Actor Jackie Gleason was known as The Great One. But on one afternoon in the early 1970s, Miami carpenter, yo-yo champion. and amateur pool player Jimmy Sanz was The Greater One.
Sanz was a regular on the billiards tables at Bird Bowl in Miami and a long-gone bar on Northeast 79th Street. A gentleman approached Sanz with an offer to play Gleason at the movie star’s house. Jimmy said, "Of course,"and followed him to Jackie’s house. Sanz’s wife Patti said he was a bit leery of the stranger’s unexpected offer so he brought along his brother Richard just to be safe. Well, Sanz beat him.
After Gleason died in his Inverrary home in 1987, Minnesota Fats told reporters that the actor never asked him for advice before taking on the role. “He was very good. You couldn't beat him. And he played real good pool. He didn’t need no help from nowhere,” Fats said. But Sanz could, and did, beat Gleason.
“He wasn’t happy,” Patti Sanz said, laughing. Still, “Jimmy said he was very gracious but nobody likes to lose.” Richard Sanz said his brother won $11,000 or $12,000 that day off the star after the two played several games on Gleason’s billiards tables. Sanz won every round. “He was a pretty good sport and played good pool. It wasn’t one-sided pool. Jimmy was just better that night,” he said.
Jimmy Sanz passed away last month at the age of 77.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article78268552.html#storylink=cpy
Sanz was a regular on the billiards tables at Bird Bowl in Miami and a long-gone bar on Northeast 79th Street. A gentleman approached Sanz with an offer to play Gleason at the movie star’s house. Jimmy said, "Of course,"and followed him to Jackie’s house. Sanz’s wife Patti said he was a bit leery of the stranger’s unexpected offer so he brought along his brother Richard just to be safe. Well, Sanz beat him.
After Gleason died in his Inverrary home in 1987, Minnesota Fats told reporters that the actor never asked him for advice before taking on the role. “He was very good. You couldn't beat him. And he played real good pool. He didn’t need no help from nowhere,” Fats said. But Sanz could, and did, beat Gleason.
“He wasn’t happy,” Patti Sanz said, laughing. Still, “Jimmy said he was very gracious but nobody likes to lose.” Richard Sanz said his brother won $11,000 or $12,000 that day off the star after the two played several games on Gleason’s billiards tables. Sanz won every round. “He was a pretty good sport and played good pool. It wasn’t one-sided pool. Jimmy was just better that night,” he said.
Jimmy Sanz passed away last month at the age of 77.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/obituaries/article78268552.html#storylink=cpy
