Anthony grew up in Pennsylvania in a gambling-free household. One day, while, in college, the family was invited to an Atlantic City casino hotel for a holiday getaway. While there, Anthony met up with other people who took him to the gambling floor. Anthony fronted one of these men a small amount of cash, and when this man finished his gambling for the evening, he handed Anthony two-thousand dollars!  He would later return to the casinos in hopes of recreating that same effect; making a bee-line for the high-stakes games. Anthony’s luck was unreal; he made enough money in one summer to buy a house. But his luck ran out soon later, leaving him desperate.