I heard about a guy from the East coast or Pennsylvania area nicknamed the Jeweler who was along with Flyboy, Hooker, Jew paul, Harry Platis, Bucktooth, etc. were some of the best scores if you could win in the U.S? Was the Jeweler a strong player. I was told a story that he walked into his home room and dumped 100k+ on the table during a tournament looking for action.
Who is nicknamed "The Jeweler"
- Thread starter huckster
- Start date
DawgAndy said:
Dawg,
It was not Hugo I worked for Hugo one summer "collecting" I used to hang around Dennis Wade until he screwed it up with Hugo and Butchie. I went with Hugo to the famous storage facility that had 10million in jewels and gold bars. I waited in the car while Hugo made a "deposit". Interestingly the first time I met Hugo I got into a ring game with John Kearns, Hugo, Poorboy, and Louie Karamas. I played between Hugo and Poorboy, but before we got started Louie asked me to take his action in the game since he was broke. I knew once he played he would never be invited back. We played 100 a man respot the nineball if it was made before the last ball. Louie and I did not partner up as strong as he played we didn't have too. I think we split 4k after raising the bet halfway through to 300 a man. Poorboy quit a thousand dollar winner and I split 4k with Louie
There used to be a player called the Jeweler up Pennsylvania way.
I think -- and I may be wrong -- that he used to own a pool room in Indiana, Pennsylvania, which is now run and/or owned by Gary Nolan, the Bushwhacker.
In the early '80s, the Jeweler was a good prospective game of stakes, if you were fortunate enough to match up with him.
JAM
I think -- and I may be wrong -- that he used to own a pool room in Indiana, Pennsylvania, which is now run and/or owned by Gary Nolan, the Bushwhacker.
In the early '80s, the Jeweler was a good prospective game of stakes, if you were fortunate enough to match up with him.
JAM
IIRC, he played a large role in the cultivation of Slivka...
JAM said:
I think you're talking about Ernie Lorelli.
Here's an article from when he still owned the hall.
http://www.insidepool.com/article863.html?POSTNUKESID=5e8eeaf7dc15186099d840741cefb36e
Are you talking about "Joe the Jeweler"? From NY/NJ area that travels to Florida sometimes?
There is a Jeweler probably from every state....But being from the Boston Area...The Jeweler here was Skippy DiPrisco...His family owned a Big time Jewelry store in Downtown Boston....Which is still there today..high end stuff...
Skippy as told to me by those who knew him first hand... loved Big Action played around A level and would play real high...If you could beat him the pay off was real good..He was a fixture at Boston Bowl when that place was action Central..I'm not sure if he is still living?
I'm sure every roadie and his brother tried to get a piece of this guy...
Skippy as told to me by those who knew him first hand... loved Big Action played around A level and would play real high...If you could beat him the pay off was real good..He was a fixture at Boston Bowl when that place was action Central..I'm not sure if he is still living?
I'm sure every roadie and his brother tried to get a piece of this guy...
"The Jeweler" is in fact, Ernie Lorelli. He used to be a very, very good score. He played one pocket and 9-ball fairly well, but he would go off for many, many thousands if he though he was in a good game. He used to own Lucky Break Billiards in Indiana, PA (an hour and a half northeast of Pittsburgh). He sold his room and quit pool about a year ago.
huckster said:
Huckster--When you were working with Hugo, did you ever know one of his inside men, Franklin Winn?
The Kiss said:
I think Skippy played real good back in the 60's and early 70's. And he would take on anyone. I remember hearing about this rich guy in Boston that was playing all the top players. At first he held his own, but after a steady diet of Boston Shorty (he may have alerted everyone else), Eddie Kelly, Jersey Red, Johnny Ervolino, Cornbread, Richie from the Bronx, Bernie Schwartz and even Lassiter himself, he just got worn out.
He just couldn't keep fading all these great players one after another. They finally beat him into submission. Eventually his game weakened and after a year or two he was toast.
Last edited:
For that matter, Bucktooth IS a jeweler. For real!
You are correct with you information Jennie. He was such a good score we moved here. People couldn't wait until January after his busy season; and would stalk him. He picked who he wanted to play. I once watched him play Big Arm John (I believe) and was really down, he came back and got even, John left. So, he chased him down the road to commence to drop 10K. I was there all night and watched it all.
My best to you and Keith
We were told that The Jeweler was a good score.
I remember traveling in Pennsylvania with a steer. I was with a road player named Geese. The mayor of a small town outside of Altoona owned a bar, and people would walk in with milk cartons, and he'd fill the milk cartons up with draught beer on tap. The beer of choice was Genesee, and it was funny to hear people come to the bar and say, "Lemme have a Genny," which sounded like my name. Hahahaha!
It's interesting, the memories I have on the road outside of pool. There was a diner on a major thoroughfare that had great food, cheap. A peanut and butter sandwich, as an example, cost 95 cents.
We must have been in Pennsylvania during hunting season, because on the back roads, it seemed like almost every car had a deer on the hood of it as they drove by. I didn't like that so much.
Geese ended up playing some Southern guy wearing alligator boots in a bowling alley on a Sunday. Everything else was closed. It was a back-and-forth match, with Geese coming out ahead. I did not find out until many years later when I went to a tournament in Maryland that the Southern guy was Scotty Townsend. I recognized him and his alligator boots. He won the Maryland tournament that year.
I wish I had taken photos back then, but of course, as we all know, those of us who lived those years, no pool player would have wanted his photo taken.
