Johnson City
- Thread starter Rico
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http://untoldstoriesgeorgejansco.blogspot.com/
im still shocked that Hollywood hasn't made a movie about this. funny stories, crazy action, weird characters.
they make movies about dumb shit all the time, this has the making of a classic.
this is cool though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghwhBUdtoVA&feature=emb_rel_end
ide like to see this come to completion.
im still shocked that Hollywood hasn't made a movie about this. funny stories, crazy action, weird characters.
they make movies about dumb shit all the time, this has the making of a classic.
this is cool though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghwhBUdtoVA&feature=emb_rel_end
ide like to see this come to completion.
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Danny D and Billy were there, young guns
Yes, a few players of that generation are still around. Of course, we lost Marshall "Squirrel" Carpenter earlier this month, but still with us are Ray Martin, Jim Mataya, and Dallas West, as well as Incardona and Diliberto, as you noted.
I went to JC every year from 1963-67. I saw 'em all, both big and small. I watched them play and have to pay. Every gaff and every game, they taught me things that have no name. I got my Masters degree right there, and it paid me dividends for many a year.
In truth, Johnston City was a real learning experience for me. I thought I could play a little but I soon found out what a real pool player looks like. They may have all been hustlers but these were guys who lived by their wits and most of them were very smart. Maybe the best lesson of all was learning how to spot a con. That one thing has held me in good stead all my life and helped me avoid some pretty convincing con games. To this day I can smell a rat pretty quickly, just by the way they talk and present their scam.
I've been able to help a few of my friends avoid a financial disaster after agreeing to take a look at some "deal" that had been offered to them. And a couple of times (Including with Bernie Madoff) a friend did not take my advice to do his due diligence. One of them handed Bernie a couple of Mil, almost all his family savings. To date they've managed to get back about 40% last I heard.
In truth, Johnston City was a real learning experience for me. I thought I could play a little but I soon found out what a real pool player looks like. They may have all been hustlers but these were guys who lived by their wits and most of them were very smart. Maybe the best lesson of all was learning how to spot a con. That one thing has held me in good stead all my life and helped me avoid some pretty convincing con games. To this day I can smell a rat pretty quickly, just by the way they talk and present their scam.
I've been able to help a few of my friends avoid a financial disaster after agreeing to take a look at some "deal" that had been offered to them. And a couple of times (Including with Bernie Madoff) a friend did not take my advice to do his due diligence. One of them handed Bernie a couple of Mil, almost all his family savings. To date they've managed to get back about 40% last I heard.
Sorry about the spelling,. I was wondering about az members who were ever there. Many post about the modern players would rob these guys and never seen them play. I remember learning more was of matching up than i can count. How many ever heard of the safe 8?. Jay you remember the guy that did trick shots ,i think he had a nickname like Zorba or somthing?
I always enjoy seeing this video of Johnston City, Illinois. https://youtu.be/ekyLXFehvvk
That's an excellent video and very representative of American pool during this era. Weenie Beenie speaks about Johnston City days in many of his interviews. The news reel video clip is from Chicago local News 5 with Dick Kay and occurred in 1972, the same year my daughter was born.
They called Ronnie Allen "Fast Eddie" a lot, and I loved the broadcaster's deep voice narrating all the the festivities and the brief snippets of the attendees, showing the cash moving back and forth between hands.
The news anchor speaks about the "man in the python shoes," none other than Minnesota Fats:
Then there's the King of the Hustlers, Minnesota Fats, who helped put the Johnston City tournament together. Fats lives about 12 miles from the show bar, but he never plays in the tournament. He waits for someone to win the $20,000 prize money and then shoots them for the cash. That's his hustle, but according to Fats, everybody's got one.
Then comes Minnesota Fats with his gift of gab:
Ain't Nixon hustling? Ain't he out shaking hands, 24 hours a day, trying to be the President? Hey, ain't everybody hustling? Yeah, everybody's scuffling. You see, there's two different -- there's a scuffler and a hustler. A hustler is one that's always in action and gets it once in a while, see, and a good hustler gets it more often. Then there's a scuffler. He never gets it. Understand? All he ever does is waste his time, gets in everybody's way. You understand? He goes through life, and he's a failure.
The ending to this 3-minute video says it all: Hustling may have been the name of the game, but it was a way of life.
Great video. I wish there were more like this one. It is a real American treasure. I never tire of seeing it.
That's an excellent video and very representative of American pool during this era. Weenie Beenie speaks about Johnston City days in many of his interviews. The news reel video clip is from Chicago local News 5 with Dick Kay and occurred in 1972, the same year my daughter was born.
They called Ronnie Allen "Fast Eddie" a lot, and I loved the broadcaster's deep voice narrating all the the festivities and the brief snippets of the attendees, showing the cash moving back and forth between hands.
The news anchor speaks about the "man in the python shoes," none other than Minnesota Fats:
Then there's the King of the Hustlers, Minnesota Fats, who helped put the Johnston City tournament together. Fats lives about 12 miles from the show bar, but he never plays in the tournament. He waits for someone to win the $20,000 prize money and then shoots them for the cash. That's his hustle, but according to Fats, everybody's got one.
Then comes Minnesota Fats with his gift of gab:
Ain't Nixon hustling? Ain't he out shaking hands, 24 hours a day, trying to be the President? Hey, ain't everybody hustling? Yeah, everybody's scuffling. You see, there's two different -- there's a scuffler and a hustler. A hustler is one that's always in action and gets it once in a while, see, and a good hustler gets it more often. Then there's a scuffler. He never gets it. Understand? All he ever does is waste his time, gets in everybody's way. You understand? He goes through life, and he's a failure.
The ending to this 3-minute video says it all: Hustling may have been the name of the game, but it was a way of life.
Great video. I wish there were more like this one. It is a real American treasure. I never tire of seeing it.
Those old time players knew a lot about matching up and if they had to play a better player they knew what to ask for. I think that would still hold true today. I doubt that the modern group of One Pocket players would fare well with Ronnie Allen or Bill Incardona in their prime. They would lose before the game even started. :grin:
There were many trick shot shooters back then. You may be thinking of the guy from South America (Argentina I think) who criss crossed the country booking exhibitions in the early 70's. He was actually an excellent Three Cushion player. He did an exhibition for me in my poolroom in Bakersfield in 1973 or 74.
I'm old enough to have seen Charlie Peterson put on an exhibition in 1963 in Detroit. He was the best trick shot artist of his era, and must have been over 80 when I saw him. I think he died a couple of years later.
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Jay, Peterson's BCA Hall of Fame listing has him living from 1880-1962 and dying "at the age of 83... ." :shrug:
I've seen that before, but I will have to contest that. He was at the Detroit event in 1963. He may have died later that year.
It could have been Tom Cosmo? A “cosmo out - do people remember what it means? Same as a Mickey Mouse out. He was in Johnston City. I’m pretty sure I read an article about him in The National Billiard News. Will try to dig out and post later
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and Jim Rempe, of course. I think he won the one pocket division in 1971. The field must have been fairly weak that year or Jim just got very lucky. Watching him play Jimmy Fusco at the 1991 Legends, I must say that one pocket clearly wasn’t his forte
Edit. Keith Thompson is also alive and well. As a matter of fact, he posts regularly on onepocket.org
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Rempe's win was at the Stardust, which was the reincarnation of the Johnston city event. The last Johnston City event was in 1970.
One of the funnies episodes was when the FBI raided the place they found dozens of discarded firearms. Then when Fats testified at the hearing he dazzled them with his bs and they dropped the whole thing - but the raid did end the Johnston City event.
I believe Pauli Jansco may have tried to move it to Vegas - not sure about that.
I believe Pauli Jansco may have tried to move it to Vegas - not sure about that.
Thanks no z ,it was Cosmo .He was the first i seen shot were the cue ball went into a paper bag ,flipped over and came out.I talked about spots and matching up,heres one i learned if it sounds to good. I was sleeping on the bleachers out back in the cue club a guy wakes me up and wants to play.I knew i had to be careful but after turning down everything he offered he tried to outrun the nuts. He says i,ll give you the hand span . what i say? I got him what a stupid game no one can give me that .I also learned what a snap was. He gave me gas money.
The Johnston City event ran from 1961 through 1972. The FBI raid was in '72.
http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/dick_kay/johnston_city_pool.html
http://www.thehypertexts.com/Johnst...ent Winners and Player Profiles Billiards.htm
http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/dick_kay/johnston_city_pool.html
http://www.thehypertexts.com/Johnst...ent Winners and Player Profiles Billiards.htm