Mike Cleary

The Eloquence of Banter Mike Cleary

Bar banter is usually fun and forgettable. There are those rare times, though, that banter becomes consequential. Such was the case in 2012 when several banterers tossed in a dollar each to play a lottery. They ended up winning $188,000,000. Aware of their good fortune, they formed a charitable organization aptly named the Banter Foundation. Now, years later, banter gets a new definition thanks to the foundation having to deal with a theft of historic Rolexes, two improbably romances, a rehabilitated petty thief, an endangered theater group and the devious antics of an amoral and bullying property developer. All of which spoke to the eloquence of banter.