Raul –

How we know him – I met Raul at the gym one day when we shared a piece of equipment. He speaks decent English and may be the only guy in Italy who actually knows how to use a computer! He downloads American TV shows and is an avid “Prison Break” fan. This is where our conversations got started!

What he does – He’s a professional gambler at the age of 23! His focus is solely horses and bets them all over the world!

Our Friendship – Following my first lunch I questioned whether I really trusted him. He’s only 22 years old but seemed a little “shady”. As it turns out he’s really a nice kid and is somewhat of an anomaly here in Italia as he actually has a bit of entrepreneur in him!

Our friendship has been built on the foundation of the common appreciation for good food regardless of the price. Raul is a frequent visitor to Georgio’s elite fish restaurant. He and I have had several long and pricey lunches there over good conversation surrounding such topics as gambling, the environment, cooking and travel. My kind a guy :>)

I have a feeling that Raul is going to make something for himself one day. He’s a bright kid with a lot of ambition and I hope to some extent I have been able to help him see that in himself.

Interesting Quip - He is the only guy that I know in Italy that buys goods over the internet. In many ways I think that he would fit right in if he were to relocate to America!