An unsung straight pool NYC legend named George Mikula used to play out of Julian's. I met him in the late 80's at Chelsea Billiards, where he taught me how to play 14.1. He had an incredible eye for picking out dead balls out of the stack. I learned everything about it from him and it is admittedly one of my strongest abilities. In fact, Michael Geffner once said about me that he's never seen anyone, ever, do it better than I. I've carried around the compliment for nearly 20 years. I have Geoarge to thank for it. Unfortunately, George was an unsalvageable alcoholic. I know when sober he taught Ginky and Johnathan Smith how to play, among many others. And until the day it closed, George held the high run at Chelsea with a run over 300 ( I forget the number on the plaque)
Here's a repost from 2013, Stu:
"Being that I grew up not too far from Julians, I spent quite a few of my teenage days playing and observing there. Although I was just a "kid" at the time, the two brothers who owned the room and worked the counter knew me well enough to allow me to run a tab there, my first credit extension, although I rarely used it.
There were actually two sets of stairs leading in and out of the room, and quite a room it was. While not quite having the same cache of 7/11, Ames, or McGirrs, it probably fell only about a half ball short. Room was open until, I believe, 2:00 AM, whereas local rooms in the area closed at 11:00 or maybe 12:00PM, while 7/11 and Ames were opened 24 hours. I don't know much about McGirrs except that it was on 8th Avenue, somewhere around the 42nd Street area. Saw Peter Falk, "Columbo", playing there once .
Julians had quite a number of pool tables, probably over thirty, I don't remember which brand they were but if I had to, I'd bet they were Brunswicks. Also had a very large snooker table, probably a 6'x 12', and several billiards tables. It was quite the serious room.
The resident "champion" was a gentleman named George Mikula, and a champion he truly was. Constantly running a hundred plus balls in straight pool and not uncommon to see him do some amazing things on the billiard table as well, I understand that he had run an eleven or twelve. Unfortunately, George had the reputation of not doing as well when he gambled, especially for higher stakes...but it didn't matter he was loved in Julians and would find backers whenever someone from "uptown" ventured down to his room. Years later I understand that George moved over to Chelsea Billiards where he was said to have tutored Ginky and others in the art of straight pool, and I also understand had a sign or plaque behind the counter highlighting his high run of well over 300.
I also recall a very pleasant and friendly Puerto Rican gentleman named "Prince", who was always in 9 ball action while dressed to the nines and wearing a nice diamond pinky ring that was always noticeable and sparkly as he extended and waved his pinky during his stroke, very possible intentionally .
About thirty years later and after a pretty long pool layoff for myself I met up with an older gentleman who called himself "Trick Shot Monte" who knew George very well and also spent years studying the racing forms and playing pool at Julians, he thought that George may have been one of the most talented players ever, unfortunately he informed me of George's and Prince's passing. Also met a gentleman room owner/player, Bill Malone, a few years later in Florida who also played at Julians and he, of course, knew, and acknowledged George's talents.
Although I very much look back upon those old days with fondness, I am also very grateful that I "escaped" into the military before I went too far down the rabbit hole myself.
J"
