Interview yesterday and today

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
I was at a luncheon interview by the "Chicago Reader" yesterday at the famous Greek Islands restaurant. The interviewee was Aimee Levitt, staffer. The Reader picked up the tab, which was nice, as was Aimee. The interview got pretty candid, the only place we didnt go was sex stories. Although I did chronicle my adventures with my old backer Mike Weldon who was a porn movie producer. One of her questions was, "What was the worst thing you ever did in your pool career?" I did answer the question.

Tonight I will be in the interview box again on the Mark Bazer Interview Show at the Hideout in Chicago, 6:30 PM. I will be there with 3 other guests that include, Stacy Ballis, author of "Out to Lunch," Christina Kahrl, the transgender ESPN writer, and Peter Sagal, host of,"Wait, wait, dont tell me!" I am almost ashamed to say that I dont know any of them from Adam.

Mark Bazer emailed me asking me if there was any subject that I didnt want him to broach. The paranoid Sicilian came out in me and I figured if I answered, that would be the for sure subject he would bring up, so I played it "safe" and said he could ask me anything.

And you can bet your bippy that my conversation isnt going to feature the pristine side of the pool world, ie., dress codes, proper conduct at the table, the evils of gambling, and the intricacies of center ball.:grin-square:

Beard

These will be 2 good warmups for my Book Launch in NY next thursday, April 10th.
 

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
Peter Sagel seems like a nice guy from his on-air persona. Rule of thumb is just be yourself. Genuine beats Programmed all day long.
 

youngstownkid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
you definitely have nothing to worry about, you're such a good storyteller that I'm sure that's all that it would take to win them over. I still remember when I met you a couple years ago at the Derby and when you found out I was from Youngstown how you broke out into a perfect verbatim impression of Richard Pryor doing his Youngstown skit...lol, good times.
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Freddy -

I hope you told the Rat story. My all time favorite Freddy the Beard story.

Even when I am having a bad day I can think of that one and it always puts a smile on my face.

Ken
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Went on the show last night. Jeez, the joint was packed. Standing room only, and there werent many places left to stand. Total yuppie crowd. Looking over the crowd, I realized I had zero connection to anybody in the joint other than the human race. On top of that, since the joint is on the North Side, 95 % of them were Cub fans. Yecch! I actually was a little nervous when I went on stage, but if I was going to go down, I was going to go down being The Beard, a charter Secret Society member.

The interviewer, Mark Bazer, was a good interviewer and not a bad guy. He asked me beforehand if there was any subject he shouldn't broach. I told him all my crimes have had the Statute of Limitations expire, so fire away and ask anything -- which he did.

His first question came out of the glossary in my book and he wanted to know what "playing on ass" meant. It just so happened that I had a pal in the audience (Peaches Rochford) who exemplified the term so I handled that query easily.

He asked about Fats, which was a laydown subject, and then asked me what a "shit-mickey" was. If he was trying to embarrass me, he wasnt using strong enough bullets. When he finished by asking what was in a shit-mickey, and I replied, "Rat poison -- just a little." The joint went to pieces.

Mark tried slowing me down in a few spots --- yeah, that was really going to work. I'll always remember Fats ripping the mike out of Whispering Joe Wilson's hand when Joe was trying to pull Fatty up from a verbal barrage against CornBreadRed.

After it was over, I was besieged by the crowd. Twenty years younger and I coulda scored in about 10 different spots.

Best description of the night for me was what my old hustling mentor, Hollywood Jack Nicholson (the hustler not the actor, fer christakes) used to say after a successful bar hustle: "Killed 'em in cold-blood.... blood all over the floor."

Beard

The whole thing will be up on the Huffington Post and YouTube shortly. Will let y'all know when I know.
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Mark Bazer promised the interview to be up on his site, YouTube and the Huffington Post, this thursday (10th) or friday.

Beard
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Hideout interview is now up

The interview that I did with Mark Bazer at the Hideout in Chicago, is now up on YouTube. Pocket Billiards from a hustler's point of view. I had a great time up there.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP35sXdDFuc

It will also be posted up on the Huffington Post shortly.

Beard
 

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Pushout

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Freddy, great job! We watched just a few minutes yesterday before we had to go out. Will watch the rest later today. Ya laid 'em in the aisles, that's fer sure!
 

GeoEnvi

Diamond System Enthusiast
Silver Member
This clip (like the older one where you tell the Karas story) is destined for pool history.

After seeing a few YouTube clips and reading his Encylopedia, it's pretty clear to me that the Beard is one of the last great pool storytellers. It's no wonder he was fond of such greats as Fats and Fels. He's right up there with them, in terms of the personality and gift of gab.

I could sit and watch you tell a story for HOURS, Freddy!
 
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