Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Wimpy Lassiter's U.S. Coast Guard service
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
American Pool Timeline
1819
Michael Phelan, considered the father of American pool, is born in Castle Comer, County Kilkenny, Ireland.
1824
Michael Phelan and family join father John Phelan in New York City.
1856
Phelan’s book “Game of Billiards” is published; he opens a room at the corner of Broadway and 10th, New York. It was considered the finest and most luxurious pool room in the world. He also publishes the first edition of Billiard Cue, the first billiard periodical.
1859
Jim Seereiter and Michael Phelan play in a four-day standing room only tournament in Detroit for an astronomical $15,000. Phelan won; in April Dudley Kavanaugh beats Michael Foley in another high-profile match, also in Detroit.
1863
Phelan retires from active competition; Dudley Kavanagh wins in a pro championship in Irving Hall, New York, June 1-9. He becomes second U.S. pool champion.
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.
1873
Jerome Keogh, inventor of straight pool and five-times billiard champion, is born.
1897
Keogh 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.
1911
The very first World 14.1 Tournament was held in 1911 and won by Alfredo DeOro.
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.
1914
Dudley Kavanaugh dies in New York on March at age 80.
1916
Ralph Greenleaf competes in his first national championship tournament, held in October at Doyle’s Academy in New York. The 16-year-old Greenleaf 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.
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| Willie Mosconi |
Willie Mosconi wins the first of 15 world titles.
1953
Jerome Keogh, winner of five titles and the inventor of straight pool, dies at age 80 on January 12.
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
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.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
The Hustler & The Champ
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Pool exhibition program
Pool exhibition program
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.
Here's a photo from Dale R. LeMieux of a flyer for an exhibition he saw with Minnesota Fats at the Pontiac Silverdome, then home of the Detroit Lions. The event was in the 1970s. Note: the top and side of the paper has Fats' autograph.
Dale writes: "The event was called The Billiard Bash and it was a benefit of the TRI-COUNTY EASTER SEAL SOCIETIES. This event featured Minnesota Fats as the one to beat. For a contribution of fifty dollars you were able to play him. I took my father there just to see Minnesota Fats ... (and) we were sitting in the audience watching, (and) I told my father that I was going to go down and talk to Fats. My father encouraged me to do so and said I probably would never get another chance.
As he was still standing there alone I went up to him and asked him about the movie THE HUSTLER. (Fats) talked to anyone who would listen. He talked for a while just like he had known me forever and I really enjoyed it because I had always really liked him (one of the few that liked him more than Mosconi). Then as another person started he continued to talk to me as the person ran some balls in their game of eightball.
Now it was Fats turn to shoot and when he got to the eightball a heckler starts in on Fats telling him he was no good at playing pool and that anyone can beat him. Fats says to the man "I'll tell you what I'll dooo. I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I will bank the eight three in the side." The man said no more. With no hesitation Fats banked the eight three rails into the side pocket. I think he said: "I'll just send old Elsie home anyway" and then he shot it in.
After the exhibition we were still sitting in our seats when Fats and a few big guys he had around him came back (to where we were) and ... as he was walking by he reached down and tapped me on the shoulder and said to me: "I will see you later Dale." That was the last time I saw Rudolph Wanderone in person.
Personal note... I have always disliked the way people (pool players) at least in this area after Fats got older and sicker tell of how they beat him. It also happened in this area with a great player I knew Cornbread Red ( Billy Burge). Now that he is gone it seems that everyone beat him. I know that I never beat him and he was one of the greats, He was colorful and liked to talk as well. I for one will miss both players."
A video of Mosconi and Jimmy Caras
Jimmy Caras goes up against Mosconi in Straight pool.
Norfolk memories
"When I was in the navy (1961-1965) I was stationed in Norfolk ,VA and played pool every minute I had at St. Elmos pool hall (2nd floor, a few buildings up from the YMCA). As you know this is where Wimpy played when in town, and it is where I saw him ( I still have a perfect vision of that white head standing out in the dimness along the left wall watching the goings-on). I was just starting to play pool and my friend pointed him out to me as a great player, although at the time I really didn't realize HOW great a player.
" In 1963 or 64 I bought a Willie Hoppe special (Brunswick) cue through the owner (a kindly, short, bald-headed man). I then sanded off a section on the top of the butt, bought a Parker ink pen and asked Mr. Lassiter to sign it. He did, and I still have the cue and the pen. I have recently picked up the game again and I now know that he was actually at the top of his game when he signed my cue!"
Later, I asked Ken if he had any photos of the St. Elmos to post up here on the Untold Stories website. This is his response:
"Mr. Dyer,
" I do not have any pictured of St. Elmo's even though at the time I was an amateur photographer and my ships official photographer. In 1963 there was no such thing as a family billiard parlor. This was an old time pool hall where you keep your mouth shut and pay up when you lose. I think you can imagine that taking pictures in an establishment like that may have made one "un-popular" with some of the notoriety. But now I sure wished I had.
No, I never run into Fats or Willie. I did meet Art Cranfield once simply because he was from Syracuse, my home town.
So I'm sorry to say that the only thing I can give you are my memories of St. Elmo's and a vivid picture of that white mane sitting along the side wall watching the players.
My good friend at the time, and the guy who started me in pool played Luther once for five bucks a lot of money for a sailor in 1963. Fred broke and nothing went. The one ball lay down by the corner pocket and the nine up by the side. Luther stepped up, pocketed the one, came back up the table with the cue ball and knocked the nine in the side pocket. He turns to Fred and says "My gosh, what luck. Let's play another"Fred declined.
If there is anything else please let me know. I would be delighted to see any pictures of that venerable palace of pool if you run across any in your research.
Thanks.
Ken"
Jack "Jersey Red" Breit
Jack "Jersey Red" Breit
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.
Mike Haines took this photo of the Red Raider during a tournament in Houston during the 1980s. To see more of his great pool photos (including more during that Houston tournament) go to www.billporter.smugmug.com.
Willie Mosconi
Willie Mosconi with Norman "Jockey" Howard
jockey_playing_mosconi-1
Originally uploaded by jakedyer.
That's Willie on the left, and Norman "Jockey" Howard, at the right. The Jockey's son, Charles, sent in the photo. He said his dad was a full-time pool hustler.
"He never entered tournaments that generated national attention," said Charles, "(But) he was best man at Cornbread Red's wedding and has played with some of the greats such as Mosconi and Fats."
Johnston City
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.
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