Howie Spira today is 51 years old, bitter and broken — and he blames The Boss.
“I’m on disability and Medicaid,” said Spira, who was convicted in 1991 for trying to extort money from George Steinbrenner to dig up “dirt” on Dave Winfield in the mid-1980s.
“I’m in a terrible situation,” he said. “I have no money, no health . . . I still hate his guts.”
For his involvement with Spira, an admitted gambler, Steinbrenner received a “liftetime” ban from baseball on July 30, 1990.
Spira, who served 22 months in prison, nowadays lives with his parents in The Bronx.
“I do not forgive him for all the terrible things he did to me,” Spira said. “I’m very relieved that man has to face the most powerful test there is for what he has done. He has to face God. I wouldn’t want to be George right now.”
When Dave Winfield signed with the Yankees in 1981, part of the deal was that Steinbrenner would contribute to Winfield’s charitable foundation.
Spira said he went to work that summer as a publicist for the foundation. He also claimed yesterday that because of his $100,000 in gambling debts, Winfield’s people “forced” him “to participate in many underhanded things.”
A spokesman for Winfield said that at the time Spira was affiliated with Winfield’s agent, but denied Spira ever worked for the foundation.
Steinbrenner, suspicious of the foundation and peeved at what he saw as Winfield’s less-than-stellar on-field performance, agreed in 1986 and 1987 to pay Spira for information about how Winfield was allegedly squandering the charity’s money.
Spira wanted a $150,000 job with Steinbrenner’s shipping company and a room in Steinbrenner’s Tampa hotel — but only got two checks that totaled $40,000.
Steinbrenner’s security people saw this as extortion, and went to the FBI. Spira wound up in handcuffs and went to prison.
Fay Vincent, who was then commissioner, did not look kindly upon the events.
“By paying Mr. Spira, Mr. Steinbrenner placed himself at a minimum in the untenable position of having possibly financed the repayment of gambling debts or of bankrolling future wagering,” Vincent wrote. “No participant in baseball, let alone the owner of a club, should put himself in such a position.”
In addition to the lifetime ban, Steinbrenner had to reduce his ownership of the Yankees below 50 percent. He also was barred from involvement in day-to-day baseball operations or personnel matters, and couldn’t visit the team’s clubhouse, offices, owner’s box, press box or spring training facility without Vincent’s approval.
Steinbrenner’s suspension was lifted in 1993.
Even Winfield forgave Steinbrenner, and nobody ever proved anything was wrong with his charity work.Spira tried to sell his life story to authors and Hollywood, but had no takers.
“George made me out to be such a persona non grata that people treat me like I am a terrorist or a mass murderer,” Spira said. “I stand by what I’ve said: he ruined my life, my health and my reputation.”