Any Old Denizens From Chelsea Billiards in NYC?

DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
Ah yes, the upscale 24/7 room on West 21st in NYC that was a Mecca for the Action & Nouveau player alike.
It was to Pool what St Patrick's Cathedral is to Catholics (and so many others); a behemoth of a palace to both worship & participate in the faith.

Chelsea's (as it was called) gave way to the hipster Slate before the digital age could really capture and show what a phenomenally great room it really was. Maybe that adds the mystique.

I was hoping to prevail on anyone who might read this, and had some pictures of Chelsea's, to perhaps post them here as a tribute to one of the truly great & remarkable rooms of the past.

I can remember like it was yesterday the feeling of the adrenalynn racing through my veins as I would walk through the front door; 2 full size 12 foot Snooker tables to my left and 2 full size 12 Foot Snooker tables to my right, then the walk to the desk, all the while clocking which resident players were holding court (or hiding in the shadows). Whether it was playing all night with my friends or sweating ridiculous high stakes action, Chelsea Billiards was thee place to be in NYC on any given night of the week, but especially on weekend nights (with all proper respect to The Golden Q in Queens). My dear, but departed, friend Johnny B, aka New Rochelle Johnny used to all but live there for a period of time in the early 90s. He introduced me to Ginky who in spite of having the most intimidating table presence I've ever seen, was a really nice guy. Even on nights when I showed up & Johnny wasn't there, Ginky always made it point to say hello, or if he was playing, at least acknowledging me with a smile or a quick friendly glance. Man, I miss Chelsea's!

Thanx in advance gang. -Z-
 
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DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
Come on people, don't be ashamed...if we got hungry enough when nothing else was open (other than Lox Around The Block) we all ate their terrible Hot-dogs and peanuts from the Planters Peanut machine, LOL!
 
PoolBum

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
Chelsea Billiards has to be my favorite pool room of all time.

The first time I ever went there I played from early in the day to early in the evening for free, beating everyone I played for the table time.

Then, around 8pm or so, a guy comes over and asks me to play. I say, "sure," and he grabs a house cue off the wall and asks me what I'd like to play for. I don't remember what we played for, but I do remember that this guy beat me using a house cue, running out from everywhere. When I went up to pay the time the counter guy says to me, "Finally lost, huh?" I said, "Yeah," and he says, "The good players don't start showing up until around 8." Lol.

So then I sit down with the guy who beat me and we're watching some older guy hit balls by himself on a table, and there's a bunch of guys just sitting around watching. The guy who beat me with a house cue tells me there's supposed to be a big money match tonight between the guy warming up and some younger kid.

After a while, this younger kid walks into the room, walks up to this older guy practicing, and says, "You're gonna get a good game tonight!" Then he goes and gets a sandwich and sits down halfway across the room watching two other guys play. Meanwhile, the older guy knocking balls around starts cussing like a sailor and is getting madder and madder as time goes by and the kid is still sitting halfway across the room.

Finally, I turned to the guy beside me and asked, "Are they gonna' play?" He says, "Yeah, just not tonight." Turns out the younger kid was playing head games.

To this day I don't know who the younger kid was, but the older guy who got completely pissed off? Johnny Ervolino.
 
N

NYC cue dude

Banned
PoolBum said:
Chelsea Billiards has to be my favorite pool room of all time.

The first time I ever went there I played from early in the day to early in the evening for free, beating everyone I played for the table time.

Then, around 8pm or so, a guy comes over and asks me to play. I say, "sure," and he grabs a house cue off the wall and asks me what I'd like to play for. I don't remember what we played for, but I do remember that this guy beat me using a house cue, running out from everywhere. When I went up to pay the time the counter guy says to me, "Finally lost, huh?" I said, "Yeah," and he says, "The good players don't start showing up until around 8." Lol.

So then I sit down with the guy who beat me and we're watching some older guy hit balls by himself on a table, and there's a bunch of guys just sitting around watching. The guy who beat me with a house cue tells me there's supposed to be a big money match tonight between the guy warming up and some younger kid.

After a while, this younger kid walks into the room, walks up to this older guy practicing, and says, "You're gonna get a good game tonight!" Then he goes and gets a sandwich and sits down halfway across the room watching two other guys play. Meanwhile, the older guy knocking balls around starts cussing like a sailor and is getting madder and madder as time goes by and the kid is still sitting halfway across the room.

Finally, I turned to the guy beside me and asked, "Are they gonna' play?" He says, "Yeah, just not tonight." Turns out the younger kid was playing head games.

To this day I don't know who the younger kid was, but the older guy who got completely pissed off? Johnny Ervolino.
Click to expand...

Johnny and his raspy voice, lol. Great player but not an example of "upstanding citizen".
 
N

NYC cue dude

Banned
Cuebuddy said:
It wasn't Rolph Laube was it?
Click to expand...


Rolph was a player. Right? He didn't work there. Omg- the older European guy? (I forgot where he's from exactly). Mustache? Grayish hair? If that's the same fellow, I used to play him all the time. Snapped a meucci over my knee playing him.

The cashier had a dark beard and longish dark hair. You'd think he was a biker, otherwise. 40's. I want to say Michael, but can't remember. Can still see his face.
 
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Cuebuddy

Cuebuddy

Mini cues
Silver Member
NYC cue dude said:
Rolph was a player. Right? He didn't work there. Omg- the older European guy? (I forgot where he's from exactly). Mustache? Grayish hair? If that's the same fellow, I used to play him all the time. Snapped a meucci over my knee playing him.

The cashier had a dark beard and longish dark hair. You'd think he was a biker, otherwise. 40's. I want to say Michael, but can't remember. Can still see his face.
Click to expand...

I was not lucky enough to be around NYC back when Chelsea's was happening. I did find an old article that mentioned Rolph's name and it seemed he may have worked there. This last summer I was able to get to Steinway billiards and before that Amsterdams and Society billiards. I have made it my mission to play as much as I can when I am in the area.

Here is a link to the article.

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-04-07/news/vw-20105_1_fast-buck
 
classiccues

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
It was a great room. I went with my uncle about 6-8 times and he was there almost every weekend. That room and the Grand on Rt 10 in NJ opened the same time, they were bother really nice rooms. I remember going to Chelsea's and waiting 1.5 hours for a table at 1:30 am. Plus the rates were way over the NJ rates at the time.

JV
 
Eric.

Eric.

Club a member
Silver Member
NYC cue dude said:
The cashier had a dark beard and longish dark hair. You'd think he was a biker, otherwise. 40's. I want to say Michael, but can't remember. Can still see his face.
Click to expand...

Taller, heavy set dude? Andy?? (I can't remember either).

Whomever said Chelsea was an "upscale room" might be a bit mistaken, lol.


Eric
 
F

FranCrimi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DJSTEVEZ said:
Come on people, don't be ashamed...if we got hungry enough when nothing else was open (other than Lox Around The Block) we all ate their terrible Hot-dogs and peanuts from the Planters Peanut machine, LOL!
Click to expand...

You mean Lox around the Clock. We ate there sometimes, but mostly used to jump in the car at the end of the night with Johnny Ervolino, Dalton, Barry Shaw, and whoever was in town and head to the Sarge's Jewish Deli on 3rd and 36th --- And discuss the goings on of the day at Chelsea.
 
DJSTEVEZ

DJSTEVEZ

Professor of Human Moves
Silver Member
I found this little gem recently while googling "Chelsea Billiards, NYC"
I used a little Paint.Net magic to make it easier to appreciate all of it.
 

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Michael Andros

Michael Andros

tiny balls, GIANT pockets
Silver Member
I never got to Chelsea but I did get to AMC ( the original on Amsterdam ) *many* times, also there was a nice room on 3rd ( I think? ) Ave, just north of 8th St ( St. Marks ) in the E. Village. It later became AMC when they closed on Amsterdam. Then there was another place on 8th St ( or 12th maybe? I fergit ) somewhere between 5th and 8th aves. And then, the first room I ever walked into in NYC, a place upstairs somewhere in mid-town ( I think on 8th somewhere between 34th and 45th or so ). REALLY old room. That was 87 or so. Long since closed, I believe.
 
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J

JFCastle

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Played there many a time. Can't remember the name of this Asian kid who always wore a baseball hat but he was pretty good for the money games. I was a teenager at the time and played with Ginky there as well. I got a nice Southwest from him for a steal. RIP one of the nicest guys ever.
 
K

KWilliams

Registered
What was the name of the pool hall across from a large post office, in walking distance of Union Square? It was on the corner of the block... I used to go there in the 90s.
 
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