This week in Philly history, the Pennsylvania Lottery holds its first drawing

Systems of lottery have been a touchstone in the fundraising playbooks of civic leaders at least as far back as the 15th century.

But in Pennsylvania in the early 1970s, those systems were most successfully utilized by the mob.

The mafia’s illegal “numbers” racket by 1972 had an estimated annual gross north of $300 million, The Inquirer wrote.

So when Pennsylvania leaders considered a lottery as a potential source for new revenue, it was hard to argue with the upside.

Pioneers, Puritans, and early colonists used various systems of lotteries and gambling to help fund adventures in the new world.

Even Ben Franklin was an advocate. In Philadelphia in the mid-1700s, he used a lottery system to help fund a militia to fend off attacks from the French.

In the late 1800s, rising corruption coincided with the spread of moral and religious sensibilities, and it led to nationwide lottery abandonment. But by the mid-1960s, states needed new ways to pay for public services without raising taxes.

So when New Hampshire started the state-lottery ball rolling in ‘64, Pennsylvania followed suit.

Bookies gave good odds at 600-to-1, offered new games daily, and subtracted zero taxes from the winnings.

The state started small with a weekly drawing at about 784-to-1. And losers could take solace in their money helping older residents instead of filling mob coffers.

Eight days before the drawing, 50-cent tickets went on sale for a shot at a top prize of $50,000.

Nine million tickets were printed, and 11,430 holders were projected to win money, ranging from a handful taking the top prize to thousands winning $40.

The first drawing was held in Harrisburg on the morning of March 15, 1972, during a game show-like ceremony complete with drum rolls.

The Daily News, then an afternoon paper, listed the winning numbers later that day.

But the winning number listed for the $400 prize, 4732, was wrong.

The paper ran a correction the next day, with the correct digits: 7324.

Luckily, the paper printed the number for the top prize accurately, which is how an Oxford Circle woman realized she’d won $50,000.

Freda Wexler, a 41-year-old wife and mother of three, then took her ticket to a Castor Avenue State Store for validation.

But she had to wait three-quarters of an hour while they unloaded a large delivery of liquor. (The mob might have given her a complimentary bottle.)

“It was nerve-wracking,” she said.