Even at 225 I still have a few pounds on you. I've known you over 35 years and just learned your last name. That is the way it was in those days. There are probably still guys down there that don't know my name. I was "San Gabriel" because I hung around the poolroom in the San Gabriel Bowl. The only reason I know Butch's last name (Van Syoc) is because he used to write me a check once & a while. All the times Butch & I gambled, and fairly high for those days, there probably isn't $100 difference over the years. When I hung around San Gabriel, I worked for AAA selling Insurance. Butch used to come to the pool room there in the late 60's and give me a ball playing one pocket. He thought he had some sucker. He kept telling me to come down to Bellflower to the Billiard Palace (before Butch & his dad bought it) and play some. I wouldn't go because I had played so much over on Tweedy Blvd. with Tex, Tweedy, Jimmy Van and the boys and I knew it would get knocked and no more spot. I finally started coming down because of the action on Big Bertha, the 6 x 12.
One of these days I'll start a thread about The Palace and some of the charcters that were in there and see if others here have stories about them. Butch talking to Jesus, "Practicin" Tom Gardner and Joe Finesilver come to mind.
Good to know some of the old timers are on here. Especially from a guy who says I beat him. John