GENE NAGY-Looking for any and all info & stories about him and his life

V

VKJ

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. Stories, facts, personal experiences etc., etc., etc. I am assuming there is no footage of him only because I'm guessing it would have been discovered by now.

I have done a search here with interesting results and years ago I heard stories from top pro players and friends of Gene's but I'm still looking for more.

If you can share anything or point me to anyone I thank you.

Anything at all will be appreicated.

Thanks
 
VKJ said:
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. Stories, facts, personal experiences etc., etc., etc. I am assuming there is no footage of him only because I'm guessing it would have been discovered by now.

I have done a search here with interesting results and years ago I heard stories from top pro players and friends of Gene's but I'm still looking for more.

If you can share anything or point me to anyone I thank you.

Anything at all will be appreicated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I have written a lot of things about Gene on this forum as well as others. The best person to talk to would be Williebetmore who can put you in touch with one of his former students.
 
VKJ said:
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. .

Thanks
Click to expand...

VKJ,
What is your goal (?article, book, personal curiosity?)?

I do have access to a couple of newspaper articles from the LA Times that have a LOT of info and stories about Gene. It would be a bit of a task to get it copied (it's framed and hung). Good luck.

I spoke with Gene several times on the phone in the months before he died (yes, he was going to make the pilgrimage and stay a couple of weeks in Betmore's Basement). Unfortunately, he passed away just before the trip. I am still filled with sorrow that I never got to meet him or play some straights with a player of genius.
 
Don't quote me, but I think he said his high run was 460 something..!!! He was a cool guy, and Jimmy Wetch could probably help you with a few details. Gene said Jimmy would call with a particular problem, and Gene could fix it over the phone..
 
his closest and most famous student is janette lee. She can answer any question about gene. Other than that, there are a dozen regulars at Amsterdam billiards club in NYC that knew gene well.

Although I never met gene, I heard he had a vile temper and a taste for booze. On more than one occasion, this combination led to the splintering of his cue, usually bushkas.

Rg
 
VKJ said:
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. Stories, facts, personal experiences etc., etc., etc. I am assuming there is no footage of him only because I'm guessing it would have been discovered by now.

I have done a search here with interesting results and years ago I heard stories from top pro players and friends of Gene's but I'm still looking for more.

If you can share anything or point me to anyone I thank you.

Anything at all will be appreicated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

There is a whole chapter in John Grissim's book, "Hustlers and Heroes, Legends and Lies, and the Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt" about Gene playing Jersey Red One Pocket. It's call the "The Raider vs The Ice Man". There is also some stuff about how Gene began playing Pool in the chapter entitled "Pool Fever".
I only saw Gene once. Gary Pinkowski brought him to Binghamton, NY to play a local guy who supposedly owed Gary money. The guy was wise to who Gene was, though, and wouldn't bite. Gene was in The Pocket Billiard Lounge for an hour or so, but didn't play anyone.
Gene was one of many New York City legendary players and I was very sad to hear of his passing. He did teach Jeanette Lee and also JoAnn Mason Parker.
 
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I guess I could be only a little help if any but I ask it anyways because it might turn out useful - and I'm interested also.
Does anyone know if he used to live in Hungary ever? His name is unmistakably Hungarian. If he ever lived or got in touch with Hungarian players, referees or something, I might be able to ask around about him as I got to know many noticeable people. However, due to my age (18:( ) this is the first time I hear about him.

P.S.: like I said, I am interested also so please if you have the chance post your info here instead of PMs or something like that.

Thanks,
 
You got a pretty good memory Josh!

Josh Palmer said:
Don't quote me, but I think he said his high run was 460 something..!!!
Click to expand...


Gene Nagy (Oct 6, 1946 - July 13, 2006) started playing pool at age 18. His high run in 14.1 was 430.
 
A very good person to contact would be retired WPBA star Fran Crimi. I'd guess Fran knew Gene well from the early 1970's until his death.

I saw Gene play in the early 1970's a couple of times. Nagy played out of a room in Maspeth, Queens called La Cue but also frequented the many rooms of Queens, New york from time to time.

In the mid-1980's, Jack Colavita told me he considered Nagy the single most knowledgeable player on the subject of the straight pool break shot, as far as stroke and speed selection.
 
I had the pleasure of meeting Gene around 1998 in his home poolroom at the time, La Cue, in Maspeth, Queens. We became friends and every week when I would stop by for an afternoon of practice, if Gene was up for it we would play for several hours. Always played nine ball. Although I sometimes felt like asking him to play some straight pool, I knew that I couldn't give him a real game, and somehow I got the feeling that he just wanted to play nine ball, that he wanted to totally master and dominate the game. That was the intensity within him and you could just see it when he played.

What's really strange is that I never asked him about his pool experiences, gambling, or match ups with other great players. I had the feeling that he was a private person and wasn't really interested in talking about his past, and I respected that. We mostly played pool.

I mean we were always talking, but not about pool. We talked about everything else, his pets, prior marriages, past excesses, health supplements, laughed at stuff, but never about pool. I always believed that if he felt like talking about the past, he should be the one to bring it up. I even tried to get him interested in getting a computer and coming to Az, but he wasn't interested.

Every now and then someone that knew him from his old days would stop by to say hello, but I never recall any in-depth conversations about the "good old days".

Just playing with him was absolutely great, watching him master the table with a scientific precision that was simply amazing to watch. Somehow I knew that he "felt" that table and those balls in a way that few people would be able to even understand. Some days he didn't feel like playing, and I understood that also. Whenever we did play we always managed to have a bunch of laughs during the games and we never kept score.

I got the impression that he was no longer interested in competing. In fact, a few times someone would half heartedly offer to back him in one of the local tournaments, or take him on the road, but he would always decline.

I remember finding something on the internet about Alan Hopkins playing Gene at a major straight pool tournament in NY, Alan broke, and never shot again. Maybe someone can verify that.

Don't know if this kind of information is what you are looking for, but aside from being a great pool player, he was also a very intense, complicated, intelligent, kind and caring person.

Rest in peace Gene.

Jim
 
Thank you all for these replys.
My intention is to gather info of all kinds on Gene Nagy and sift thru it to see if it would make an interesting dramatic movie. In the 1940's an American playwright named Clifford Odetts wrote a play 'Golden Boy' about a concert musician who in his heart wanted to be a pro boxer and was talented as both.

I heard many years ago that Gene played music at Carnigie Hall. Piano or violin I think and had the ability to continue. Then he found pool.

The many stories I have heard over the years from pro pool players who were friends of mine all underlined the fact that he was a genius pool player and a sensitive man of many contridictions. Many of your comments here underline that as well.

As a starting place it has an interesting mixture similar to what was done with the film 'Shine' about the Australian pianist.

Right now it's nothing more than a thought but I love the idea of exploring who he was and also his genius in pool and his multifaceted personality. I also think it would be a different kind of pool movie, more of a true character study of the man who was a pool player rather than just a pool movie. It could easily show how wonderful the sport of pool is.

Again thank you all.
 
VKJ said:
Thank you all for these replys.
My intention is to gather info of all kinds on Gene Nagy and sift thru it to see if it would make an interesting dramatic movie. In the 1940's an American playwright named Clifford Odetts wrote a play 'Golden Boy' about a concert musician who in his heart wanted to be a pro boxer and was talented as both.

I heard many years ago that Gene played music at Carnigie Hall. Piano or violin I think and had the ability to continue. Then he found pool.

The many stories I have heard over the years from pro pool players who were friends of mine all underlined the fact that he was a genius pool player and a sensitive man of many contridictions. Many of your comments here underline that as well.

As a starting place it has an interesting mixture similar to what was done with the film 'Shine' about the Australian pianist.

Right now it's nothing more than a thought but I love the idea of exploring who he was and also his genius in pool and his multifaceted personality. I also think it would be a different kind of pool movie, more of a true character study of the man who was a pool player rather than just a pool movie. It could easily show how wonderful the sport of pool is.

Again thank you all.
Click to expand...

I believe that Gene attended The Juliard School in NY, also believe that the violin was his instrument of choice.

Sounds like you have, not only a great parallel theme, but also a more complex, and interesting, idea for a movie that incorporates a complicated, genius type person that decides to concentrate his talents on pool.

And, yes, Fran Crimi knew Gene as well as anyone. She posts on the Billiards Digest website.

Good luck.
Jim
 
sjm said:
A very good person to contact would be retired WPBA star Fran Crimi. I'd guess Fran knew Gene well from the early 1970's until his death.


In the mid-1980's, Jack Colavita told me he considered Nagy the single most knowledgeable player on the subject of the straight pool break shot, as far as stroke and speed selection.
Click to expand...

I think Fran knew Gene, probably as well as anyone, from what she has said. After watching Gene play Straight pool for the first time , Willie Mosconi was quoted as saying: "That's the best I've ever seen the balls taken off the table." The quote is in John Grissim's book "Hustlers and Heroes, Legends and Lies, and the Search for Higher Truth on the Green Felt".
 
VKJ said:
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. Stories, facts, personal experiences etc., etc., etc. I am assuming there is no footage of him only because I'm guessing it would have been discovered by now.

I have done a search here with interesting results and years ago I heard stories from top pro players and friends of Gene's but I'm still looking for more.

If you can share anything or point me to anyone I thank you.

Anything at all will be appreicated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

V, if this is any help to you I know Jennette Lee was very very close to "G". Also there is a gent that owns "TheGrind" in NYC named Gerry Tarantolla(sp), I know he was also close to Gene. I hope this info helps you buddy.
Frankie
 
jimmyg said:
I had the pleasure of meeting Gene around 1998 in his home poolroom at the time, La Cue, in Maspeth, Queens. We became friends and every week when I would stop by for an afternoon of practice, if Gene was up for it we would play for several hours. Always played nine ball. Although I sometimes felt like asking him to play some straight pool, I knew that I couldn't give him a real game, and somehow I got the feeling that he just wanted to play nine ball, that he wanted to totally master and dominate the game. That was the intensity within him and you could just see it when he played.

What's really strange is that I never asked him about his pool experiences, gambling, or match ups with other great players. I had the feeling that he was a private person and wasn't really interested in talking about his past, and I respected that. We mostly played pool.

I mean we were always talking, but not about pool. We talked about everything else, his pets, prior marriages, past excesses, health supplements, laughed at stuff, but never about pool. I always believed that if he felt like talking about the past, he should be the one to bring it up. I even tried to get him interested in getting a computer and coming to Az, but he wasn't interested.

Every now and then someone that knew him from his old days would stop by to say hello, but I never recall any in-depth conversations about the "good old days".

Just playing with him was absolutely great, watching him master the table with a scientific precision that was simply amazing to watch. Somehow I knew that he "felt" that table and those balls in a way that few people would be able to even understand. Some days he didn't feel like playing, and I understood that also. Whenever we did play we always managed to have a bunch of laughs during the games and we never kept score.

I got the impression that he was no longer interested in competing. In fact, a few times someone would half heartedly offer to back him in one of the local tournaments, or take him on the road, but he would always decline.

I remember finding something on the internet about Alan Hopkins playing Gene at a major straight pool tournament in NY, Alan broke, and never shot again. Maybe someone can verify that.

Don't know if this kind of information is what you are looking for, but aside from being a great pool player, he was also a very intense, complicated, intelligent, kind and caring person.

Rest in peace Gene.

Jim
Click to expand...


I believe that was the 14.1 world championships (not sure of the year) where Nagy ran 150 and out on Hopkins. I've heard that Hopkins also was the victim of another 150 and out in his next match in the losers bracket! That might be the only time in world championship play that a player has lost both matches that way.

-Bobby
 
There was a piece --a good piece-- Jeanette Lee wrote about him, or maybe about his influence on her, someplace in this forum. Was there a special section? In any case, should be searchable...


VKJ said:
I am starting a hunt to put together anything and everything I can find on Gene Nagy. Stories, facts, personal experiences etc., etc., etc. I am assuming there is no footage of him only because I'm guessing it would have been discovered by now.

I have done a search here with interesting results and years ago I heard stories from top pro players and friends of Gene's but I'm still looking for more.

If you can share anything or point me to anyone I thank you.

Anything at all will be appreicated.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
videos- maybe a shot or too

I'll find a high 8 tape with Jimmy practicing - my guess is all i video ed is the table. Jimmy has pictures of ed on the wall in the pool hall. I was always asking what kind of cues - he had a blackwood,San Jose Calif. Jimmy would fly ed up here and he'd stay for few wks. Always had his hat and smokes. mark
 
jimmyg said:
I believe that Gene attended The Juliard School in NY, also believe that the violin was his instrument of choice.


Jim
Click to expand...

JG,
I believe you are wrong on this count. Gene talked to me at length about his trumpet playing days. The LA Times article also reviews his decision to give up the trumpet in favor of pool.
 
Williebetmore said:
JG,
I believe you are wrong on this count. Gene talked to me at length about his trumpet playing days. The LA Times article also reviews his decision to give up the trumpet in favor of pool.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty fuzzy on this, you are probably correct...sorry.:(

Jim
 
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