RIP Larry Lisciotti

P

Pool984

Registered
Just watched Larry play Mike Sigel a race to 100 of straight pool titled the "Challenge of the Decade" in the Larry Lisciotti invitational in Aspen Colorado, it was a great watch. The last of a dying breed.

Download it here - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IU9CLV5B

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/31397391.png/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/lisciotti2000.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/233/76winner.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/great21lascoti1.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/91354108.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/larryp.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/lisciotti.png/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/706/larryandsusan.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/585/85187621.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/231/hofrd.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/larryscase.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/lisciotti72stardustprog.jpg/
 
Last edited:
Larry Lisciotti, Pocket Billiards Champion, Dies Of Cancer
Sports
February 20, 2004|By Earl Yost

I've lived in penthouses and flophouses for 25 years,'' Larry Lisciotti recalled in 1994 when inducted into the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame, which recognized his accomplishments in pocket billiards.

Lisciotti, 57, died last week after losing a battle to cancer.

Lisciotti's greatest success in 45 years with the cue stick came in 1976 when he outlasted favorite and four-time open champion Steve Mizerak to win the Professional Pool Players' Association Tournament in Asbury Park, N.J.

The local man had to come out of the losers bracket to whip Mizerak, 150 to 47, and in the showdown finals, had a 150 to 108 edge to claim the $10,000 cash prize.
Advertisement

Two years later Lisciotti, still ranked No. 1, challenged anyone to a $250,000 winner-take-all match in Las Vegas. There were no takers.

``There have been a lot of ups and downs in my life, but luckily there have been more ups,'' he said. ``There were periods when I won well into six figures and lost that amount in others.''

``I would play for nickels and dimes when I first started out playing pool at the East Side and West Side Rec Centers until I found out there was a lot of money in the sport,'' he said.

Lisciotti had played Little League baseball in Manchester until he discovered pool tables when he was 14.

Two years later he won his first Connecticut and New England tournaments and he was on the way to a lifetime adventure. He often quipped that he never worked a full day in any job other than pool.

Taking on all comers, from coast to coast, hustling against the best players in small towns and big cities, Lisciotti soon found his travels included Europe and Hawaii where pickings were good against all measures of talent.

While his biggest money matches were elsewhere, he was picked one night to go against Minnesota Fats, recognized as the world's top cue artist. The exhibition match took place in Manchester and Lisciotti won easily.

``I had played against Fats a number of times and I never lost,'' Lisciotti said.

Besides being involved in competitive matches and tournaments, Lisciotti found it profitable to give exhibitions and display his wizardry with trick shots.

Lisciotti's best run was 348 balls in a New London tournament, which he won easily. He notes his usual straight runs in competition were in the 100 to 150 ball range with more than 30 runs in 200 range.

After extensive traveling and head-to-head matches against the world's best players, Lisciotti came home and opened World Championship Billiards on Spencer Street.
 
Thanks

I downloaded the video and am getting ready to watch it! I had Jerry Rauenzahn (-R-) make me a Balabushka Tribute cue a few months ago. The original cue was owned by Steve Mizerak and he won the 1975 Worlds 14.1 Championship with it. Larry won the cue from him shortly afterwards gambling with Steve from what I was told. In 1976 Larry won the Worlds 14.1 in Asbury Park, NJ with the same cue. I was there...during a bad hurricane.

Here is a link to the cue that -R- built me in tribute to that Balabushka:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=235854

Again thanks for the video download

Wedge
 
Last edited:
You are correct he did beat Steve out of that cue, Steve had beat Larry when he was young and after the match he told Larry to get a job, when Larry beat him for the world title Larry told him to get a job. :smile:
 
Pool984 said:
You are correct he did beat Steve out of that cue, Steve had beat Larry when he was young and after the match he told Larry to get a job, when Larry beat him for the world title Larry told him to get a job. :smile:
Click to expand...

He'll be missed.
 
The cue in the video

Pool984 said:
You are correct he did beat Steve out of that cue, Steve had beat Larry when he was young and after the match he told Larry to get a job, when Larry beat him for the world title Larry told him to get a job. :smile:
Click to expand...

I can't see the cue in the video. Is it the same Balabushka?
 
That site wants me to create an account and give them my credit card #, saying it won't be billed until I order something.

Am I doing something wrong (other than using a mac and firefox)?
 
I'm also using Mac and Firefox. For downloading from Megaupload, just wait 45 seconds and pick the free option marked Regular download. If you pick Premium download, you're required to either sign in with an existing account or create an account with your credit card.
 

Attachments

  • Screen shot 2011-09-18 at 6.42.58 PM.jpg
    Screen shot 2011-09-18 at 6.42.58 PM.jpg
    52 KB · Views: 658
Last edited:
Larry was a good man. In the early 70s there was a story in Playboy magazine about him playing straight pool against Joe Canton. Larry won the first matchup, but Joe scheduled another at the room of his chosing. Joe told me that at the first match, the room was so full of cigarette smoke, that his eyes burned badly and he couldn't play well at all. He chose a room for the second match, a week later, where the room had a large fan to bring in fresh air. Joe beat him soundly the second week.
Joe taught me straight pool in Troy, NY in the early 70s.
Larry and I spent an evening together at a bar in the early 80s, where I heard him recall one amazing road story after another.
May Larry rest in peace.
 
One of my favorite players to watch and if he had to earn a living from something other than pool he could have been a professional story teller. My favorite Larry story was around '93. Larry comes into L & J Billiards where I worked for an All About Pool event and him and him and Gene Tivanan get gabbing and carrying on which results in Gene barking at me to get my cue right now. It appears Larry had no cue and I was to lend him mine if I valued my job. So I come in early on Sunday to help set up for day 2 and I am going around picking up and emptying ash trays when Gene reaches out from under the table he was sleeping under and grabs my ankle scare the s*** out of me and says "hey kid don't empty that glass, it's got my teeth in it". I keep on picking up and suddenly Larry grabs my ankle out from under the table he was sleeping under and scares the hell out of me....Larry says "hey you still got that cue I can borrow" sure Larry no problem...."That's good now go back over there and throw Gene's teeth out and I will give you a $100". Just one of many but he was certainly a character and a tragedy that he is gone too soon.
 
Lisciotti came to town many years ago and asked the local future one pocket hall of famer to some friendly $200 a game one hole. Our local hero came out on top the first day. Next day Lisciotti got his money back and then some. It was years after he was worlds champion, but it didnt matter.:D
 
Okay I'll Ask

kybill9 said:
Lisciotti came to town many years ago and asked the local future one pocket hall of famer to some friendly $200 a game one hole. Our local hero came out on top the first day. Next day Lisciotti got his money back and then some. It was years after he was worlds champion, but it didnt matter.:D
Click to expand...

Who was the "local future one pocket hall of famer" ???
 
Larry was "one of a kind" for sure. When I read threads like this I'm happy to be thinking about him and yet I miss him too, never to be seen again. He was a great character, a great gambler and a great all around player, with no weaknesses. Forgive me for sometimes leaving him off my list of all time great all around players.

Larry called me about six weeks before he died, I guess to say good bye. He knew he had a short time left. What could have been a very sad conversation, turned out to be more hilarity from one of pool's great comics. Larry was known to bet thousands every weekend on NFL games, and the normal procedure is to pay up the following week. Larry's "credit line" with the books was easily 10K or more. But the word got around that Larry was dying and the books would no longer extend him credit. Larry lamented to me, "Jay, I used to be able to get down $5,000 on any game. Now they're asking me to post. Do you believe it? What's this world coming to?"

He cracked me up, even when he was dying, all he cared about was getting some good action! They don't make them like Larry anymore. He broke the mold. Probably the most fearless gambler this side of Cornbread Red and he could pitch one liners as fast as Keith. I consider myself lucky to have spent so much time around these great characters, and I promise you more stories about my travels with them. "More Pool Wars" is a book in progress!
 
Last edited:
Boston Celtic great Larry Bird was known as "Larry Legend." Another legend in New England was named Larry Lisciotti, and many of us would fondly refer to him as "Larry Legend."

I recall when Larry showed up to a tournament in 1997 at the Branford Cue and Brew in Connecticut on a frigid, snowy day. To everybody's amazement, Larry showed up wearing sandals and no socks. Yes, he was one of a kind.

He's greatly missed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top