cleveland players of the past......

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another

Butch Bauer (JT Billiards) & (part owner in the Velvet Rail) was just telling me about some great Hilltop stories. Guess Big Brad had asked Bob Schneider to play once and didn't have the money that Bob was willing to play for so they almost ended up in a fist fight. More to the story but to much to go into.

Another story from Butch on the Hilltop. JR's father the Chief would pull JR out of school early on Fridays and take him to the Hilltop where they stayed Friday , Sat. and Sunday .
The Chief caught JR playing someone for no cash and cracked him in the head with a cue stick while yelling at him " I told you to always play for cash !" JR was 15 at the time.
 

JustPlay

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Buckeye Tony and Buckeye Frank. Frank had a period of time, he was a beast of a player. Whitey Stone, a road player himself.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Anyone remember Larry Ridgeway from Akron. He played a lot of pool around Cleveland in the 60's and 70's. He was a good player/hustler too. I think he owned a poolroom in Akron for several years as well.

I'm sure Canton Don Willis made appearances around the Cleveland pool halls from time to time as well. One more good player who hustled all over Ohio was Johnny "Dollar" Overton, forgot his real last name. His grandson played several years on the PGA tour.

One more poolplayer/hustler from that area was Bill Stigall from Mansfield, before he moved South to Tampa in the late 70's.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Buckeye Tony and Buckeye Frank. Frank had a period of time, he was a beast of a player. Whitey Stone, a road player himself.

Is that the same Whitey who lived around Dayton in the 60's (a straight shooting kid who had a lot of gamble). I think his name was Whitey Stone, although I could be wrong about the last name.
 

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Saw

Is that the same Whitey who lived around Dayton in the 60's (a straight shooting kid who had a lot of gamble). I think his name was Whitey Stone, although I could be wrong about the last name.

Jay I read his name in your book about him from Dayton. I don't know if it was the same player but this Whitey Stone was also called the Gas Man and I forget what his actual real name was. The time period he played here at Joe Tuma's room was mid to late 60's.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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Jay I read his name in your book about him from Dayton. I don't know if it was the same player but this Whitey Stone was also called the Gas Man and I forget what his actual real name was. The time period he played here at Joe Tuma's room was mid to late 60's.

Different guy. I think your Whitey moved further west later on. He was still playing actively years later.
 

bstroud

Deceased
Jay,

Steve was from Lima but we played in Cleveland.
I broke him playing one pocket.

Glenn Knowles was another good player from OH.

Bill S.
 

JustPlay

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Is that the same Whitey who lived around Dayton in the 60's (a straight shooting kid who had a lot of gamble). I think his name was Whitey Stone, although I could be wrong about the last name.

He was a utility worker and traveled to California, a lot as a road player every year. Not sure where he was originally from.
 

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Never

I never saw him play but heard a lot about Billy Stover if anyone has info on him.
I also heard many times Chuck Morgan was the Best and beat a lot of road players.
 

hamandeggers

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When you mentioned Rich Letsky are you referring to Rich LESKI? I knew him way back in the mid 80's.

Tell him I said "Hi"
 

NickCasey

Registered
cleveland players

billy stover stories!!!!!!!

dont forget brad the mover

late 80s early 90s great matches and some action there was a place on w 150 right by jr s house called winners everybody would go there anton weber was a great trick shot and 9 ball guy learned straight pool from jr and tommy parker i heard. rick mcguire crazy guy, lol if he would miss a shot he would change his tip right there. bill the bartender would get games for people... anybody remember that place?
 

franko

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bad

Some bad news Cleveland locals may want to know. Local player and rail bird Bill Gambino passed away Wed.Jan.24th. He came across as a guy with a harsh exterior but underneath was as friendly as you could find. I know many in NEO will miss him.
 

mikepage

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Steve Cook was from Lima, Ohio, close to Dayton. He followed Stigall south to Tampa in the 80's.

About 15-20 years ago I was sitting at the bar at Airway in Dayton --there for a meeting at the base--with an accustats one-pocket match on the TV. After one shot I said to the guy sitting next to me, "he should have tried to move the blah blah blah..." The gentleman, Steve Cook, said..."well here was my thinking ...."
 

Rambow

Registered
Chuck Morgan played any human and won at any game. Straight , 9 ball , one pocket etc.
in the 60’s and 70’s his name was known all over the country yet he didn’t play in tournaments. When road players came gunning for him, he sent them home broke. I was lucky to practice with him for a couple years and he was amazing,
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
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I never saw him play but heard a lot about Billy Stover if anyone has info on him.
I also heard many times Chuck Morgan was the Best and beat a lot of road players.

Down south in Dayton we called him Billy Stauffer. And we called Rempe, Jimmy Rippy. Everything was phonetic in those days, no internet, no billiard mags, no nothin'!
 
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jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Chuck Morgan played any human and won at any game. Straight , 9 ball , one pocket etc.
in the 60’s and 70’s his name was known all over the country yet he didn’t play in tournaments. When road players came gunning for him, he sent them home broke. I was lucky to practice with him for a couple years and he was amazing,

Love to see some pics of Chuck if there are any. He managed to stay under the radar like Jack Cooney for most of his life. I only saw him once for sure, in Dayton in 1974.
 

JustPlay

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Some bad news Cleveland locals may want to know. Local player and rail bird Bill Gambino passed away Wed.Jan.24th. He came across as a guy with a harsh exterior but underneath was as friendly as you could find. I know many in NEO will miss him.


RIP Bill Gambino. I remember him from Northfield Billiards.
 
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