Untold Stories: Pool and Pool Players

Introducting PoolSynergy: an online collection of pool writing

2009-11-16T06:40:00.001-08:00

Check out the first edition of PoolSynergy, contemplated as a monthly collection of great pool writing from the web. Poolsynergy the brainchild of John Biddle, host of the www.poolstudent.com website. This month's theme is "Strategy,” and it features contributions from eight writers, including myself. Here's a brief description of these first contributions, with links to where you can find them.

*Samm Diep, well known for her blog The Tip Jar, talks about how she improved her game when she took another look at using the side pockets instead of the corners in her peice Corner vs. Side.

*Approaching the topic of strategy from a different perspective, Mike Fieldhammer, a BCA Certified Instructor,challenges conventional wisdom in Strategy: Should it Change Based on Your Opponent? Mike’s piece shows you how to gain an advantage at the table and win more often by taking your opponent’s abilities and style into account.

*In Offensive Safeties in 8 Ball (works only in IE), Joe Waldron makes clear that safeties aren’t just defensive shots when you have nothing else, but can play a strong offensive role as well. Waldron is the host of Pocket Billiards Review, which is always filled with insightful articles about the mental game.

*Also about strategy at the table, John Biddle’s article Thinking Your Way to More Pool Victories can help you raise your winning percentage. John is the man behind the PoolSynergy project.

*"FastMikie” McCafferty’s wise and insightful post The Impossible Dream talks about the role pool plays in your life strategy. Mike writes at Diary of a Pool Shooter, the longest continually running blog about pool.

*Gail Glazebrook’s post, The Deliberate Attack, gets you to think “How will I beat you” and then gives you an approach to follow that works for her. Gail’s blog is confessions of g squared.

*Mark Finkelstein, a BCA Certified Instructor and instruction columnist at the hot new pool website NYC Grind, helps you take an objective look at your game in his piece, Assessing Ability … On the Road to Effective Strategy.

*Melinda, in A Strategy to Manage the Mental Side of Your Game, helps us to keep our head in the game from the very beginning and recognize issues that need attention before it’s too late. Melinda, who calls herself a wanna-be pool player, lives and blogs in Texas at Pool is a Journey.

*I round out this month’s edition with my contribution, Minnesota Fats: The Quiet Thrashing. It's a story about several gambling sessions between Fats and Richie Florence, during several weeks in Johnston City back in 1970. That's an old picture of Fats at the top of this post.

Great Story about the Knoxville Bear

2009-09-09T06:22:00.001-07:00

Chris Wohlwend, writing for Like the Dew: A Journal of Southern Culture and Politics, has penned a great story about Eddie Taylor, the famous Knoxville Bear. Remembered as one of the greatest bank pool players ever, Taylor is a member of both the One Pocket Hall of Fame (2004 inductee) and the BCA Hall of Fame (1993 inductee). He was also the winner of the all-around title in Johnston City in 1964 and the Stardust Open in 1967.

Wohlwend draws upon some old conversations with Taylor for his story. For instance,the story quotes Taylor describing some of his technique for road hustling:

“A guy in Lexington, Kentucky, showed me how to lose games on purpose. How to talk a big game until the money got big, then start really playing. I’d go on about how good I was, how I’d played Ralph Greenfield the week before and they’d all be laughing at me. They knew I meant Ralph Greenleaf, and thought I was too stupid to know his real name. I’d lose and then I’d say, ‘Well, I can’t really play unless we’re playing for big money.’"

Pool & Billiards Magazine editor Thomas Shaw has noted in a separate article that Taylor was born in the mountains of Anderson County, about twenty miles from Knoxville, on October 1, 1918.

"When I was about eight years old my Daddy bought me a little toy table," Taylor told Shaw. "Later on we lived near the amusement park where the fella who owned the batting cage bought a 2 1/2 x 5 foot table and I got to playing on that. Then we moved downtown near the YMCA and I played on the table there. It just seemed that everything came natural. This boy and I used to go across the street from the school and the guy would let us play one game of rotation for a nickel. Then I started laying out from school and playing. My mother finally caught me and threatened to blow up the poolroom but I just found another place until she caught me again."

Taylor died of cancer on Sept. 5, 2005, at his home in Bossier City, outside Shreveport, Louisiana. Want to read more? Billiards Digest ran an interview with the Bear back in 2005. Onepocket.org also ran a long interview in 2004.

Get Your Tickets to the 2009 Hall of Fame

2009-08-20T07:01:00.001-07:00

For the first time ever, the annual BCA Hall of Fame Banquet will be held in conjunction with the game’s longest-running pro tournament, the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship. This year's inductees are Allison Fischer, winner of 53 WPBA Classic Tour Titles, and Johnny Archer, a four-time World 9-Ball Champion. You can be a part of history and attend the official induction ceremony and banquet, held Oct. 22 at the Marriott Chesapeake Hotel, in Chesapeake, VA. To buy tickets or for more information, click here. I'll be there for sure.

Two stories about Greenleaf's marital problems.

2009-08-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here are two stories about Ralph Greenleaf's marital problems. They include references to a missing tooth, a hurled ashtray, Greenleaf surrendering all his money to one his wives and "barbarous treatment." Both articles are from the Chicago Tribune. The first article identifies Greenleaf's wife as "Beatrice." It's from Dec. 24, 1924. The second is from December 20, 1933 -- almost exactly 9 years later -- and references the more well known of Greenleaf's wives, Amelia Ruth Parker, also known as the Princess Nai Tai Tai. She was a Vaudeville performer. I've referenced the hurled ashtray incident in an earlier post. You can also see a picture of Greenleaf with the Princess in that earlier post. Despite the divorce papers, Amelia Ruth Parker and Greenleaf remained together until his death in 1950.

Pool History Now on Twitter!

2009-08-07T17:05:00.001-07:00

The old meets the new: pool history meets the Twitter network. I'm trying to keep my tweeting pretty narrowly focused on pool history. That means no recounting of what I had for dinner, or whether I'll make it home in time for The Daily Show. So if you're not already subscribing to the pool history blog, you can now keep up with the latest posts by following @PoolHistoryBlog on Twitter.

America's Best Ever Pool Player? You Decide

2009-08-07T06:35:00.000-07:00

Who is America's best ever pool player? The poll on the top right of the pool history blog lists some all-time favorites, including recent Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Archer. I've left Willie Hoppe off the list because he was known as one of the best-ever billiards players, as opposed to one of the best-ever pool players. Neither have I included one of my personal favorites, Efren "Bata" Reyes. As he's from the Philippines, I figured I'd save him for a future poll of the greatest international players. I've also tried to get a good mix of players from different eras. (Van Boening vs. Greenleaf?!) Vote early. Vote often. I'll leave the poll up for awhile. Also, if you have a write-in candidate, feel free to comment at the bottom of this post. I'll tally up the write-ins later, along with those listed on the ballot.

2009-08-04T06:42:00.000-07:00

Although he was one of the most recognizable sports figures of the Jazz Age, the great Ralph Greenleaf nonetheless would inexplicably vanish from time to time during his later years. In one of my recent columns, I wrote about Greenleaf going AWOL in 1946. He showed up later. He was probably on an extended bender. I've reproduced here a small portion of another article from the Chicago Tribune that references "a nation-wide search" for Greenleaf in 1936. According to the article, Greenleaf showed up inexplicably in a neighborhood pool hall, where he introduced himself as the "former world's champion billiards player." The patrons said he amazed the crowd with a number of "fancy shots" before vanishing once again.

Very Early Efren Reyes

2009-07-23T06:22:00.001-07:00

I was just flipping through my old pool books the other day, trying to track down a bit of info for a column, when I rediscovered this interesting passage in John Grissim's book, Billiards. Grissim describes an encounter he had during the mid-1970s with a player from the Philippines. At the time, this player -- who went by the nickname "Bata" -- was wholly unknown outside that country. Grissim was traveling around Asia when he came across the then 20-something-year-old kid in a Manilla pool hall.

"I allowed myself to be steered into the money game, an in-and out affair in which the starting bet was 21 pesos, about three dollars," explained Grissim. "My opponent, a good looking kid named Efren Reyes, was taking some ribbing from friends as he chalked up.... As a score of spectators crowded around Efren broke the balls, leaving an open table but only one decent shot, barely -- those old five by tens are big tables. That was all she wrote. The kid ran out. Efren had the smooth motions and subtle touch that charaterize excellent players everywhere, regardless of age."

Reyes, of course, later gained a reputation as one of the very best players in the world. Grissim's quick pool match occurred about a decade before Reyes first came to the United States under an assumed name.

One other note. In his description of his quick eight-ball match, Grissim describes a variation of the game in which he and Reyes were required to pocket the one and the 15 into the side pockets. This variation is common in Latin America. It's called "jugando con la zona." I played this way many times when I lived in Costa Rica. It raises questions as to how this variation spread to the Philippines, which also has Spanish colonial roots.

Alfredo De Oro, Cuban billiards player

2009-07-19T12:51:00.001-07:00

[Alfredo De Oro, Cuban billiards player] (LOC), originally uploaded by The Library of Congress.

Here's a cool picture of Alfredo de Oro, the Cuban-born billiards legend. The picture is from the Library of Congress. I found it posted on flickr. Alfredo de Oro won some of the first straight pool championships, in 1912 and 1913. He also won at Continuous Pool, a precursor to straight pool, and "61 Pool." You can read more about Alfredo De Oro's records in the BCA's official Rules and Record Book.

JOHNNY ARCHER, ALLISON FISHER GAIN BCA HALL OF FAME ELECTION

2009-06-12T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a copy of the full BCA press release announcing the BCA Hall of Fame Election of Johnny Archer and Allison Fisher.

Dominant stars become first-ballot inductees
in Greatest Player category.

BROOMFIELD, Colo., June 4, 2009 — Johnny Archer and Allison Fisher, the most dominant male and female pool players of the past 15 years, have been elected for induction into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in voting conducted by the United States Billiard Media Association. Archer, 40, and Fisher, 41, will be honored at the BCA International Billiard & Home Recreation Expo in Las Vegas, June 23, and will be formally inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame on Oct. 22 during ceremonies at the Chesapeake Marriott in Chesapeake, Va.

Archer is a four-time world 9-ball champion and winner of 25 pro tour titles, while Fisher is a three-time world 9-ball champion and winner of 53 Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour titles.

Born in tiny Twin City, Ga., Nov. 12, 1968, Archer was drawn to the game by a small coin-op table in the arcade of a local Minute Mart. He began playing more frequently at a small room called “Chester’s” in nearby Matter, and it was Chester, himself, who took Archer under his wing and eventually introduced him to tournament play in 1984 at the Tennessee State Open in Chattanooga. Archer, 15 at the time, never looked back. “My parents tried to keep me in school, but they couldn’t change my mind,” Archer said in a 1992 interview in Billiards Digest.

Archer joined the pro tour full-time in 1986, but it was six years before he won his first tour title, the 1991 Sands Regency Open. The following year, Archer won five titles, including the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World 9-Ball Championship, and was named Billiards Digest Player of the Year, the first of such POY titles Archer would garner. Archer would go on to win 12 Professional Billiard Tour titles over the next four years, including two of his four world crowns (back-to-back PBT World 9-Ball championships in 1993 and ’94). Archer once again won the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1996. In all, Archer has won more than 60 tournaments. He has also been a member of Team USA in the Mosconi Cup 12 times.

“This is really a great honor,” said Archer. “The Hall of Fame has the greatest players in the world, and to be in the same group with them is a blessing.

“The biggest thrill will be having my father there in October when I get inducted,” Archer added.

Fisher was born February 24, 1968, in Peacehaven, Sussex, England. She began playing snooker at age seven and won her first title at 15. In a dozen years playing professional snooker, Fisher won 18 titles, including 12 world championships (four of those in doubles competition). She moved to the U.S. in September 1995 to try her hand on the Women’s Professional Billiard Association Classic Tour, and promptly won two 9-ball titles in three months. Fisher won an astounding 20 Classic Tour titles in the next four years. She also won the WPA World 9-Ball Championship in 1996, 2001 and 2002. During Fisher’s reign, she earned Player of the Year honors from both Billiards Digest and Pool & Billiard Magazine 11 times in 12 years.

“I was worried that I was still a little too young to be elected,” said Fisher, who learned of her election while competing in the World 10-Ball Championship in Manila, Philippines.

“It’s wonderful to be recognized like this,” Fisher said. “I had a great career in snooker as well, but was never recognized for it. I’ve had a great career in 9-ball, and this is the icing on the cake. Being recognized among the greatest players is something that is there forever. It’s a great honor.”

Voting was conducted by the USBMA Hall of Fame Board, which consists of USBMA members, elected At-Large members and living members of the BCA Hall of Fame. Induction is awarded to the player named on the most ballots. A second player is elected if he or she is named on more than 70 percent of the ballots. Archer (82%) and Fisher (75%) both easily topped those requirements. The next closest vote-getters were Filipino stars Jose Parica (25%) and Francisco Bustamante (18%).

To be eligible for consideration in the Greatest Player category, a player a) must be 40 years old by Jan. 1 of the year of their induction; b) must have a professional playing career of at least 10 years; and c) must have recorded significant achievements in U.S.-based events.

Ned Polsky Interview: April 14, 1998 (Part 1)

2009-05-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

A little more than 10 years ago I interviewed Ned Polsky, the late author of Hustlers, Beats and Others. We spoke about the 7-11 and Jersey Red and where pool's been and where it was going. Polksy had interviewed Red up at the 7-11 pool hall, in Manhattan, and the two became friends. The 7-11, as you may recall, was then one of New York's great action rooms.

I started thinking about my interview with Polsky recently when I realized that it was the 40th anniversary of the publication of his book. So here it is -- or at least, here's most of it. This interview was conducted on April 14, 1998. It has never before been published -- although I used bits and pieces of it for Hustler Days.

The interview is somewhat lengthy, so I'll divide it up. Also, in my transcript, I never wrote down my own questions. That means the following comments are Polsky's only, with a bit of my explaining material here and there, which I denote with italics. Because the interview is so long, I'm only reproducing the first section in this blog. Also, forgive the typos. I'm go through and clean this up when I can.

OK, here's the first part:

Polsky:

He (Jersey Red) was the player that was barred in the 1963 tournament because of his profanity. In 1963, he was at his peak. He was one of my main informants, back in 7-11. He was on the road (a lot) and he was based up here. The main action room was in 7-11, in '62 and '63. He (Red) would go on the road.

He was regarded, probably, as the top one-pocket player. People used to argue whether it was Red, or Ronnie Allen, or Mark Henderson. This was in 1962 or 1963. A lot of people said that Red was the top one-pocket player in the country. Red was the guy who was absolutely fearless. He would spot anybody to get a game."

Polsky says that his interviews with Red that were reflected in his book were before Red moved to Texas, where he became entranced with his future wife and settled for good. "I lost track of him when he moved in the early 60s," said Polksy. He said he referenced Red two or three times in his book.

Polsky, a student of both pool and sociology, said there are big differences between the pool room culture at the time of the interview (1998) and during Red's heyday, in the 1960s.

Polsky:

"There is more of a middle-class clientele. There are more yuppie poolrooms. And one thing that is very important here, and in the Midwest and the West Coast -- has been terribly important -- is Asian immigration. ... The Koreans -- they're big on carom billiards. And of course, there's a big change in pool, largely made by television. 14.1 is pretty much dead, and it's all nine-ball and to some extent 8-ball. Everybody wants the short, fast game. The TV producers do. There is hardly ever a straight pool tournament.

"I did research in several pool rooms, the main research was in 7-11. That was the main action room in the East. He (Red) was the resident hustler, or was one of the resident hustlers. Red was there, and Boston Shorty, although Shorty was on the road a lot. Johnny Irvolino. Cicero (Murphy) was there. ... (But) Red was one of the main people. Everybody thought that he could play any pool game, but pretty much his main game was one-pocket. That was what he was known for."

To read more, go to the next blog post.

Ned Polsky Interview: Part 2

2009-05-25T14:00:00.000-07:00

More from the Ned Polsky Interview, conducted on April 14, 1998:

"This is from Red: This gives you an idea from heart he had. This was in 1962 or 1963. I took a trip to Cleveland, and I came back, and i walked into 7-11. I started to fill Red in about this Cleveland player, this guy named Chuck Morgan. I had seen Morgan run, over 100 balls on a 5X10 table. I started to tell Red about this. He interrupted me. 'I know about him, Chuck Morgan, you mean Chump Morgan,' he said. Red would tackle anybody.

"That's how i got started with it (the research project) when I saw that movie, The Hustler. I knew that it wasn't quite what it was like; I knew that the audience was taking it to be some gospel documentary. But it left out a lot of important stuff -- it made you feel that that was what it was like then. You got the impression that a guy could make a good living at this, and it might have been true yaers later, but not then. It left out a lot of important things about hustling.

"Even the best of them (the hustlers), would have to moonlight at something else. There just wasn't that much action. All the time, they would all talk about big scores that they made. But if you pinned them down to how often that happened, it wasn't that often. Even the top hustlers, there would be times when they would go completely broke and they would have to borrow money; or live off somebody else, or take a square job for awhile. They just couldn't make it hustling. And there wasn't that many suckers around, willing to play for big money ... That was the problem, the problem was where (to find) the action; that is why they so often played each other.... The big money games were between hustlers... And with those, they are just taking in each other's washing...

"And even at that, it was over... The big money -- even for the people that were willing to gamble on skill -- the big money had fled to golf. Golf hustlers were as doing as good as pool hustlers.

"I dont' know what the golf situation is (now) but I think pool hustling is deader than ever. It was dying then. What happened was this: in general, over the past 30-35 years, middle class morality, has declined radically. America has given up its Puritan heritage. All sorts of things can be sold openly, that would have gotten you a stiff prison sentence 30 years ago. And one thing that has really declined, as far as middle class morality, is the middle class moral objection to gambling. Every state has increasingly tolerated gambling, increased the number of forms that are legally allowed; casinos or card parlors, or off-track betting.

You think that would, in pool rooms, help hustlers. That it would increase the number of suckers. But it has had the reverse effect. More and more the new style poolrooms, found that it's very good business, to have always have tournaments going on... which require a very small bet -- an entry fee. The house adds a considerable money to entry fee, and they're handicapped tournaments, and the handicaps are done fairly -- not like the hustler proposition. Any player who wants to gamble at his own skill, he can do that every day of the week for a small stake, on terms that he knows assures him a good chance. Why should he play for some stranger, who might be a hustler?

"And if (someone) wants more action that he can get from tournament prizes, he can play one of the tournament players at some other time, but on terms, where they both know each others skill level. They each know what the other handicap is supposed to be. In other words, anybody who wants to gamble, can now find plenty of players who also want to gamble, and whose skill levels he knows. Why should he bother with a stranger? He can gamble, but he doesn't have to worry about getting hustled."

Ned Polsky Interview: Part 3

2009-05-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Ned Polksy Interview, Part 3

"The thing I remember about Red -- there was nobody that he wouldn't tackle. He had this line of patter; he would always be rattling the opponent. He would have some kind of negative line of patter, he would say 'chump, I got you.' He was very colorful."

Speaking about Minnesota Fats:

Even in his prime, he was never like that character in the movie. What he was known for, primarily was not so much his playing.. But he could make a game. His patter; he had all these proposition games, and like that. He could never beat somebody like Wimpy, or Jimmy Moore, or Red. He wasn't in that league -- but he was a good hustler. But there had to be a dozen hustlers who were better even when Fats was in his prime."

More about Red:

Red was known as the kind of guy, he couldn't say, more than a sentence or two with out you motherfucking rat-bastard -- language like that pored out him. They (tournament promoters) were afraid that he it would pour out of him. He (cussed) all the time. He was famous for it, here in New York. That's why they barred him from the world's tournament. That, and he absolutely refused to wear a tie. They had a dress code. They were cleaning up the game. That was the 1963 tournament (sponsored by the) Billiards Room Proprietor Association of America. They had some PR firm in charge of it -- so they barred Red, and another player who had been in jail. They thought that it would damn the image. It was a straight pool tournament."

Ned Polsky Interview: Part 4

2009-05-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

More from the Ned Polsky Interview:

"Weenie Beenie, was an interesting guy, in a different way. He came out of a middle class background, he went to cllege for awhile. He was a businessman. He had owned some fast food joints, called Weenie Beenie. That's how he got his name. But he was a gambler. He would gamble, with anybody. The player all liked him. He was good for the money, and he would gamble, but he wasn't a locksmith. He wouldn't insist on any unbelievable spot. He wasn't a real sucker, so they all liked to play Weenie Beenie. He could give them a good game, but i don't think he could beat Red or Wimpy.

Although there was a lot of one pocket, and nine-ball too, there was a lot of straight pool action, and guys would play 150 point games, or better yet, or 125 point games, on 5X10 tables. One of the things that was true then, the real good players, even back in the 60s -- although 4 1/2 by 9 became official size in 1959 -- the really good player preferred playing on 5X10s. In most rooms, there would be a couple of 5X10 tables, and that where the action would be.

Here's a bit more about Red, apparently in response to my numerous questions... Dottie, Red's widow, would say that he was always a gentleman and never cursed in her presence.

"What I was really surprised by is her statement that he wasn't foul mouthed. Here, he was known for that. Al the guys, they were a pretty foul mouthed bunch -- but Red was the most noted for it. You couldn't talk to him for more than 30 seconds without it coming out.

Everybody liked him. They thought he was funny because of tis line of patter. He was a nice guy, he was very helpful. I was in the pool room, but I wasn't part of it. I was a college teacher. I'd have on my suit and shirt and tie; and Red was one of the guys who was very helpful to me; He was very nice to me always. he tried to hustle; but right away, I knew... I played three cushion, basically. I didn't play any kind of pool game at all. I never saw him on a carom table.

He was happy to talk after teh book came out. The hardbound came out in 1967. Before the paperback... It was 1968... and New Yorker Magazine had sent some woman to Johnston City to cover the hustlers tournament. When she got back she called me up to tell me what had happened. After the book came out, I gave copies to people who helped me a lot; most hadn't seen it yet. Before she went out to the tournament, someone said that she read the book, as background. She had a copy of book with her. And she wandered into the bar one night. Most of the guys hadn't seen it yet; they were passing it around; I was very worried that some of the thing I say in there, weren't so nice. Some moonlighting things. I was worried what the reaction would be.

Red was looking in the index. He was angry because I hadn't mentioned him as often as Boston Shorty."

Ned Polsky Interview: Part 5

2009-05-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

Polksy here talks about the decline of pool after the brief renaissance brought on by The Hustler. This is the last section of the interview.

It was pretty dead, until the Color of money, which came out in 1986. That led to new revival. That stuck around in and out and (I think) it's going to stay. The poolroom, is not as a deviant institution as it once was. There are more respectable rooms; upscale yuppie rooms. It's no longer considered unusual for a middle class guy to take his date to a poolroom. Those women's tournaments have helped a lot; It's a different situation, as it as 30 years ago. that's one of the things, that I concentrate on in the new material in the latest edition (of Hustlers, Beats and Others.)

Here, Polsky speaks about Wimpy Lassiter:

He won the 63 tournament, and he gave an exhibition, and he and Jersey Red gave an exhibition at Guys and Dolls. It was in one of them poolrooms that was trying to be respectable -- it had carpets, and pastel colors, and bright lights, and it was called Guys an Dolls; in midtown Manhattan. There was an exhibition of Wimpy playing Jersey Red straight pool 150 points. Wimpy beat him, but not by much. Afterward I took my wife there. Red spotted me in the audience, and Red came over. And he was talking with us. And he had with him a copy of that thing that Dale Shaw had written for Saga magazine. He was saying that hustling wasn't so bad -- and he was trying to convey that it wasn't such a terrible thing to be hustler. He recognized this middle class women -- and he was on his best behavior. Red was always very friendly. Everybody liked Red. In a game, he had a line of patter, and he tried to put you down.

Greenleaf in Delaware

2009-05-19T06:51:00.001-07:00

There's a very brief article in this book about Ralph Greenleaf's 1926 encounter with a young Jimmy Caras. The article indicates that Ralph lived in Delaware for a time, and that his father operated the Royal Billiard Parlor at 8th and Market. The Great Delaware Sports Book is by Doug Gelbert and is available on Amazon.

And Speaking of Book Anniversaries...

2009-05-15T06:37:00.001-07:00

Hustlers, Beats and Others is 40 years old this year. Anybody who cares about the history of pool -- and its significance in the national zeitgeist -- should track down this book. Ned Polsky, the author, was a New York sociologist who passed away a few years back. He spent a fair amount of time in poolrooms, observing the players in their element in the same way a cultural anthropologist might observe the interaction of any sort of close knit group. Polksy also writes about two of my favorites: Wimpy Lassiter and Jersey Red.

5th Anniversary of Hustler Days

2009-05-13T06:01:00.001-07:00

Marking the 5th Anniversary of the release of Hustler Days, Billiards Digest this month has reprinted an excerpt describing some of the childhood of Wimpy Lassiter. The excerpt isn't online, but you can can always subscribe to BD or ask for it at your favorite billiard retailer.

Time Magazine: Greenleaf and his Princess

2009-05-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

There's a great story online from the Jan 1, 1934 edition of Time Magazine relating the story of Greenleaf's appearance in the world championship that year. Apparently Ralph was drunk and close to divorce. The story describes bruises on Greenleaf's head -- apparently from ashtrays hurled by his wife, the Princess Nai Tai Tai.

Here's an excerpt:

More astonishing than (Irwin) Rudolph's victory was the complete disintegration of handsome, suave Ralph Greenleaf, who had won the championship twelve times. ... It was the first game Greenleaf had lost in three years of championship play. All but two other opponents found him an easy mark. To pool enthusiasts the spectacle was pitiful, particularly the after noon when Greenleaf, always the well-mannered sportsman, appeared for his match with Jimmy Caras in no condition to play. Apparently drunk, he loudly protested that Caras had shoved rather than shot the cue ball in making one point. The referee waved Greenleaf away. When he continued to argue the referee disqualified him.

Banks Legend Vernon Elliott Dies

2009-05-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

(Photo courtesy Steve Booth,Onepocket.org)

The family of Banks legend Vernon Elliott sadly reports that Vernon died the afternoon of May 9, 2009, after suffering a heart attack following several recent surgeries.

Vernon Elliott, like fellow One Pocket Hall of Fame member "Cornbread Red," was a tough country bred Kentucky road player from the old school. Except unlike Red, Vernon completely shunned the publicity of tournaments, never once playing in one. Like Red, Vernon's fearless hustling style took him all over the country, into even the toughest of poolrooms in the toughest of neighborhoods. He is often called the "greatest under-cover player of all time."

As a young man he developed as a player among the great bankers of the day in the banking capital of the universe, Louisville, KY. Among Louisville's banking legends were guys like Bob Bowles and Charlie Jones, where even Eddie Taylor was humbled now and then. A patient and observant player who could also win at 9-Ball and One Pocket, Vernon hunted the big game players, seeking out the "big score," which he was very successful at.

In a 2006 interview with Onepocket.org Steve Booth, Vernon described it this way, "I'm going to tell you something pardner, I wouldn't let nobody play cheap; if they want to play cheap, they can get somebody else. I always made 'em bet. They always thought that I was just a damned old country boy, that I couldn't do nothin'. I got big action everywhere I went, damn near, because I always had that ability to make 'em bet. They didn't ever know my real name, because I wouldn't tell them, and I never played in a tournament, so they couldn't find out."

Vernon Elliott was born February 18, 1938 in Kentucky. He raised a family of six by playing pool and hustling his whole life, until he was finally forced to retire in the 90's after suffering several strokes. During his playing years, he was possessed of one of the most powerful pool strokes of all time, and if he couldn't get a game for the money he wanted, he had an array of impossible looking proposition shots that he could win at. Once he even cashed in with Eddie Taylor on a bank shot that even the great Taylor was convinced was impossible.

Vernon was inducted into the One Pocket Hall of Fame in recognition for Bank Pool in January, 2007.

1976 World Straight Pool Tournament

2009-05-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Here's another great story from Coby Atkins. It's about the 1976 World Straight Pool Tournament.

It was in August, of 1976, when my friend, Joe, and I left central Pennsylvania, heading off to Asbury Park, NJ. There may have been hopes of catching Bruce Springsteen playing some blues in a little night club there, but our real destination was the PPPA World Straight Pool Championship.

I had never been to a Professional Pool Tournament, so, as an aspiring World Champion, this was to be quite the adventure. All of the great names I had grown to know as legends were supposed to be there: Luther Lassiter, Irving Crane, Steve Mizerak, Jim Rempe.

Asbury Park is actually one of the larger beach towns on the Jersey Shore. Even in 1976, upon entering this resort area, I had the strange feeling of having been thrown back into time. The clapboard beach homes and small retail stores radiated the 1940’s or 50’s. The atmosphere was nostalgic, but I had the feeling that the town had seen better days. After we secured our lodging for the next couple days, we headed to the boardwalk and the Convention Center, where the event was being held. The Convention Center jutted out from the boardwalk towards the ocean. The building was very “cool” with the ornate designs on the outside walls, particularly the fish sculptures.

When Joe and I approached the Center, I spotted a little luncheonette right next door. Looking in the window, there was Luther Lassiter sitting at the counter, alone, eating, of all things, a hamburger (Wimpy?). Thus was the start of one of the more memorable weekends of my life.

It was Friday, around lunchtime, when we set foot in the Convention Center. The doors were open and there was no fee to enter because the matches would not begin until late in the afternoon. Standing in the middle of the arena floor, I was in awe, looking around the room, imagining all of the spectators watching the action. Plus, not knowing who some of the players that were practicing, I became an instant judge, speculating on who were the real shooters. The one I became fixated with most, had the most jerky, punchy stroke I’d ever seen, but he never seemed to miss a ball. Later, I learned that was Allen Hopkins.

On the arena floor, I met Bob Meucci. He not only explained to me how good the cues were that he made, but also that the night before, when Hurricane Belle had blown through during the opening round of play. At one point during that round, the doors were thrown open by the wind and the balls on some of the tables had actually been moved from the force. On one of those tables, Steve Mizerak was playing a match. Bob related that it was early in the game and Steve had just run a rack or two from his opponents miss on the first shot of the game. Since the matches were refereed, Steve was given a choice of moving the balls back to their previous arrangement, as best as he could recollect. Agreeing to replace the balls, Steve continued on with his run until he reached 150 and the game was over.

To me and everyone else I spoke with, this was Steve’s tournament to win. No one was said to be playing better.

Now, to my story. There were many memorable matches. The one that sticks in my mind the most was Jim Rempe and Larry Lisciotti.

Larry had been beaten by Mizerak in the round of 4 in the winner’s bracket. Then, in the match for the hot seat and a spot in the Finals, Mizerak dispensed of Rempe, too.

The match between Rempe and Liscotti is the one that has always left me wondering the proverbial, “What if?” Throughout the tournament, in each game these competitors played, they would hit their opponents with steady runs in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, rarely giving them a good shot or anything to get started. I was a Rempe fan, an ol’ Pennsylvania thing. But Liscotti had been showing his intelligence and courage to make clutch shots in each game he played. I remember the stands being very full for Sunday’s Sessions. Many of the spectators were openly betting on the matches. The winner would play Mizerak, again, for the title.

As I recall those moments, a play-by-play would go like this:

Liscotti wins the lag and runs 50 some off Rempe’s break. Rempe picks up a few balls after a safety exchange. Then Liscotti runs another 50 or so to stake a commanding lead. Rempe then gets back to the table and begins to get a nice run going. Liscotti has about 107 balls in the game to 150. Rempe is on a run of 74 or so and has more than 100 total points. On the last rack, Jim gets a little squirrelly on a couple shots and ends up with his break ball just off the short rail at the foot of the table. Jim’s cue ball position is underneath the rack and he has to use two bridges, one stacked on top of the other, in order to reach the shot. All that needs to be done is pocket the ball and the cue ball cannot avoid hitting the stack, if the ball is pocketed. The entire arena is very quiet as Rempe prepares to pull the trigger on the shot. After a couple warm-up strokes, Jim pulls the cue back and with perfect timing, a pretty white handkerchief floats down from the spectator seating in direct line of Rempe’s vision. The stroke is delivered, the ball rolls towards the pocket, but it is not to be as it stays up staring back at Jim from the jaws of the hole. Immediately, Rempe stands up angrily and points his cue at the spectators sitting where the dreadful handkerchief had fallen from. Without hesitation, 3 or 4 men get out of their seats and head toward the runway. Rempe was always a gentleman, but he is very upset about the distraction. Of course, nothing can be done. Rempe had attempted the shot, legally struck the ball, but it didn’t go in.

History tells us the rest of the story. Liscotti runs out the game and then, shocking the many Jersey supporters, defeats Mizerak twice to win the Championship.

In the annals of pool history, this was a special tournament and a special time for all who were involved, and especially for me.

By the way, Cue Ball Kelly had been refereeing many of the matches. I saw him very late that Saturday Night, at a street corner while he was heading to his hotel room. When I asked him who he thought might win, he pretty matter-of-factly said, ”Larry Liscotti! He is seeing the patterns the best!”

--Coby Atkins

Obama Plays Pool

2009-04-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Some say he was just trying to score points with working class voters. But when Democratic hopeful Barack Obama during a 2008 campaign stop picked up a pool cue in a West Virginia bar and started running balls, he was simply following a long, proud and very presidential tradition.

Consider this: George Washington reportedly won a game of pool in 1748; John Quincy Adams installed a table in the presidential quarters in 1828; and Abraham Lincoln extolled the virtues of pool as a "scientific game lending recreation to the otherwise fatigued mind."

Even Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was said to have a table at Monticello.

But Obama should also be careful about pocketing balls for political gain. After Adams used his own money to purchase a pool table, his political opposition in 1828 took him to task for installing "gambling furniture" in the White House.

Ralph Greenleaf in Lanscaster, PA

2009-04-28T06:30:00.001-07:00

Mr. Coby Atkins writes in with a story about Ralph Greenleaf. He also has a great idea about visiting the retirement homes in his area for more information. Notice at the bottom he describes a shot that appears very similar to the "Jersey Red" one-pocket shot. I had always heard that Jersey Red was credited with that shot but maybe Ralph Greenleaf was shooting it even earlier.

Here's Mr. Atkins note:

Hello Mr. Dyer,

I am 55 years old and have lived most of my days in Lancaster, PA. As a young pool enthusiast, I often sought out the old timers to, hopefully, steal a tip or a secret to mastering the game of Pocket Billiards.

As published in the Billiard Digest, Mr. Greenleaf had written a letter of complaint to Brunswick from Lancaster. I don’t know what the date of that letter was, but that helps in putting into perspective the stories I had heard regarding Mr. Greenleaf’s stay here in Lancaster.

One of those “Old Timers” was Ducky Gilbert. He was probably about the same age as Mr. Greenleaf. I had met Ducky in the early ‘70’s, perhaps ’73 or ’74, and he was in his early 70’s himself. Three Cushion Billiards was his game and he was much better than average. Ducky always claimed it was Ralph Greenleaf who showed him the way to better Billiards. One of his stories was that Mr. Greenleaf never had any money. He would start his day by entering the poolroom on Queen Street and borrow a one dollar bill. He would then lay the bill on the table at the Brunswick Logo and ask for bets as too him shooting a spot shot (object ball on the foot spot and cue ball on the head spot) and after pocketing the object ball, the cue ball would stop on the dollar bill. Apparently Mr. Greenleaf was extremely proficient at the shot and very, very rarely failed. This story was verified by Peter DeLaurentis, who would have been in his early twenties at that time.

In York, PA, there is a private Men’s Club called the Yankee Athletic Association. A very cool place to play. When I was first introduced to the Club in 1975, there were 4 Brunswick Centennials in a theater setting with 150 point wires over each table. One of the bartenders was an “Old Timer” with white hair, in which they called (get this) “Whitey”. Having no idea Whitey even played pool, he began to tell me about Mr. Greenleaf, when he found out I was from Lancaster. He said that someone would usually have to bring Mr. Greenleaf over to the Yankee, because he did not have his own transportation. The Club Membership had many accomplished players, of which, Whitey was of the best. He described Mr. Greenleaf’s stroke in that he always aimed the tip of his cue low on the cue ball before following through to the point of contact. He, also, said that Mr. Greenleaf was all but mediocre, at best, until he had at least two drinks in him.

Both Ducky and Whitey, both, told me it was Mr. Greenleaf who showed them the double kiss bank off the long rail. Cue ball in the kitchen (or near that whereabouts), Object ball frozen to the rail one diamond or so above the side pocket. Shoot medium speed just to the upper side of the center of the object ball. Object ball will double kiss back into the rail and bank into the lower corner pocket. I’ve used it many times during one pocket games and have seen it used only once against me ever.

There are more and I’m probably not the only new young old timer with these second hand stories or memories.

All these folks are gone. But, before it may be too late. I was considering entering a small "request for information" ad in a few of the retirement villages and homes in Lancaster County. There just might be someone left in the area who has some memories of that time.

Would I be wasting my time? Is there any special type of notice I should arrange? Do you have any suggestions? Would you be interested in any of this information, if there is some to be found?

I’m sure all of it would be hearsay, but would make for some great scuttlebutt.

A few tales from a Ghost Hunting Pool Shark

2009-04-25T14:47:00.000-07:00

Sometime back my family and I enjoyed an excellent ghost tour of downtown San Antonio. I was quite pleased to discover that the host of the tour -- one Martin Leal -- is a big pool fan. We spent a good while talking about pool before and after the tour. I mentioned the recent sightings of UJ Puckett's ghost, at Fast Freddie's in Fort Worth. I suggested he bring out his equipment and camera crew to discover the truth.

Martin was a very interesting and gracious host and story teller. He wrote me a note sometime back. Here's what he said:

I was lucky to have hung around with some of the best players from the near old days because of my father and his friends who have become my friends. Puckett, Jersey Red, Fats, Reyes, Allen. I remember seeing Allen for the first time at Reds in Houston. The first game I watched him play was one pocket. He broke, made a ball and then ran out in about four minutes. I was like wow, did that really happen, he made it look like a 9-ball game. I remember Jersey Red play a guy for two dollars a game at 9 ball and beat him for three hours straight. I don't think the guy won one game in three hours. Somebody asked Red why he would play for two dollars a game and he said, "look at this, I win about fifteen games per hour, that's thirty dollars an hour, its easy money, hahaha."

Fats did an exhibition in San Antonio about thirty years ago and he spent the night at the pool hall owners house and I was invited to come over and wow, Fats could really talk, just talk, talk, talk about the old days. It was very entertaining but I could not figure out how much was fact and how much was Fats bullshit but it was a great experience....

Are you familiar with a guy named Little Al Romero from California? He came to visit my father in the 70's. We went to moyers billiards in Austin. Little Al beat the best of the local players and when one of the players named Steve S------- quit after losing a few hundred, Little Al said he would play left handed and Steve said that if Al played left handed he would double the bet from 20 to 40 per game. Little Al could play the same with either hand and he killed the guy for a few more hundred and Steve quit again. So, Al tries to work on something else with Steve, one pocket, a spot, something and Steve told him: "Hey, after seeing you beat me with your weak hand I do not want to play you anything, I will not even play you a game of jacks like the kids play because you are unbeatable." I really enjoyed that experience.

I think there are so many players out there who have some great stories about the road that never became famous. I went on the road with a guy named Tito years ago, we went as far as Memphis. Tito plays left handed. That is the only way he can play, left handed. He would beat guys out of a few hundred and then do tell them he would play them left handed and you would not believe how many suckers never noticed he had been playing left handed all of the time and go for more of a beating.

Martin Leal

Bruce "Superstroke" Christopher

2008-09-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

Bruce Superstroke Christopher, the Canadian pool player and promoter who challenged Minnesota Fats during the 1970s, recently published this book of pool tips. It's available from Epic Press. The website is www.essence-publishing.com. You can also find it on Amazon. Christopher is also credited (by me) as being the father of speed pool.

Coffee with the Duchess: A conversation with Allison Fisher at the Derby City Classic

2008-04-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

As the winner of 50 major titles, Allison Fisher stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest women athletes of all time. She was the number one player on the women’s tour last year, the number one player in 2006, number one in 2005, number one in 2004 – and, well, you get the idea.

But besides the victories and accolades, Fisher also has gained a reputation for impeccable sportsmanship. She’ll trounce a out-classed player in an open tournament, and then offer a few words of encouragement or advice. And if she gets beat, she’s just as likely to offer a hug as a handshake.

So what does the role model’s role model think about the all the action at Derby City? What does the woman who best exemplifies all that’s classy about pool think about the carousing, the late-night gambling, and all these men behaving ever so badly? I caught up with The Duchess midway through the 2008 Derby City Classic (that American tournament that most embodies pool’s reckless side) and asked her about all manner of things very un-Allison.

RD: So, what do you think about the tournament so far?

Fisher: Having been here my first year, I’ve been very impressed with it. It’s not what I thought it was going to be. It much better than I thought it was going to be and I’ve enjoyed it.

RD: Why do you say it’s better than you thought it would be?

Fisher: Because of the reputation it has had — the gambling and drinking. What people have said about it. It has had a bad rap, I think.

RD: Pool has had this gambling association for it’s entire history. Do you see this as a good thing, or a bad thing or are you indifferent to it?

Fisher: I don’t think it helps it at a time when we’re trying to get corporate sponsorships. We’re trying to bring in companies and bring pool more money. But every movie that has been made about pool has been about hustling and gambling. There hasn’t been a (movie about a) success story where someone comes up through tournaments to become a winner.

And the thing I don’t like about gambling is that a lot of the time it’s about who can stay awake the longest. You might not always be playing the player. He might be taking something to stay awake. I think it can bring along a lot of the wrong clientele.

RD: Pool has been very male dominated. Now all that has changing. You’re obviously evidence of that. But when I was in the action room, I noticed that there was a lot of testosterone in there. It seems like a male kind of thing. Do you have any sense for that?

Fisher: Definitely. Definitely. I don’t have any interest in it. But there are a few women who do like to gamble a little bit. I’m not going to say it’s perfect on our tour. We’re not allowed it our arenas or anywhere near our tournaments.

Maybe in a tournament environment like this, it might be safe. But if you go into a poolroom and there is a lot of action going on you might not be in a safe environment, right? If you win, you might have to be very careful when you leave. You heard these stories from old players. You hear these stories from gamblers. It’s not really an environment for a women to be in, if you have to watch your back.

RD: In any other sport, if you’re caught gambling you can get banned for life, but it’s very different here. It’s very accepted in pool.…

Allison: In England. We have bookies all over the place. You can gamble on sports. …

RD: But soccer players are not supposed to be gambling on soccer games?

Allison: How would anyone know if they are if somebody put some money on for them? How would anybody know? If somebody walks into a bookie and says I want to put such and such on team — you don’t know, do you, where the money comes from.

But there were some players on snooker who … were gambling on matches and they went to jail for it. So, in the sport I came from (the potential implication) was severe. You could be fixing matches. The gambling shops — they set the odds for the matches — and I guess the players had to decide if they were going to make more money if they dump. They were working that, and so they went to jail for it.

RD: You’ve got this action that’s very exciting here at Derby City, but you’ve also got the finest players in the world playing in the tournament. Is the tournament at Derby City something you have enjoyed?

Allison: I really have. You know, I don’t play one-pocket and I don’t play banks. But I did the straight pool. I did a bit there. And I really enjoyed it. It fired me up to do another thing.

RD: Did you try the one one-pocket?

Allison: No, but I’m enthused about practicing some more straight pool and banking and stuff like that – things I’m not great at. It made me enthusiastic to play more. We did a little straight pool challenge and I was real excited about doing it. I’ve played it maybe five times in my life, something like that. But what I’m saying is that from doing that, it makes me enthusiastic. If I put my mind to it, I’d be great for me. I’d learn a lot.

RD: I assume you have not gotten this far in the sport without feeling confident I your abilities. When you came to Derby City this year, did you expect you had a chance of winning it?

Allison: I never look at any (tournament) like that — whether it’s women’s or an open. But I would say that my confidence probably wasn’t where it should be, because it is the beginning of the year and I haven’t played since our nationals, which was a month and half ago. That was another reason I haven’t been interested in coming here before. It’s right after Christmas. It’s a bit early for me. I just got back from England and I wasn’t feeling great. I wouldn’t say I came with the best confidence in the world or the best preparation. That was what has put me off before, because it was right after the New Year.

RD: You say you don’t gamble?

Allison: No.

RD: You haven’t set foot in the action room?

Allison: I think the first day when we were navigating around, I stuck my head in for five minutes.

RD: You don’t plan on sticking your head in again?

Allison: Not really. I’ve been playing a lot and when I haven’t been playing, I have been resting. I think all that stuff goes all through the night and so I haven’t been up through the night. I like a routine. I like to go to bed at a certain time and get up at a certain time. … I like normal hours.

RD: Where to from here?

Allison: We’ll look for some little tournaments, won’t we? Our first ladies tournament is in March. So I bet we’re going play in some other little events in advance. Part of the reason for coming here is to have some match preparation. I know that Karen (Corr) plays a lot of events during the year besides the WPBA tour, and I (also) think I want to start improving my game by playing some more matches. You’ll see me around.

Another Willie Mosconi picture

2008-03-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

James Van Cise sends in this picture of a 40ish Willie Mosconi. He writes:

Here's a copy of an old family heirloom. That's my cousin with the
cigarette. We've always wanted to know what year and what possible
location this could have been. I am from Cleveland but my cousin
traveled a lot. Any ideas?

He also wrote:

I don't know who took the photo. ...
My own guess about the year is after 1962 but before 1972. I can only
go by the whiteness of Mosconi's hair. Post-Hustler movie demo?
An older pro here in Cleveland says he thinks it was taken in
Cleveland at a place called Le Cues which I'd not heard of."

The late great Richie Florence

2008-02-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

Read all about Richie Florence here at the Tropicana Lanes bowling alley site. Ritchie matched up with Fats and Ronnie Allen down in Johnston City in the early 70s. It didn't go well for Richie. There's a description of the match-up in The Hustler & The Champ.

Wimpy Lassiter's U.S. Coast Guard service

2007-08-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Check out the Wimpy Lassiter section for a timeline describing Luther "Wimpy" Lassiter's World War II Coast Guard service. The timeline has been constructed through a review of Lassiter's military records.

American Pool Timeline

2007-08-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

I'm putting together an American pool timeline and this is what I've got so far. I'll add to it as I get more time and then post the whole thing up on the regular poolhistory.com website. Here's what I have so far. Feel free to send in suggested dates.

1859
Jim Seereiter and Michael Phelan play in a four-day standing room only tournament in Detroit for an astronomical $15,000. Phelan won.

1869
Celluloid, the first industrial plastic, is discovered by New Yorker John Wesley Hyatt. Hyatt was attempting to come up with a substitute for ivory billiard balls, but his new substitutes sometimes exploded on impact.

1897
Jerome Keogh, the inventor of straight pool, wins his first world championship.

1907
Eight ball is invented. The first three-cushion championship is established.

1910
The game of straight pool is invented by Jerome Keogh.

1912
Straight pool becomes the official tournament game of pocket billiards.

1913
Rudolf Wanderone, AKA Minnesota Fats, is born in New York on Jan. 13.
Willie Mosconi is born in Philadelphia on June 27.
The industry reports one of its best years, ever, for table sales.

1916
Ralph Greenleaf competes in his first national championship tournament, held in October at Doyle’s Academy in New York. The then-16-year-old world champion was described as a “Boy Wonder” by the New York Times.

1919
Greenleaf wins the first of his 13 world titles.

1929
Greenleaf, playing in Detroit, regains the title – his eighth. He defeats the scoreless Frank Taberski with a sensational 126-ball run.

Harold Worst, future three-cushion and pool champion, is born on Sept. 29 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

1933
Willie Mosconi makes his national tournament debut.

1941
Willie Mosconi wins the first of 15 world titles.

1954
Harold Worst wins the world three-cushion title during an event held in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1954
Willie Mosconi establishes the BCA-recognized straight-pool high-run record of 536 balls. He accomplished the startling feat in Ohio, on a 8 by 4 tables.

1956
Willie Mosconi suffers a stroke.

1961
George Jansco conducts the first of his famous hustler tournaments in Johnston City, Illinois. The tournaments, which lasted about a decade, would eventually attract nationwide attention. His brother Paulie Jansco also helped with the tournaments and later took over after George Jansco’s untimely death in 1969.

20th Century Fox releases “The Hustler.” The film, starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman, would reinvigorate the public’s interest in the sport.

Rudolf Wanderone begins making the fanciful claim that he was the real-life inspiration for the film’s Minnesota Fats character.

1965
Three-cushion champ Harold Worst briefly conquers the world of pocket billiards with victories at the Las Vegas Stardust tournament in June, and in Johnston City in October and November.

1966
The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies, the fanciful memoirs written by Minnesota Fats and Philadelphia newspaper writer Tom Fox, gets published.

1978
Willie Mosconi and Minnesota Fats would play the first of several televised challenge matches. It was the most-viewed pool match in U.S. history, with almost unmatched ratings on ABC.

1986
The Color of Money, a sequel to The Hustler, opens to favorable reviews. The new film stars Paul Newman and Tom Cruise.

1993
Willie Mosconi dies in Haddon Heights, New Jersey on Sept. 16.

1996
Minnesota Fats dies on Jan. 18.

Steve Mizerak video tribute

2007-08-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

Larry "Boston Shorty" Johnson and Friend

2007-08-21T18:27:00.001-07:00

Larry "Boston Shorty" Johnson
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.

Here's then 13-year-old Ross parker Simons, who met Shorty in 1965, at the Johnston City Jamboree.

Johnston City

2007-08-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

JohnstonCity__Jockey_on_far_right
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.

This was sent in by the son of Norman "Jockey" Howard. That's Jockey on the far right. Although it's labeled "1961, first tournament held in Johnston City", I don't believe that can be right. Although Paulie and George Jansco are clearly there seated in the middle, there's also Luther Lassiter and Cisero Murphy in attendance. They were not at the first Johnston City meet. Charles said his dad went to Johnston City in '62 and '63.

Johnston City Sign

2007-08-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Johnston City Sign
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.

"When I was 13, my father took me out of school in Wisconsin for a road trip to Johnston City and the Jansco Brothers 1965 tournament. I don't recall my mother's reaction, although she couldn't have been too mad as she packed a cooler with fried chicken and seven ounce bottles of Schlitz for the overnight drive."

-- From a letter by Ross Parker Simon

Johnston City Pool Hustling

2007-08-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Johnny Ervolino

2007-08-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

Johnny Ervolino
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.

Brooklyn Johnny says howdy to young Ross Parker. This was sent in by a reader, who met Ervolino in 1965, at Johnston City.

Hubert "Daddy Warbucks" Cokes

2007-08-21T18:19:00.001-07:00

Hubert "Daddy Warbucks" Cokes
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.

Ross Parker Simons, here pictured at age 13, met Hubert Cokes in 1965 at the Johnston City Jamboree. His dad took him out of school to attend.

Efren Reyes and Santos Sambajon

2007-08-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

efren thinks about it..
Originally uploaded by fast boy.

Here's one of Efren Reyes, taken recently at Amsterdam billiards in New York City. That's Santos Sambajon looking on. I found the picture on the flickr.com website. It was posted by "Fast Boy."

California Kid?

2007-08-21T18:14:00.001-07:00

A reader asks: (Does anyone have information) on The California Kid, Jerry Bento. He was in a magazine of some sort back in the 80's, I believe. Could you please let me know if I could get a copy of that magazine, & how?

Willie Hoppe Exhibition for U.S. Armed Forces

2007-08-19T17:46:00.001-07:00

Frank Taberski Plays

2007-08-19T17:45:00.001-07:00

No-arm Billiardist

2007-08-19T17:39:00.001-07:00

Willie Hoppe Exhibition for U.S. Armed Forces

2007-08-19T17:37:00.001-07:00