I enjoyed the balance of police action versus sentimentality in this offbeat segment of "Naked City" dealing with the numbers racket. It's a showcase for the talented TV actor Ross Martin.
Future star of "Wild, Wild West", Martin is beyond dependable in his performances, and here gets to occupy center stage rather than the familiar sidekick role. He's a Latino working as a dishwasher in Leonardo Cimiino's restaurant when he hits the jackpot: betting big $10 instead of the customary 10 cents on a number taken for inspiration from his ten-dollar bill.
Inspired casting has Al Lewis, of all people, as the kindly stationery store owner who takes his bet and then runs away with the $6,000 winnings, giving poor Ross brand-new counterfeit bills instead. An interesting subplot has the boss man of the racket seeming almost a good guy -McIntire hauls him in and sweats him for info, but the boss had ordered a real payout to "lucky" Ross. With Lewis absconding with the money, substituting the counterfeit bills.
Master of accents Martin is utterly convincing as a little guy with a terrifically supportive wife, on the lam from police and even breaking down in church over his dilemma. I expected him to suffer a tragic fate, but instead a happy ending in which he belatedly sees the light (regarding gambling) is satisfying.