bill

Very sad news indeed,
Totally shocked.....
My sincere condolences to Michael's family.
Michael you will be missed!!!!
R..i.P.
mikeb

Oh my. This is a tough one. I’ve known Michael for about 30 years, starting at the Sartin/PIRCO seminars.

When he left that group he came out with The Master Handicapper, still the best computer program in handicapping (but no longer available), and I ordered it immediately even though it seemed like a fortune at the time. I started going to his seminars and got to know him enough to realize he was a brilliant guy, a great teacher and one heck of an entertainer, speaker, handicapper, etc.

In retrospect I spent an incredible amount of time listening to his videos and attending seminars – and thinking about what he said (handicapping, ValueCapping and that other stuff) – all to my great benefit even though it was ostensibly about horse race handicapping. And yes, I admit, I liked the woo-woo stuff.

So many people say they never met him but you really did. His videos were like a friend sitting down and talking with you about the ValueCapping thought of the month. The warmth, intelligence, wit, charm and intensity that you experienced on the videos – the personality and the person - were all genuine. So if you knew him through his videos then you certainly knew the man.

I could fill up pages and pages of my thoughts and memories, but I’ll let that go for now(?). People have posted beautiful, meaningful and thoughtful tributes and I simply echo what has been said. His passing is a loss to his family, the handicapping community and this wonderful ValueCapping community; and it’s a painful, thought-provoking loss for me.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Michael and his family (including all of us).

All the best, Frank

I'm crushed by this news Everything I'm feeling I've reads in other posts Rest in Peace my Friend "only the good die young"

I do not recall how in 2015 I found Michael and Blam, but I can tell you that I subscribe to the belief that in life, there are no coincidences.

When I think of Michael I think of the following:

Gentleman
Pillar of civility
Believer of Woo Woo
Builder of a community

Look at the lives he touched, he cared about us (his community), he talked to us about life/handicapping and I am grateful to have been a part of his creation.

My prayers go out to his family.

Regards,

Roger

My friend told me this morning of Mike's passing. I got VC just over a year ago and have been a member of the forum for a few months. He always answered my emails when i had questions. enjoyed his videos. I've learned a lot and will miss his education. A big loss to horse racing. my condolences.

I met Michael many years ago and knew he was a great person and you could tell by his videos that he was a kind and loving person he will be missed dearly,God rest his soul and prayers to his family.

John Argenziano

Having grown up with Michael in a small town in NY,he has always been a friend and brother. We went our separate ways and reunited in Oklahoma City in 1996 at a Sartin Seminar.
I moved to Vegas 3 years ago and spent my Saturday mornings with him at the book
We would finish our mornings having a cigar and solving the worlds problems. He loved his KIm and his dogs.
I will forever miss him

Polish