Señor Gamblin’ Rabbi

At age 14 Benjamin appointed himself a rabbi in his native New Mexico, now a territory of the U.S. He led prayer at home with his mother and Gripipi in the remote village of Tres Cruces. Gringos and the US government were taking their land and the Spanish people were petrified thinking it would be another Inquisition. He was sent away to study at Menaul High School in Albuquerque where he mastered the English language. A twist of fate a collection of Law landed on his hands. He wanted to be an entertainer. But he studied the law books and passed the Bar. The courts were the laws of the gingo and winning was next to impossible. Benjmain began to travel the Saloon to find jobs as an singing entertainer roving from table to table as the rich and powerful men playing Poker. He had a photographic memory and learned all the moves. He carefully watched the mistakes the drunken gamblers were doing. The gingos, the U.S. government continued to take Land Grants from the Spanish people as well as taking the Indian Reservation from the Indians. He mastered the game of Poker and began playing with the rich and powerful gringos, the judges and lawyers in Santa Fe. He played honest if he could, but always won. The two minorities became allies and their enemy became the United States Government. Judges and lawyers were all gringos and there was no way he could fight them in court so he did the next best thing. In the 1800s, young Benjamin Benavidez who had a photographic memory, a winning personality and an outstanding singing voice saw first-hand what the U.S. Government was doing. He studied night and day, took the Bar and passed it. He was a lawyer. From their he branched out throughout the US. With his winning personality, he made friends with the rich and powerful. The Gamblin' Rabbi always won honest if he could, but never lost. He simply serenaded the losers. Also known as Don Benjamin Benavidez, he married a Navajo woman. They had three sons. The greatest obstacle that Señor Gamblin' Rabbi stumbled over and over again is the promised he made to his dying mother that at least one of his sons would marry a Ladina. The sons didn't care about their father's promises. They were going to chose their own wives. The promise brought the gambler more heartaches and tears than he bargained for.