Names from the past

Lock N Load

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Glad you asked Lock, I have been riding old gravel roads drinking cold beer, peeping off bridges, and getting my truck door locked by my rat terrier while it was running out in the middle of nowhere!, just having a good ole time!:smile:


David Harcrow

Very glad to hear you are doing well. I had not heard from you in a while. I worry about my pool shark friend. Keep your eyes on that dog, because you are the Catman! Dogs do not like cats!!!
Many Regards,
Lock N Load.
 

bondsman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Billy was a tall good looking kid who played strong enough to make other people very aware of him and his exploits. He never (rarely) played the tournament scene out West, just hustled all the tournament players! :rolleyes:

Jay your memory of NYC players surpasses anyone I know. Do you Remember a Black player named Russell Lee and a decent player they called Young Chris? Chris was also a stakehorse for Boston Joey before Joey left NYC suddenly in the late 60's. Also did you know Rudy from Phoenix? Thanks
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Hey Jay did you ever run into Danny Jones "Handsome Danny" during your travels?

I met him when he was a much older man through my brother, but he could still play plenty good well into the late 90's, and early 2000's before he died.

I think he won a Johnson City 9-Ball tournament way back when, he played one pocket alot in Shreveport,LA. also.

Danny liked to bet the ponies too!, that was an everyday thing for him to go out to the track and get a daily double down, he would study the racing form religiously.

Danny liked to dance!, I've seen him cut a rug several times in Texarkana on the dance floor, as a matter of fact , he had a heart attack while/after dancing over in Shreveport, he was still living life to the fullest when he left this world!

I remember there was a big 9-Ball tournament in Shreveport out at the Sand Piper Club in the mid- 90's, all the big guns were playing, me and Calvin spent the weekend with Danny and his roommate Little Wayne that worked the poolroom Guy's N Dolls.

I rode out to the tournament with Danny, Calvin and Little Wayne had already gone ahead of us, I was running short, so Danny paid my way in and spotted me $20, I really did like that man alot, he didn't give no bullshit or take none, he let the stick do the talking.


David Harcrow

Handsome Danny Jones was also the American Snooker Champion...twice.
...back in the 60's.
He played 'Fats' a game of 1-pocket once for his last $500 and let him
keep doubling up...they were playing for $4,000 before Fats won a game.

I last saw Danny in Memphis in 1989...he must have been 3 or 4 inches
shorter then and not feeling well...but lost 11-10 to a good player whom
I can't recall. He told me to never get old.
Mike Sigel lost in the finals that tournament to some good ol' boy....
...his name was Buddy.:smile:

regards
double hemlock
 

JoeyA

Efren's Mini-Tourn BACKER
Silver Member
Ernie Sellers

Still alive and doing well. He doesn't play pool any longer but that's understandable since he is in his 80's. Ernie traveled the country playing inexpensive matches wherever he went and always winning. Most people never knew who he was. He was low key, played only good enough to win, had no ego that a mark would ever see and always got the cheese.

I probably have the only photograph of Ernie in existence. Ernie really didn't like photographs and I had to talk long and convincingly to have him pose for the photo. He came from the old school. Didn't teach anyone anything, except if you gambled with him, then you could learn by watching him, because he wasn't going to tell you anything that was going to help your game. :D

Ernie had a habit of pulling on his socks, as if he was pulling them up and occasionally would lick his fingers and press his eyebrows down. :D (Just in case any of you remember a traveling player doing this.) He was a pretty good size guy, never drank alcohol and always humanely, slaughtered his lamb. ;)
 

catpool9

"Rack Um"/ Rusty Lock
Silver Member
Handsome Danny Jones was also the American Snooker Champion...twice.
...back in the 60's.
He played 'Fats' a game of 1-pocket once for his last $500 and let him
keep doubling up...they were playing for $4,000 before Fats won a game.

I last saw Danny in Memphis in 1989...he must have been 3 or 4 inches
shorter then and not feeling well...but lost 11-10 to a good player whom
I can't recall. He told me to never get old.
Mike Sigel lost in the finals that tournament to some good ol' boy....
...his name was Buddy.:smile:

regards
double hemlock



Yes Danny was a great player for sure and a good man, a very likeable person, I always seen his name in the top 10 of almost all the big tournament's that he played.

He was in a terrible car wreck once and broke his neck, always walked around stiff necked after that.


David Harcrow
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Jay your memory of NYC players surpasses anyone I know. Do you Remember a Black player named Russell Lee and a decent player they called Young Chris? Chris was also a stakehorse for Boston Joey before Joey left NYC suddenly in the late 60's. Also did you know Rudy from Phoenix? Thanks

Russell sat close to the door so he could grab someone coming in before anyone else got to him. Played good One Pocket and Banks. I know who Chris was but don't know much about him. Heard he came from a family with money, that's about it. Not sure about Rudy. I think I know who you mean, he was a shortstop around the Golden Eight Ball who side bet on matches. He was there when Ronnie played Danny.
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Hey Jay did you ever run into Danny Jones "Handsome Danny" during your travels?

I met him when he was a much older man through my brother, but he could still play plenty good well into the late 90's, and early 2000's before he died.

I think he won a Johnson City 9-Ball tournament way back when, he played one pocket alot in Shreveport,LA. also.

Danny liked to bet the ponies too!, that was an everyday thing for him to go out to the track and get a daily double down, he would study the racing form religiously.

Danny liked to dance!, I've seen him cut a rug several times in Texarkana on the dance floor, as a matter of fact , he had a heart attack while/after dancing over in Shreveport, he was still living life to the fullest when he left this world!

I remember there was a big 9-Ball tournament in Shreveport out at the Sand Piper Club in the mid- 90's, all the big guns were playing, me and Calvin spent the weekend with Danny and his roommate Little Wayne that worked the poolroom Guy's N Dolls.

I rode out to the tournament with Danny, Calvin and Little Wayne had already gone ahead of us, I was running short, so Danny paid my way in and spotted me $20, I really did like that man alot, he didn't give no bullshit or take none, he let the stick do the talking.


David Harcrow

Of course! I saw Danny EVERYWHERE there was action. He was probably one of the ten best players in America before his accident. He still played good with his cricked neck, but not quite like before. It was a little painful just to watch him play after that.

Fats used to say Danny was the only pool player who gave himself a nickname, hence "Handsome Danny" Jones! He was a good looking rascal as a young man. It's nice to see names like this on here, brings back good memories for me. I remember Danny vividly, a true hustler to the core!
 

RossThompsonJr

"Squirrel Jr"
I was thinking about some of the players I knew many years ago who have slipped into oblivion. Just wondering if anyone out there remembers any of these guys.

Arizona Sean (deceased) - He was a slender handsome young man out of Arizona who became best friends with Don Johnson and worked on Miami Vice as a writer. He was good enough to win a qualifier to play in Fred Whalen's Los Angeles World Championship in 1972. Sean also was a stunt double for Warren Beatty on Shampoo and Kaliediscope. He was a fascinating guy who I last saw at the tourney we held at the Biltmore Hotel in 1987.

Harold Johnson - The all time biggest crybaby I ever saw in pool. And he played pretty good too. He would carry on like his life was coming to an end if he missed a ball or two. He was from Illinois I believe.

Billy Ray Suden - A degenerate hustler who played pretty good back in the 70's. He came into my poolroom in 1973 and we played a Race to Eleven for $200. I was down 9-2 and came back to win. He flipped out and broke his cue. I heard he was still playing back East. Originally from Rhode Island I believe.

Jimmy Harris - From Florida, a damn good little player who had this shit eating grin plastered on his face all day long. Maybe it was the weed :rolleyes:. I snuck Jimmy Reid in on him and after that he left California, returning to Florida.

Junior Harris - I called him the June Bug. He traveled the country playing pool for years. Played a pretty good speed too. Last I heard he turned to preaching.

Bill Mielke - A damn good shortstop out of Wisconsin. I saw him grind down a lot of good players, he had no quit in him. His drinking may have gotten the best of him.

Crazy Bruce - From New Jersey by way of Miami. He was certifiable, one screw loose at all times. Played good Eight Ball but was always his own worst enemy. Heard he made it big in real estate. Could barely read or write!

"Johnny Dollar" Overton - From Ohio and Indiana. He was the first real pool hustler I ever saw in action. He snuck around Dayton beating up on light weights like me. Heard his grandson is John Overton, the pro golfer.

Paul Baker - From Iowa, another triple sneaky and smart hustler who played good golf and pool. His hustle was to go in the pool room and tell everyone he was a golf hustler. And also go to the golf course and tell them he was a pool hustler. Worked for him!

Little Frankie - From New York. He was playing for serious money when he was only 13. A predecessor to Keith, an East Coast version. The cockiest little kid you ever saw. He cussed like a man and he was just a little boy. He could play too!

Augie Donatelli - He came out to California with Freddy and was the better player of the two back then (except for Banks). It took a strong player to beat Augie.

Buddy Dennis - One smooth operator. He was so low key you wouldn't even notice him in the poolroom. That is until he beat the best player in the house out of all his money. :smile:

"Three Fingered" Ronnie Sypher - Out of Baltimore, he was a strong money player and a pretty fun guy to hang around with. I wonder what happened to him.

Steve Carter (deceased?) - A fairly good player that was another head case. I took him around a little out here and he never could do much. Last I heard he put on a tournament and disappeared with the money. This was over 20 years ago.

Where's Toby anyway? I really liked that little guy. He had more heart per square inch than any living human! And Roger Griffis is another very good player that fell off the map. He beat Efren to win the Hollywood Billiards tourney in 1990.

A more famous player that I really liked was Marvin (Henderson). We spent a lot of time together in the 60's just hanging out and getting high. I loved hanging with Marvin, we always had a good time. I miss that ole son-of-a-gun! And what a player he was, simply the best around wherever he went. Although when Richie came up so fast out here Marvin took a pass on him. He was no dummy.

I can probably come up with a lot more, but these are just a few I was wondering about.

My dad keith squirrel thompson was a good one...Ronnie Allen and Cole Dickson were good ones too in the days of johnson city at Janscos
 

bondsman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Russell sat close to the door so he could grab someone coming in before anyone else got to him. Played good One Pocket and Banks. I know who Chris was but don't know much about him. Heard he came from a family with money, that's about it. Not sure about Rudy. I think I know who you mean, he was a shortstop around the Golden Eight Ball who side bet on matches. He was there when Ronnie played Danny.

You are amazing. You nailed all three.
 

topcat1953

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Steve Knight was a strong player. Grew up in PA, moved to Tuscon, then SC, then Phoenix, then San Diego, then CO. Died of a heart attack a few years back.
 

atthecat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi Jay,
I started playing pool at the old Hollywood Billiards about 2 years before the earthquake destroyed it. What ever happened to some of those regulars like
Nelson, Danna, Chico, Shorty, Drummer, etc??? Man, I miss that place! What a hang.
Monte
 

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
The Boggs brothers Freddy and Scotty are still around. Freddy is in Vegas playing one hole and Scotty is in Florida. Scotty is the man you want shooting the $1,000,000.00 game winning ball. He is the real ice man.
"country" Bob
Got to play both brothers up in Maryland in the early '90s. I organized the first BCA Maryland State Singles Championship in 1992, that Scotty took off. Both terrific players and gentlemen to boot.

Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
 

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
Louie Lemke

Louie was a great guy who lived and played here for a while in the early
90s. He was a very talented player with either hand, and played 3 cushion also. Louie was a free spirit that loved pool, blues music and vegetarian food. He was a really nice guy and I still remember him forcing guys to take more weight in games that he clearly had the best of. He had 2 sons that died in a snowstorm in Minnesota in 1984, which was the year he won the BCA 8-ball championship. Louie himself died at 47 from pancreatic cancer in 1999. Here's a couple of pics from back then. Had to dig real deep in the stash to find these-under the David Rhodes pics. Don't get me started on THAT guy:smile:

There's a great thread about Louie from a while back if you search his name on AZ. I had the great fortune to play on a team with Louie in the '86-'87 season that included Whitey Lee, Billy Steele, Jay Gleason, Bobby Schultz and myself. I recently asked Whitey how he thought Louie and Billy matched up. He said Billy was the better. Very sadly, both Louie and Billy left us far too soon.

Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
My dad keith squirrel thompson was a good one...Ronnie Allen and Cole Dickson were good ones too in the days of johnson city at Janscos

Your dad was the famous "shortstop" who took off everyone in Johnston City one year, winning the whole thing. He kind of disappeared from sight after that, mostly staying close to home in Texas. You know more about that than me.

P.S. You look just like him!
 
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jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Hi Jay,
I started playing pool at the old Hollywood Billiards about 2 years before the earthquake destroyed it. What ever happened to some of those regulars like
Nelson, Danna, Chico, Shorty, Drummer, etc??? Man, I miss that place! What a hang.
Monte


Dana's in Cleveland, sometimes shows up at the U.S. Open to gamble. Chico has been out in the Riverside area ever since. I think the Drummer is gone. I did see Shorty a few years back at an L.A. tourney. Nelson I don't know about.
 

vagabond

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Nick always was brushing his teeth at tournaments......and pick imaginary lint off the table constantly....He was a character and a pretty nice cat to boot.


He died at an young age from Brain Tumor. Met him in Providence Rhode Island:cool:
 

vagabond

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey Jay did you ever run into Danny Jones "Handsome Danny" during your travels?
Danny liked to dance!, I've seen him cut a rug several times in Texarkana on the dance floor, as a matter of fact , he had a heart attack while/after dancing over in Shreveport, he was still living life to the fullest when he left this world!
David Harcrow


When he passed away he was living in Pass Christian, MS and I heard he died on the dance floor.:cool:
 
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