Down to the Wire: The Outlandish Tale of How I Quit Gambling to Win Big

by Rich Galgano

“You can’t put the book down. It’s not just about success; it’s about the heart, soul, and grit it takes to get there—to beat all the odds.”
–TK Kimbrell, manager for music legends, including the late Toby Keith

What happens when you bet it all and lose—only to discover that failure is the best thing to ever happened to you? In Down to the Wire, Rich Galgano tells how the gambling addiction that nearly destroyed him became the catalyst for building a half-billion-dollar company.

By his early 20s, Rich was a successful professional, but his secret life as a compulsive gambler threatened to destroy it all. When everything unraveled, Rich hit rock bottom—buried in debt and out of options. Through Gamblers Anonymous, he fought his way back, relying on unforgettable mentors who helped him turn failures into the foundation for success.

What followed was a wild journey of resilience and reinvention. Armed with sheer grit, Rich and his business partner launched Windy City Wire with little more than an idea. Windy City would eventually become one of the most successful wire and cable companies in the country. Along the way, he encountered the unbelievable: headline-making criminals, athletes, rock stars, country legends, and American heroes.

Down to the Wire is a riotous, inspiring tale of redemption, proving that success isn’t about how hard you fall—it’s about how boldly you rise.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction

448 pages, Hardcover

Published June 10, 2025

About the author

Rich Galgano is the USA Today Bestselling author of Down to the Wire. He’s an entrepreneur, recovering compulsive gambler, and the visionary behind Windy City Wire—a company he built from the ground up and later sold for nearly half a billion dollars. Rich’s story is a powerful testament to resilience, reinvention, and the grit required to turn your life around.

In Down to the Wire, Rich shares the unfiltered truth of his journey—from the depths of gambling addiction to leading a nationally recognized business. With sharp humor and real-world insight, he delivers hard-won lessons in business and life, alongside unforgettable stories—from run-ins with notorious figures like Drew Peterson to unexpected moments with Toby Keith.

Today, Rich is a mentor, investor, and speaker who’s passionate about helping others grow through challenge. He lives in Illinois with his wife of 28 years, Wendy, and continues to inspire others through his message of transformation and success on your own terms.

Reviews

[Betsy Schlehuber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was originally drawn to this book because I wanted to learn more about what a gambling addiction was like. But I ended up learning much more than that. My dad has worked in the fiber optics industry for decades, and Rich Galgano founded Windy City Wire in the ‘90’s, so there was already a connection going into this book. I’m usually not one to read about business ventures because, frankly, it sounds like a bunch of jargon to me, but I appreciate how Galgano tried to explain business practices and workflows and such. It gave me a clearer picture of the business industry, including the shady practices, which Galgano was absolutely NOT a fan of.

The writing style was slightly corporate with an appropriate amount of bluntness. While this was not the memoir I was expecting, I did read it until the end because of the interesting stories Galgano tells. There were some things I agreed with him on, and some things I didn’t agree with. I wish he spent more time talking about his gambling addiction and the years after that first GA meeting because I’m sure he still had his struggles even in the midst of Windy City Wire. Plus, the way the book is marketed through the cover made gambling out to be a bigger topic in the book than it actually was. I’m not sure I would recommend this book to folks unless they are in the wire and cable industry or are studying business.

[Aletha Pagett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring, almost unbelievable story of a young man who hit bottom with a gambling addiction but with the help of GA turned his life around, built an extremely successful business and never forgot his employees and others who helped him succeed. This e-book was received from Goodreads.

[Luffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much in this book to like.
I'm totally inspired.
The chapters are loaded with stories that make you laugh. But there is also a serious and life lessons tone throughout that is thought provoking and inspiring.
The author is definitely a hard charger and seems to hold nothing back. He gets into his own life problems with a gambling addiction at a young age and how he turned it around to throw his energies into the founding of a business that ultimately earned him 1/2 a billion dollars.
The guy is a stud.
Very authentic and entertaining.
I bought a couple add'l copies to give to my nephews.
Cheers to Galgano.

[NonFiction 24/7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts out really good but gets a little long when he keeps talking about the business.