Have you any good stories about underworld characters you met in Pool Rooms?

CJ Wiley

ESPN WORLD OPEN CHAMPION
Gold Member
Silver Member
Sorry if this comes across as ignorant but I am new here and don’t have much background on your venture other than understanding that your trying to “reinvent” the game to bring excitement and fresh eyes I suppose, to it....is that somewhat accurate?? If so, the 45 min video that you speak of, can I see it perhaps?? I love the idea of shining a spotlight back onto “this thing of ours....” (see what I did there...😉) and reintroducing the game (and whatever this exciting new one that your working on will be) to the new generation as well as reigniting the passion, but this time on a much broader scale, within the guardians of yesteryear, at least the ones still with us. It’s sad to watch such a storied pastime fade into oblivion when the reality of it is, it’s true story (and many many colorful stories and their colorful characters) have almost never even been told yet! And if we don’t shine that light on it very soon, unfortunately we will no longer have anyone around with us that can actually tell those stories first hand! It’s sad but it doesn’t have to be!
(Sorry for rambling but the whole concept gets me fired up!) But long story short, if there is anything or anyway that you could use another body, or brain to get involved in any fashion, I would love to have the opportunity to be a part of something like this in any capacity. In fact it would be an honor to do so. But if not, you gained just one more supporter regardless who’s pulling for you and wishes you all the success coming to you. I have no doubt that with your passion you will succeed either way!
Best!
Roy
Yes, pool has a rich past and lots of colorful characters for sure. The reason I have the knowledge and understanding to put this project together is because of playing the 2 Foul game with players like Billy Johnson, Toby Sweet, Reid Pierce, Weldon Rogers LA Keith, and other legendary gamblers.

I'm not to the point to release the video to anyone, there are some legal issues I'm dealing with first. Right now I'm getting some great players together to play the game as much as possible and fine tune anything that needs refining. I'm confident that I've developed a superb model, and I'm also the type that is willing to improve myself, or my businesses with new, well proven information. I'm a dedicated researcher and spend several hours a day reading and digging for the truth. This is quite a job when you get started because you start realizing many things that you thought were true for sure, are not.

I'd like to see you get involved because having a passion for the game is a prerequisite that I'm looking for, along with a specific skill set. Today I had several people contact me that were advanced in different areas, from TV production, technical prowess to logo and artwork specialists and even a professional poker player. I'm good friends with the man that runs the World Series of Poker, so I've been to Vegas and went with him to meet some poker players that may get involved once we have a tested model.

We'll talk soon Roy, thanks for reaching out, I appreciate you!
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have some great stories of underworld characters, but the important thing to remember, is that once you jump into the cesspool they operate in , it's hard to get the stink off , no matter how often you wash.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I have some great stories of underworld characters, but the important thing to remember, is that once you jump into the cesspool they operate in , it's hard to get the stink off , no matter how often you wash.
Literally I could write a book just about all the untimely deaths of people I knew from the Pool world. Off the top of my head, there was Peanut, a black scuffler that I played with around L.A., Lloyd Thompson, a grifter who cheated his way around Oklahoma City poolrooms, Harry Petros, a very strong Philly area player with mob connections who ended up stuffed in the trunk of his car, Charlie the Ape, whose murder was never solved, Mike Surber, a very popular pool player whose death has been widely reported on here, and a few others who's name escapes me at the moment. The young kid hustler who won the handicap event at the Sands and was a budding night club promoter. He was found with his throat slit. The black hustler who was rumored to be a big time dealer around SoCal who was shot dead in Lancaster, CA. Monroe Brock, a big time backer who was shot through his kitchen window while making a sandwich. Leon, the bank robber who befriended me, got shot by the cops after robbing Pink's hot dog stand in L.A. I'm sure I could think of some more if I took the time.

Being a gambler and a rounder can be a dangerous way of life. I've had two or three close calls myself.
 
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alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Literally I could write a book just about all the untimely deaths of people I knew from the Pool world. Off the top of my head, there was Peanut, a black scuffler that I played with around L.A., Lloyd Thompson, a grifter who cheated his way around Oklahoma City poolrooms, Harry Petros, a very strong Philly area player with mob connections who ended up stuffed in the truck of his car, Charlie the Ape, whose murder was never solved, Mike Surber, a very popular pool player whose death has been widely reported on here, and a few others who's name escapes me at the moment. The young kid hustler who won the handicap event at the Sands and was a budding night club promoter. He was found with his throat slit. The black hustler who was rumored to be a big time dealer around SoCal who was shot dead in Lancaster, CA. Monroe Brock, a big time backer who was shot through his kitchen window while making a sandwich. Leon, the bank robber who befriended me, got shot by the cops after robbing Pink's hot dog stand in L.A. I'm sure I could think of some more if I took the time.

Being a gambler and a rounder can be a dangerous way of life. I've had two or three close calls myself.
Gotta be careful when robbing a hot dog stand. Tried to rob a hot dog stand and shot himself in the weiner.


SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE - A 19-year-old man who shot himself in the penis after allegedly holding up a South Side hot dog stand Tuesday won’t be going home when he’s released from the hospital.

....

Still pointing the gun at the workers, Pouncy stooped over to collect the cash, Antonietti said. Shifting the gun in his waistband as he ran out, he apparently pulled the trigger, firing a bullet that struck him in the penis, Antonietti said.
 

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
Here is a private collection photo.
Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking hanging around all these people.
Then I wonder in a few years, no one will care.

These underworld characters I have watched growing up.
In this photo if I told you the stories from my pov you wouldn't believe them.



PoolParty.JPG
 

cue4me

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Literally I could write a book just about all the untimely deaths of people I knew from the Pool world. Off the top of my head, there was Peanut, a black scuffler that I played with around L.A., Lloyd Thompson, a grifter who cheated his way around Oklahoma City poolrooms, Harry Petros, a very strong Philly area player with mob connections who ended up stuffed in the truck of his car, Charlie the Ape, whose murder was never solved, Mike Surber, a very popular pool player whose death has been widely reported on here, and a few others who's name escapes me at the moment. The young kid hustler who won the handicap event at the Sands and was a budding night club promoter. He was found with his throat slit. The black hustler who was rumored to be a big time dealer around SoCal who was shot dead in Lancaster, CA. Monroe Brock, a big time backer who was shot through his kitchen window while making a sandwich. Leon, the bank robber who befriended me, got shot by the cops after robbing Pink's hot dog stand in L.A. I'm sure I could think of some more if I took the time.

Being a gambler and a rounder can be a dangerous way of life. I've had two or three close calls myself.
I have a friend who was an extremely strong player (over 250 ball run in straight pool) who played pool with Harry Petros the night he was killed. They had a couple of guys watching them the entire session. When they finished early in the morning my friend went home to sleep. He woke up and went out for something to eat and the paper. On the front page was the news that Harry had been killed and robbed of all his money and expensive jewelry. Like Jay mentioned, Harry was reported to be the head of the Greek mob in Philly.
 

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Here is a private collection photo.
Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking hanging around all these people.
Then I wonder in a few years, no one will care.

These underworld characters I have watched growing up.
In this photo if I told you the stories from my pov you wouldn't believe them.



View attachment 574611
You do realize you're talking to other people who have been around this game for decades right? We're not a bunch of old ladies at a bingo game you can lie to about your "underworld" exploits with. That picture is of the least "underworld" people in the game.
How do you make this crap up? Why dont you go away
 

justnum

Billiards Improvement Research Projects Associate
Silver Member
You do realize you're talking to other people who have been around this game for decades right? We're not a bunch of old ladies at a bingo game you can lie to about your "underworld" exploits with. That picture is of the least "underworld" people in the game.
How do you make this crap up? Why dont you go away

I am serious. To me a poolroom is the underworld. Everyone else I knew pursued other things.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a friend who was an extremely strong player (over 250 ball run in straight pool) who played pool with Harry Petros the night he was killed. They had a couple of guys watching them the entire session. When they finished early in the morning my friend went home to sleep. He woke up and went out for something to eat and the paper. On the front page was the news that Harry had been killed and robbed of all his money and expensive jewelry. Like Jay mentioned, Harry was reported to be the head of the Greek mob in Philly.
 

7stud

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
pool's the ideal lockdown game, and it looks like "the powers that should not be" want us in our homes for "some" reason....wonder what that could be

Gunga galunga,
Q
 

Cuaba

Livin Large
Silver Member
Without going in to too many details...
Several Made Mafia guys, CIA Spooks, & one guy who was an international fugitive wanted by the FBI.
The last guy actually bribed the police to keep me from going to jail in Jakarta after an incident in a pool game...
 

book collector

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here is a private collection photo.
Sometimes I wonder what was I thinking hanging around all these people.
Then I wonder in a few years, no one will care.

These underworld characters I have watched growing up.
In this photo if I told you the stories from my pov you wouldn't believe them.



View attachment 574611
You are mistaking fringe society with underworld characters.
 

jokrswylde

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I always wondered why not just promote 8 ball as the "game". It is by far played by more humans than any other pool game. Rules are simple, strategy is plentiful....and everyone already knows the basics...

Back to shady characters...had an uncle in law get beat to death with a cue in a dive bar in gadsden, alabama called the Fuzzy Duck. Story goes that he ended up hustling the wrong dude, as he was leaving, guy hit him once in the back of the head...dead as a hammer...this would have been around 1987.

Around 1994, me and a buddy were in a pool hall in Tuscaloosa. My buddy had been playing this little, middle aged fella for 20 bucks a rack. Every rack, my buddy would get down the the last ball, and somehow just barely lose. They middle aged guy kept saying, man, I don't even play 8 ball, ever!

After about 200 bucks my friend us bust. As the guy leaves, the guy at the register says, see you tomorrow, squirrel.

Took me about 20 years to figure out who that was.
 

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Without going in to too many details...
Several Made Mafia guys, CIA Spooks, & one guy who was an international fugitive wanted by the FBI.
The last guy actually bribed the police to keep me from going to jail in Jakarta after an incident in a pool game...
How do you know they were CIA?
 

ShootingArts

Smorg is giving St Peter the 7!
Gold Member
Silver Member
Just a chuckle. Had a little discussion over a pool table in a bar that resulted in some property damage. The owner got angry, called the law. I spent the night in the gray bar hotel. Still in my teens, I had to call my mom so she didn't have the typical Italian mother, "My God, he is laying in a ditch somewhere murdered" thing going.

She was upset that I was in a cell with "criminals". I laughed, "Don't worry mom I'll be fine, these are the same guys I work and play with all the time!"

Hu
 
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