Jonathan H. Green was born in the early 1800s in Ohio. Originally trained as a joiner, Green spent much of his early life as a professional gambler and skilled card-player. He retired from gambling in the 1840s and, seeking to take advantage of his former career, turned into an anti-gambling crusader. As such, he became an agent for the New York Association for the Suppression of Gambling. During his tenure he scrutinized illegal gambling operations throughout New York City.

 

Also after leaving the gambling scene, Green wrote several books about his former proclivities, including his well-known 1844 autobiography “Gambling Unmasked! Or The Personal Experience of the Reformed Gambler.” He also toured the country to perform lectures against gambling.

 

Later in life, Green served with the Union Army (in Indiana) during the Civil War, and he worked as an inventor. He retired to Philadelphia in the mid 1870s and was residing on South 3rd street by the mid 1880s. Green passed away in 1887.