doi:10.7916/d8-est7-eg65Oral history interview with Big Time, 1981Big Timeoral historiesmixed materialHeroin abuse--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug abuse--History--20th century.--United StatesDrug traffic--History--20th century.--United StatesMethadone maintenance--History--20th century.--United StatesSoldiers--Drug use--United StatesAfrican American soldiers--History--20th centuryDiscrimination in the military--History--20th century.--United StatesSwindlers and swindlingBig Time starts the interview with a lengthy discussion of his family history and youth growing up in East Bradenton, Florida. He speaks about his mother, father, step-father, and grandmother, with whom he had a close relationship. He describes work that he did as a youth: picking fruit and metal collection. Big Time describes the realities of living in the south during segregation and the differences between the area's African American free school and pay school. He describes a pool hall run by an influential uncle and a local "juke" club. He explains how when his strict grandmother passed away, he joined the Ringling Brothers circus and eventually came to New York where he worked hustling games of chance. He describes the hustling lifestyle in the 1930s in detail. He recalls being drafted for World War II, describes the segregation of the army in detail. Big Time started as a private and climbed the ranks to sergeant, seeing service in North Africa and Italy. He needed surgery and was introduced to morphine for the first time in a military hospital. He describes use of narcotics by soldiers. He describes his life in New York in the 1940s-1960s working as a successful confidence man. He details his heroin use, the quality and availability of heroin at this time, and buying heroin in bulk. He also speaks to the nature of addiction and his experience with methadone maintenance