Casino boss Marcello Lippi sat at his desk, back straight. His office walls were adorned with advanced degrees. But this man was not the kind of goofy, PhD-holding academic I had imagined. Clear-framed glasses encased his face, and prayer beads were wrapped around his wrist. He had the physique of a triathlete, a flawlessly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, and wore well-tailored clothes. American comic style.