Death of a Hippo

Rickhem

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is where my local APA league would have their Tri-Cups, and some other assorted tournaments. Vic, the owner, has been there for the last few tournaments, and he always had a 9-footer set up for his 4T5 9 ball game for everyone to try while they waited for their match.
Both Vic and Dr. Cue (Tom Rossman) were at this last Turning Stone event promoting the 4T5 game too, and even had the top pros go through it on a 7 foot diamond.
A great guy and it's truly unfortunate that this happened, I hope he moves forward from this with success in whatever and wherever he goes.
 

Positively Ralf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a question: why did they stay in the same spot so long knowing that flooding was/is/will be a major issue? I hate to see a room close but it looks like they just tempted fate too many times.

It says in the article that this last one hit them hard enough were it wasn't feasible to repair the damages. I guess the previous storms only brought small damages that were not killing their pockets.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
I’m going to miss Hippos...had some good times there.

And I was a frequent visitor to Al Conte’s shop...he did me a bunch of favors...
..I found him an unbelievably cheap GC 6x12...he needed it for the Rolling Stones.

Hippo’s grandkid, Victor, was very nice to me also.
...my Szamboti was in a picture at the main entrance.

135BB7A3-1B3A-4190-9DE0-FD391F880733.jpeg

Al was was a bear of a man...fortunately, he loved people.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I’m going to miss Hippos...had some good times there.

And I was a frequent visitor to Al Conte’s shop...he did me a bunch of favors...
..I found him an unbelievably cheap GC 6x12...he needed it for the Rolling Stones.

Hippo’s grandkid, Victor, was very nice to me also.
...my Szamboti was in a picture at the main entrance.

View attachment 533764

Al was was a bear of a man...fortunately, he loved people.

Al Conte was a great man and maybe the best table mechanic I ever met. He set up the tables for just about every pro tournament sponsored by Brunswick and they played perfectly!
 

SBC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a question: why did they stay in the same spot so long knowing that flooding was/is/will be a major issue? I hate to see a room close but it looks like they just tempted fate too many times.

That storm was tremendous. Other areas in Utica flooded. That said the development of land above his location was a huge contributor, replacing farmland that absorbs rain vesus buildings and pavement that don't. The needed drainage improvements were not undertaken because local and state government did not step up. The Department of Environmental Conservation cares more about a few trout in the stream than this 30 year business. They own everything there...hard to just pick up and move.

Victor had reopened 5 months back after a competing room opened a year back. His manager who leased his location had opened a new spot with several months remaining on rights to his room. So after much thought he did reopen and now mother nature dealt his family a tough hand.

He may reopen in some capacity in a new spot, but he is done there.
 

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garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
That storm was tremendous. Other areas in Utica flooded. That said the development of land above his location was a huge contributor, replacing farmland that absorbs rain vesus buildings and pavement that don't. The needed drainage improvements were not undertaken because local and state government did not step up. The Department of Environmental Conservation cares more about a few trout in the stream than this 30 year business. They own everything there...hard to just pick up and move.

Victor had reopened 5 months back after a competing room opened a year back. His manager who leased his location had opened a new spot with several months remaining on rights to his room. So after much thought he did reopen and now mother nature dealt his family a tough hand.

He may reopen in some capacity in a new spot, but he is done there.
Thanks. I wish them well. My state(Okla) gets a lot of flooding and it is brutal.
 

SBC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Al Conte was a great man and maybe the best table mechanic I ever met. He set up the tables for just about every pro tournament sponsored by Brunswick and they played perfectly!

Didn't he have a part in designing the Gold Crown 1?
I have heard that.
 
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