1 1 , ▁Salv ino ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁bow ling ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁walking ▁down ▁a ▁street ▁in ▁his ▁west - side ▁neighborhood ▁and ▁noticed ▁a ▁bow ling ▁pin ▁lay ing ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁outside ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Center ▁located ▁at ▁ 3 3 3 ▁S . ▁Ash land . ▁ ▁The ▁building ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁Am alg am ated ▁Cl othing ▁Work ers ▁of ▁America ▁labor ▁union ▁and ▁it ▁hous ed ▁a ▁private ▁ 6 - lane ▁bow ling ▁al ley ▁reserved ▁for ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁gar ment ▁industry . ▁ ▁Pe aking ▁his ▁interest , ▁Salv ino ▁walked ▁inside ▁the ▁building ▁and ▁talked ▁to ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁bow ling ▁lan es . ▁▁ ▁In ▁a ▁stroke ▁of ▁luck , ▁he ▁offered ▁the ▁young ▁Salv ino ▁a ▁job ▁making ▁three ▁dollars ▁a ▁night ▁as ▁a ▁pin - boy . ▁ ▁He ▁then ▁began ▁to ▁practice . ▁The ▁first ▁ball ▁Salv ino ▁ever ▁threw ▁was ▁a ▁strike , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁there , ▁at ▁the ▁Am alg am ated ▁Center , ▁that ▁a ▁legend ▁was ▁born . ▁ ▁Salv ino ▁attended ▁C rane ▁Te ch ▁High ▁School ▁on ▁Chicago ' s ▁west ▁side . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 6 , ▁Salv ino ▁was ▁aver aging ▁ 2 0 3 ▁( a ▁very ▁high ▁average ▁for ▁the ▁time ), ▁and ▁at ▁ 1 7 , ▁he ▁joined ▁his ▁high ▁school ' s ▁first ▁bow ling ▁team ▁and ▁aver aged ▁ 2 1 1 . ▁ ▁According