Tacony Billiards /Good Bad Ugly
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dont know about the past and present owners but I used to play in BCAPL tournaments every couple of monthes. and have seen some pretty seedy characters. They adopted a no Wife beater and cant have you Baseball cap turned to the side rule. All in all not too bad to shoot on the 9 footers. but the smaller tables are too close together.
not sure if this is what you were looking for but its the only knowledge I have of the place. Haven't been there in a couple of years.
not sure if this is what you were looking for but its the only knowledge I have of the place. Haven't been there in a couple of years.
It was crazy back in the early nineties whem Jim Hill had the room. Non-stop action everyday. Pool, cards, chess, rail birds, sports, if you were a gambler that the the place to be. Every August the Filipano clan would spend the month there, hanging out and playing pool. Efern Reyes, Bustumati, Luat, etc. Jim Hill lost ton's of money playing $3000 games of one pocket. You had Jimmy Fusco, Spanish Mike, Spanish louie, Peter Rabbit, Steve (stevie wonder) Dubroskie, Bob M.(owner of Drexlline Billiards) etc,etc,etc. The other road players that came through were the New York crew with Hopkins, Grady Matthews, Joe Frady, Frankie H., Ginky, I can go on and on. Jack Cooney, Mike Siegel, Jim Rpmpe, Flakes Hennigan, Joe Visey, Carras, the list goes on. I watched them play and lost and won some money playing off the rail. In the evening all the action would shift up to Pete Fusco's place on Bustelton Ave.
What memories, I was lucky enough to have the chance to watch some great pool. I lived and worked about a twenty minute ride fom Tacony.
Tacony
If you go back some, the pool room on the Roosevelt Bld, when it was Pete Fusco's place was a hot spot also. I remember meeting and watching Buddy Hall and Bill Schick play pool, Buddy Hall did the gambling, Schick controlled the rail money. Buddy Hall and Grady Mathews were playing some serious pool (nine ball and one pocket). Not many rooms around now, like they had back in the day. No instructional videos, no one showed you anything. You learned the game by playing and gambling with the strong players. Memories, that is all I have left of my youth
If you go back some, the pool room on the Roosevelt Bld, when it was Pete Fusco's place was a hot spot also. I remember meeting and watching Buddy Hall and Bill Schick play pool, Buddy Hall did the gambling, Schick controlled the rail money. Buddy Hall and Grady Mathews were playing some serious pool (nine ball and one pocket). Not many rooms around now, like they had back in the day. No instructional videos, no one showed you anything. You learned the game by playing and gambling with the strong players. Memories, that is all I have left of my youth
I saw Efren play JH one afternoon.
Never saw J. Fusco shoot but enjoyed BS'ing with him. Currently Tacony is one of the few pool rooms open in the afternoon. I go there once in while.... I see the same people hanging out there that hung out in the 60's at Blvd, Cue & Cushion and the place behind Korvettes (Was it Moulin??.)
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Pool Room
The last I heard Tacony Billiards is closing it's doors soon. The city and the school district are using the building for a new Charter School.
The last I heard Tacony Billiards is closing it's doors soon. The city and the school district are using the building for a new Charter School.
I believe that Boulevard Billiard Club on Roosevelt was Mike Fusco's not Petey's. That's the first place I seen Efren play in person. :thumbup:
Remember the house guy at the register. A boxer..think his name was Al Fisher.
Sorry to hear this.
I was there during the Summer. There goes afternoon pool. :crying:The other rooms open at 5pm.
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Yes, I stand corrected. My memory and eyesight are going south in my older years. When it's all said and done, Efren Reyes is the best pool player I seen in my lifetime. Played all the games well, 3cushion, and chess. It was pure pleasure watching that man at the table, a master.
ER is the Michael Jordan of pool.
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Tacony Billiards
We are going to have a lot to talk about when you return from Florida. Looking forward to shooting the shit and playing some pool.
We are going to have a lot to talk about when you return from Florida. Looking forward to shooting the shit and playing some pool.
Oh yeah...A "Retired and Bored" shootout/hangout
My favorite player was Walt Krebs...the house guy from Cue & Cushion with the anchors on his forearms. He was a creative shooter. Walt was buddies with Doc Fry and Miz.
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I was working in the Philly area last year and me a cpl of friends were looking for a place to play after work 4am.
Luckily tacony was open 24 hrs. You wouldn't see it in the yellow pages but the kid working there would let us in and lock us in sometimes as well if he had to step out.
At that hour there was the occasional action. Saw an older black gentleman giving the owner (a young guy) the side pocket spot playing 9ball for a 100 a game.
If u don't know the game he basically had to shoot all balls in the corner pockets only. Needless to say he raped him for about 3k.
All the 9footers there play great. Fast cloth and surprisingly they were all triple shimmed. It's an extreme rarity, atleast in my experience to see that big of a place with all triple shimmed tables.
Just based on that I knew there was some heavy action in that room at some point or why else put the effort in the tables like that?
That room felt like what ppl think about pool. Hustling... Grimey... A lil eery...
Unlike the room I play out of now. It's a church up in there. League all week long, everyone playing for funsies, and a bunch of guys sitting around talking about how good they think they are.
I did frequent Pete fusco's place during the day time in trevose,pa. It was down the street from the casino I was working at. He calls it "the spot". It's a lot more lively there. Small action every night with some less then short stop caliber guys. I think some actually work there so they get to scout games. Lol
Luckily tacony was open 24 hrs. You wouldn't see it in the yellow pages but the kid working there would let us in and lock us in sometimes as well if he had to step out.
At that hour there was the occasional action. Saw an older black gentleman giving the owner (a young guy) the side pocket spot playing 9ball for a 100 a game.
If u don't know the game he basically had to shoot all balls in the corner pockets only. Needless to say he raped him for about 3k.
All the 9footers there play great. Fast cloth and surprisingly they were all triple shimmed. It's an extreme rarity, atleast in my experience to see that big of a place with all triple shimmed tables.
Just based on that I knew there was some heavy action in that room at some point or why else put the effort in the tables like that?
That room felt like what ppl think about pool. Hustling... Grimey... A lil eery...
Unlike the room I play out of now. It's a church up in there. League all week long, everyone playing for funsies, and a bunch of guys sitting around talking about how good they think they are.
I did frequent Pete fusco's place during the day time in trevose,pa. It was down the street from the casino I was working at. He calls it "the spot". It's a lot more lively there. Small action every night with some less then short stop caliber guys. I think some actually work there so they get to scout games. Lol
Darren was great action there
Action
Tacony is a awesome pool room. One of my favorites. Darren was great action. If it is closing I will miss it. I saw JH playing busty for a descent amount Jim actually took the money down. Those were the days when you could walk into a pool room and get action.
Tacony is a awesome pool room. One of my favorites. Darren was great action. If it is closing I will miss it. I saw JH playing busty for a descent amount Jim actually took the money down. Those were the days when you could walk into a pool room and get action.
Tacony Billiards
When Tacony closes it will be a sad day for pool. The memories will forever remain in my mind.
When Tacony closes it will be a sad day for pool. The memories will forever remain in my mind.
From what I understand, the building was sold, with no warning from the landlord.
I also heard they are currently looking for another location, but it is proving difficult because they have to stay within the city to keep their liquor license.
Time will tell.
I also heard they are currently looking for another location, but it is proving difficult because they have to stay within the city to keep their liquor license.
Time will tell.