Saw a legend last Saturday *** Mike Massey

Buzzo80

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I live in a one horse town, Grand Junction Colorado. I have since apologized to the horse.
Last Saturday at about 12:30 pm went to bet a horse in OTB , which is located in Bank 8 Billiards. This day saw a sign $20 to see Mike Massey and/or play all day for $20. Only saw 2 couples in twenties who seemed to be taking advantage of playing all day.
Bank 8 only pool hall in town, OTB in front.
Saw Mike setting up shots and hollered for him to come to rail of OTB , which he graciously did. Told him I was 7 years older at 79 and racked for Willie Mosconi in 1959.
2 years before movie Hustler. Mike asked me was it really back in 1961 ? Told him I was in AF 1062-1966 Mike served in military 1964-67. I said was great to see all those bar tables when I got out. He agreed.
Then I asked if he was still living in Utah. He said he was living on the road now. Then he shrugged shoulders and went back to the table. I had doctor's appointment for wife and left shortly. Wish I had came back later and paid $20 just to chat with Mike. Seemed like a straighter shooter.
Brought back old memories. Read something about technical advisor for a billiard movie recently was Champagne Eddie Kelly. Willie Mosconi was technical adviser for Hustler. I know Paul Newman never held a cue before the movie, Willie did all his shots. Jackie Gleason was proud of his pool skills and notice in movie FATS always has long pan shot, so friends will know it was him shooting.
Assuming Champagne is plain old Ed Kelly back in Kline's in Baltimore. Lost $50 backing Henry Gordon against Ed in early 60's. Henry leading 49-48 and he had so much english on what looked like winning shot ball went in corner and came out without leaving rail ! Ed Missed, Henry missed. Ed ran 2 and I was out $50. Ed was my hero. Not just shot a great stick at night, but a dancer instructor at Arthur Murrays at day. Women paying to dance with him, them hustling at night. What a hero.
Really regret not spending $20 Just to chat and watch Mike do his magic. Hope business picked up later that Saturday.
 
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Sofla

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It was great to see him and Nick Varner later in the week in Norfolk around the International Open. Mike also took a turn in the Accustat booth with Mark Wilson, and in between commenting on the match they both had some nice reminiscing of some legends and rascals in pool from back in the old days.
 

Buzzo80

Registered
It was great to see him and Nick Varner later in the week in Norfolk around the International Open. Mike also took a turn in the Accustat booth with Mark Wilson, and in between commenting on the match they both had some nice reminiscing of some legends and rascals in pool from back in the old days.

When will I learn to never Google people? Every so often look up somebody I want to see when I visit Baltimore again. Up pops an obituary too often. Ed Kelly gone January 12, 2019 at age 80. Was alive in my mind till just a few minutes ago...SIGH
 

fasteddief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi Buzzo , My name is Eddie Friedman I was there when Ed Kelly played Henry Gordon in Klines. My phone Number is 410-303-0069 ,I knew Ed Kelly and Henry Gordon real well. call me I still live in MD.
 

Runner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Massey IMO, probably the best trick shot artist ever.. always
super entertaining watching him... the sickest draw shots ever!:thumbup:
 

Buzzo80

Registered
Hi Buzzo , My name is Eddie Friedman I was there when Ed Kelly played Henry Gordon in Klines. My phone Number is 410-303-0069 ,I knew Ed Kelly and Henry Gordon real well. call me I still live in MD.

Will call tonight or tomorrow, Still trying to figure who you are. Starting by figuring who you are not. Start with Kleins. You are not the guy sitting next to me while Eddie Kelly made a great shot in 14.1. Ed had straight in shot, slammed in pocket, drew 3 rails and hit rack, but cue went toward end pocket, hung there a second, then fell in for a scratch. Guy next to me with a straight face said " see what happens when you let the cue run. " LOL . Also pretty sure you are not the guy who was playing Irving Crane, not know who he was, while I stood in front of the pix of Irving on the wall.
You are not the bagman from zoning that Henry refused to pay when he was planning to move pool hall to above Blaze Starr's 2 Oclock Club in THE BLOCK. Zoning denied, pool hall would be detrimental to the neighborhood. WIF Can't have a pool hall above a whore house!
You are not the late Knocko of the shit hole pool hall in the basement on Liberty Heights Avenue. Believe Henry and he flipped a coin to decide final price of tables at race track. Henry lost, was back with paperwork before last race. You are not Al Knocko, who put those tables in old post office building at Gwyn Oak Avenue and Liberty Heights ave.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Massey IMO, probably the best trick shot artist ever.. always
super entertaining watching him... the sickest draw shots ever!:thumbup:

Mike aint no spring chicken....but he can still does those amazing finger spins.

Mike gave me a CD he’d been promising me....made my day.
...I listened to a song on his phone...but now I can hear it in quiet.

Mid 90s...Vegas...Mike and I are having a coffee in a donut shop...his wife sees us...
..comes rushing in...sez...”Honey, I hope you won’t be mad...I just ran over a piecost!”
Mike sez”What’s a piecost?”...she sez “About $3.95.”
Mike shakes his head...I’m laughing....yeah, they set me up....:grin:

Thanx, Mike....you’re the best
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I give Mike credit for getting me to quit pool long enough
to build a realestate business

one day i ran into a stranger in a bar,i was trying to get
enough money to stay in school

mike was there and I didn't know him,he kept beating me and adjusting the spot,
he ended up giving me the 7 ball at 9 ball on the bar box and beat my brains out

i never thought i was a very good player,but i had no idea how bad i was,
so i quit

thanks to mike for putting me on the right path
Dean

PS this was early 60's before Mike gave up hustling pool
to serve the LORD

I hope he is still on the right path
 

Buzzo80

Registered
I give Mike credit for getting me to quit pool long enough
to build a realestate business

one day i ran into a stranger in a bar,i was trying to get
enough money to stay in school

mike was there and I didn't know him,he kept beating me and adjusting the spot,
he ended up giving me the 7 ball at 9 ball on the bar box and beat my brains out

i never thought i was a very good player,but i had no idea how bad i was,
so i quit

thanks to mike for putting me on the right path
Dean

PS this was early 60's before Mike gave up hustling pool
to serve the LORD

I hope he is still on the right path
I only met Mike this one time. Seems like a nice guy. Made me sad to think nobody there knew who he was. Looked good for 72, Fact he said he was living on the road now worried me a bit. Hope it was just my paranoia,
 

Buzzo80

Registered
Hi Buzzo , My name is Eddie Friedman I was there when Ed Kelly played Henry Gordon in Klines. My phone Number is 410-303-0069 ,I knew Ed Kelly and Henry Gordon real well. call me I still live in MD.
Still working on who you are. Forget Kliens. Let's try Bennys , 2nd floor Belvedere Ave, 1 block from Northwestern Police Department Was only there 3 or 4 times. Barry Levinson was there occassionally. Directed movies The Diner and Tin Men. Last time I was there was after being summoned to NW police, by my Uncle Ray Landsman , who was the commander. Thought I was in trouble, but somebody had written to cops to say there was gambling in Benny's ! Reminded me of Claude Raines in Casablanca " I am shocked, shocked to find out gambling is going on in here " Said as the croupier hands him his winnings. Uncle Ray gave me the letter to take to Benny to see if he recognized the handwriting. Law and Order in the 1950's. Remember tv series Homicide Life on the Streets, about Homicides in Baltimore. My cousin Detective Jay Landsman was technical advisor on that series. Remember Detective Munch who after that series went on to Law and Order. Munch was based on Jay. Anybody reading this who knows Jay tell him he still owes cousin Buzz $3 for helping him on his milkman route. And I want cash , not LIFE cereal. Where was I, oh leaving Bennys enroute to Henry's , above Reads drug store.
 
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Buzzo80

Registered
Hi Buzzo , My name is Eddie Friedman I was there when Ed Kelly played Henry Gordon in Klines. My phone Number is 410-303-0069 ,I knew Ed Kelly and Henry Gordon real well. call me I still live in MD.

Are you possibly the guy who came into Henry's a couple times a year to play Fat Earl Magid ? Earl always choked on money ball against that guy ? Sure you are not the guy who bet Fat earl he could not eat 100 Little Tavern hamburgers ? Not a lot of meat , but all those rolls! If Earl ate 100 guy would pay, anything less, Far Earl had to pay. Earl stopped at 80, ordered a milkshake and fries to break monotony, guy quit him and paid for 80.
I was the skinny kid , 5'11, 135 who racked for Mosconi when he gave an exhibition. Another skinny kid I hated was Larry Gruntman. Had no idea how to plat but could sink any shot on the table. Must have learned position later as he won Maryland 14-1 championship a few years later. You are not Rich Riggie or his son Richie jr, Both are dead now and only father and son to ever both be Maryland State champions. Rich ran 108 balls on me in straight pool, one-handed GRRR. Never met Richie Jr but one of his sister came to Henry's with a college kid. Guy was too dumb to let her win and somebody else got to take her home. No, you were not that lucky stiff, were you?
Seymor Lessans played there and was a home improvement estimator, not exactly one of the Tin Men. I did see a similarity to the Danny Devito character in Tin Men and Seymor. Seymor would be playing a guy heads up he should be spotting the 5,6,7 & 8 in 9 ball. Make a tuff shot on eight ball and when cue stopped 1/2 inch from perfect position for the 9 ball. Seymour would shake his head and humbly say " That coulda been better " In Tin Men Danny Devito is to be the fall guy in court. Prosecutor tells Judge Danny told the guy he had won a free aluminum side job so his house could be in Life magazine. But after shipping and labor the winner actually paid $3,000 for the job, which was going market price. Camera pans to Danny, who shakes his head and says humbly " A $3,000 job and he paid $3000. Where's the problem ? "
 

Buzzo80

Registered
Hi Buzzo , My name is Eddie Friedman I was there when Ed Kelly played Henry Gordon in Klines. My phone Number is 410-303-0069 ,I knew Ed Kelly and Henry Gordon real well. call me I still live in MD.
Last Time I held a cue stick was about 30 years ago on Reisterstown Road ( I Think ) Joe Cataldi, Mike Sigel, and Seymour were playing 9 ball. Played Joe even up when we were kids. never really knew just how good Seymour was until recently. Friend told me he won Marylamd State once and supposedly over 3 days held his own with Ed Kelly in 9 ball. 14-1 and one pocket. Wait are you from Harry's across the street from Bennys where I last saw Fat earl shooting one pocket. Harry ran card game in back room Remember one night this New Captain raided the game, Naturally just chips on table, money in the safe, Captain asked if they were just playing for FUN. Everybody says YES. Captain said " OH then I will just mix up the chips, which him and several cops did. Only poker game in which everyone said he was winning after cops left Harry was pissed. Always wonder if that led to his death years later, Harry was late coming home after midnight one night Wife called friend to look for him along the route. Found his car parked at curb in front of NW police station. Harry standing up in pay phone booth on corner, dead of heart attack. Wonder if he might had lived had he went into police station or honked horn for help from cops inside ?
 

fasteddief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Still working on who you are. Forget Kliens. Let's try Bennys , 2nd floor Belvedere Ave, 1 block from Northwestern Police Department Was only there 3 or 4 times. Barry Levinson was there occassionally. Directed movies The Diner and Tin Men. Last time I was there was after being summoned to NW police, by my Uncle Ray Landsman , who was the commander. Thought I was in trouble, but somebody had written to cops to say there was gambling in Benny's ! Reminded me of Claude Raines in Casablanca " I am shocked, shocked to find out gambling is going on in here " Said as the croupier hands him his winnings. Uncle Ray gave me the letter to take to Benny to see if he recognized the handwriting. Law and Order in the 1950's. Remember tv series Homicide Life on the Streets, about Homicides in Baltimore. My cousin Detective Jay Landsman was technical advisor on that series. Remember Detective Munch who after that series went on to Law and Order. Munch was based on Jay. Anybody reading this who knows Jay tell him he still owes cousin Buzz $3 for helping him on his milkman route. And I want cash , not LIFE cereal. Where was I, oh leaving Bennys enroute to Henry's , above Reads drug store.
I grew up with the Landsman family,Your uncle Ray and my father were good friends. Bennies was where I hung out every day. I am 77 years old. Jimmy was one of my friends.He lives in Tenn.now .Jerry Landsman died 3 months ago. Eddie Friedman AKA FastEddiF.
 

fasteddief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I grew up with the Landsman family,Your uncle Ray and my father were good friends. Bennies was where I hung out every day. I am 77 years old. Jimmy was one of my friends.He lives in Tenn.now .Jerry Landsman died 3 months ago. Eddie Friedman AKA FastEddiF.
You have to know me. I played Joe Cataldi, Seymour Lessans Riggie I was there when Fat Earl ate the little Tavern Hamburgers.I also hung out in Harry's.I grew up on Reisterstown Rd. and Belvedere Ave.
 

fasteddief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You have to know me. I played Joe Cataldi, Seymour Lessans Riggie I was there when Fat Earl ate the little Tavern Hamburgers.I also hung out in Harry's.I grew up on Reisterstown Rd. and Belvedere Ave.
I would love to talk to you. 410-303-0069
 

fasteddief

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
You have to know me. I played Joe Cataldi, Seymour Lessans Riggie I was there when Fat Earl ate the little Tavern Hamburgers.I also hung out in Harry's.I grew up on Reisterstown Rd. and Belvedere Ave.
I am Friends with Michael Seidel, Michael Frank from Bennies.
 

DaveK

Still crazy after all these years
Silver Member
A friend and I were talking about Mike Massey the other night. Mr. Massey came up to a tournament in Prince Albert Saskatchewan Canada many many years ago. One of his matches was with a local gentleman and Cree elder Mr. Mike Maurice. Mr. Maurice is about the nicest person you would even meet, and played a very good game (he is getting on in years and quit playing years back). Anyway my friend took a picture of Mike and Mike at the tournament, says it's one of his treasures.

Dave
 

Island Drive

Otto/Dads College Roommate/Cleveland Browns
Silver Member
A friend and I were talking about Mike Massey the other night. Mr. Massey came up to a tournament in Prince Albert Saskatchewan Canada many many years ago. One of his matches was with a local gentleman and Cree elder Mr. Mike Maurice. Mr. Maurice is about the nicest person you would even meet, and played a very good game (he is getting on in years and quit playing years back). Anyway my friend took a picture of Mike and Mike at the tournament, says it's one of his treasures.

Dave

Here's a pic of Mike at Reds in Houston probably 1982. A yr or so later, he was in Denver at the Denver Open 9 ball event. Sigel had won it before, Earl was there, the full Monty in those days.

His life changed after that CO trip.
 

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