Bea, Frank, and Classic Billiards in Ohio

[JAM]

Here's a cute article about an 82-year-old named Bea who grew up playing pool as a child in Delaware at her dad's pool room.

Years later, she moved to Ohio. Time passed by, and one day, the octigenarian was getting her hair done at the local beauty parlor, which happened to be right next door to a pool room.

Curiosity got her, and the next day, the 82-year-old showed up with her pool cue. :grin:

Bea Joseph of Willowick likes to shoot a game or two of billiards.

She has enjoyed the game ever since her father owned a billiards room at Eckley's Corners in Mentor many years ago. The business was a sort of semi-retirement for her father, who had moved to Ohio for work in the construction industry during World War II, operating H&H Construction.

"He opened the billiard hall to make a living, and I would go out there and play pool," Joseph said.

Joseph was born and raised in Delaware, where she was considered a "town kid," a reference to the group of children that lived in town and walked to school together, usually across the local golf course. Joseph moved to Willowick in the late 1940s and worked as a bookkeeper for her father's construction company.

"I went into a billiard room for the first time when my father owned the hall," Joseph said "I enjoyed playing billiards."

The room was considered a gentleman's business.

"I wasn't there an awful lot, but it was a nice genteel group — no swearing, no drinking," Joseph said. "No drunks came in; if they did they got the door."

A few months ago, after getting her hair done at Elaine's Beauty Salon on Vine Street, Joseph stopped in at Classic Billiards.

She and owner Frank Zummo had an extended conversation about the game and about her father's billiards room many, many years ago. The petite 82-year-old returned the following week with her pool cue in hand ready to play.

Zummo runs the same kind of no-nonsense billiards room that Joseph's father ran.

The establishment takes you back to the early 1960s with five tables ready to be racked. The popularity of computer games has left the hall much quieter than it once was.

Zummo moved to a larger space on East 328th Street in Willowick, where the business flourished for 19 years. During that time he ran two national tournaments. With the Internet and pool being played on a computer screen, Zummo has seen business drop off.

"I used to have a waiting list to play pool; now it's all computers and cell phones," Zummo said "That's not pool."

Classic Billiards moved into a smaller space next to Elaine's Beauty Salon about a year and a half ago. Five tables stand ready for players on a per-hour basis. One player can shoot for an hour for $3, and if two players want to shoot a game or two the hourly charge is $7 per hour.

Classic Billiards is located at 34525 Vine St., Eastlake, and is open daily 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Information is available on East Lake Billiards website.

Source: Willowick Woman's Love for Billiards Goes Back to 1940s. [Retrieved 18 August 2010.]

When I checked out the Classic Billiards' website, I couldn't help but smile when I heard the audio. By golly, it sounds like this is a genuine billiards parlor, the last of a dying breed.

Here's Bea. She's not only got good form but has the ol' killer instinct in her eyes.

 

[JAM]

Here's a vintage YouTube clip of Pat Fleming versus Steve Mitzerak at the 1993 Cleveland 14.1 Invitational, commentated by none other than our own Billy Incardona. Interestingly, the special guest commentator to the clip is Frank Zummo, as mentioned in the article above.

You can see Jimmy Fusco on the right-hand side from time to to time playing "Machine Gun" Lou Butera, and Mike Zuglan, currently the Joss Tour TD/Promoter, was there, too. Grady Mathews walks by briefly to get some powder for his hands.

This is a cool 8-minute pool clip: The PATented Fleming Break Video.

 

[rhncue]

Here's a cute article about an 82-year-old named Bea who grew up playing pool as a child in Delaware at her dad's pool room.

Years later, she moved to Ohio. Time passed by, and one day, the octigenarian was getting her hair done at the local beauty parlor, which happened to be right next door to a pool room.

Curiosity got her, and the next day, the 82-year-old showed up with her pool cue. :grin:

Bea Joseph of Willowick likes to shoot a game or two of billiards.

She has enjoyed the game ever since her father owned a billiards room at Eckley's Corners in Mentor many years ago. The business was a sort of semi-retirement for her father, who had moved to Ohio for work in the construction industry during World War II, operating H&H Construction.

"He opened the billiard hall to make a living, and I would go out there and play pool," Joseph said.

Joseph was born and raised in Delaware, where she was considered a "town kid," a reference to the group of children that lived in town and walked to school together, usually across the local golf course. Joseph moved to Willowick in the late 1940s and worked as a bookkeeper for her father's construction company.

"I went into a billiard room for the first time when my father owned the hall," Joseph said "I enjoyed playing billiards."

The room was considered a gentleman's business.

"I wasn't there an awful lot, but it was a nice genteel group — no swearing, no drinking," Joseph said. "No drunks came in; if they did they got the door."

A few months ago, after getting her hair done at Elaine's Beauty Salon on Vine Street, Joseph stopped in at Classic Billiards.

She and owner Frank Zummo had an extended conversation about the game and about her father's billiards room many, many years ago. The petite 82-year-old returned the following week with her pool cue in hand ready to play.

Zummo runs the same kind of no-nonsense billiards room that Joseph's father ran.

The establishment takes you back to the early 1960s with five tables ready to be racked. The popularity of computer games has left the hall much quieter than it once was.

Zummo moved to a larger space on East 328th Street in Willowick, where the business flourished for 19 years. During that time he ran two national tournaments. With the Internet and pool being played on a computer screen, Zummo has seen business drop off.

"I used to have a waiting list to play pool; now it's all computers and cell phones," Zummo said "That's not pool."

Classic Billiards moved into a smaller space next to Elaine's Beauty Salon about a year and a half ago. Five tables stand ready for players on a per-hour basis. One player can shoot for an hour for $3, and if two players want to shoot a game or two the hourly charge is $7 per hour.

Classic Billiards is located at 34525 Vine St., Eastlake, and is open daily 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Information is available on East Lake Billiards website.

Source: Willowick Woman's Love for Billiards Goes Back to 1940s. [Retrieved 18 August 2010.]

When I checked out the Classic Billiards' website, I couldn't help but smile when I heard the audio. By golly, it sounds like this is a genuine billiards parlor, the last of a dying breed.

Here's Bea. She's not only got good form but has the ol' killer instinct in her eyes.

Their hourly rate is a little screwy. 3.00 per hour single and 7.00 double. You'd be better off renting 2 tables and just pile your gear on one of them.

Dick

 

[gunzby]

Thanks for the story

I used to play around the same area as Frank around 93 when I first started playing and used to work at a pool hall that he would come play in the A player 9 ball tournament.

I actually went to Classic Billiards to see Frank and a few other familiar faces last year when I was up in Ohio which was really nice. I didn't mind it being small one bit when I walked in as I got to play on the same tables I started playing on.

So far as his hourly rate goes I'm not so sure he keeps track of it once we all got to talking. I was there for about 4 or 5 hours and I think I paid $5. The next time I am up there to visit I will certainly pop in there again to see everyone.

*edit*
JAM are you from that area? I can't imagine anyone not being from around there looking up the News Herald as it's not a major paper for the area like The Plain Dealer.

 

[JAM]

Thanks for the story

I used to play around the same area as Frank around 93 when I first started playing and used to work at a pool hall that he would come play in the A player 9 ball tournament.

I actually went to Classic Billiards to see Frank and a few other familiar faces last year when I was up in Ohio which was really nice. I didn't mind it being small one bit when I walked in as I got to play on the same tables I started playing on.

So far as his hourly rate goes I'm not so sure he keeps track of it once we all got to talking. I was there for about 4 or 5 hours and I think I paid $5. The next time I am up there to visit I will certainly pop in there again to see everyone.

*edit*
JAM are you from that area? I can't imagine anyone not being from around there looking up the News Herald as it's not a major paper for the area like The Plain Dealer.

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience about Frank and Classic Billiards.

I'm actually not from the area, but I was working on a pool-related project, and when doing my Google searches for name spellings, I came across that news article and thought it merited a mention on our forum. Then, as I am wont to doing, I got carried away trying to find out more information about the article, i.e., Frank Zummo, Classic Billiards, et cetera.

I wish there was more material archived for pool pre-Google, but there isn't much out there. Word of mouth seems to be more informative than print media.

Oh, I also really loved that picture of a feisty 82-year-old Bea playing pool. You can tell she had just gotten her hair done in the picture. :grin:

 

[thrash attack]

I wonder what kind of cue she has

 

[Brian in VA]

JAM
Your additions to this forum always make my day! Thanks for sharing this story with us!

Brian in VA

 

[gunzby]

Hey, thanks for sharing your experience about Frank and Classic Billiards.

I'm actually not from the area, but I was working on a pool-related project, and when doing my Google searches for name spellings, I came across that news article and thought it merited a mention on our forum. Then, as I am wont to doing, I got carried away trying to find out more information about the article, i.e., Frank Zummo, Classic Billiards, et cetera.

I wish there was more material archived for pool pre-Google, but there isn't much out there. Word of mouth seems to be more informative than print media.

Oh, I also really loved that picture of a feisty 82-year-old Bea playing pool. You can tell she had just gotten her hair done in the picture. :grin:

Well if you want to know more you can ask Dom (shamdam here at AZ) as he lives in the area. He's the one who gave me directions over the phone as I was having a helluva time finding it.

 

[JAM]

JAM
Your additions to this forum always make my day! Thanks for sharing this story with us!

Brian in VA

Aw shucks. Thanks so much, Brian. Those words coming from you have made my day.

 

[JAM]

Well if you want to know more you can ask Dom (shamdam here at AZ) as he lives in the area. He's the one who gave me directions over the phone as I was having a helluva time finding it.

Why is it that some pool rooms are so hard to find? Q-Masters in Virginia, every time I go there, it seems I get lost. Same with Snookers in Providence, RI, I always find myself hopelessly lost in the city. Both pool rooms happen to be my favorites.

I would love to check out this joint. I may have to go to a convention in Chicago later this year, and it would be cool to visit this pool room en route. If I go, I will for sure get directions. There is nothing worse than being lost, driving around hopelessly. :grin-square:

Frank Zummo has a MySpace page filled with neat pool pics. It's very pool-cool: Classic Billiards and Frank Zummo.

 

[gunzby]

Why is it that some pool rooms are so hard to find? Q-Masters in Virginia, every time I go there, it seems I get lost. Same with Snookers in Providence, RI, I always find myself hopelessly lost in the city. Both pool rooms happen to be my favorites.

I would love to check out this joint. I may have to go to a convention in Chicago later this year, and it would be cool to visit this pool room en route. If I go, I will for sure get directions. There is nothing worse than being lost, driving around hopelessly. :grin-square:

Frank Zummo has a MySpace page filled with neat pool pics. It's very pool-cool: Classic Billiards and Frank Zummo.

LoL I hear ya. This one is particularly hard to find as it has 5 tables and not much more so the hall is about 20 feet wide. I went up and down the road looking for it on both sides before calling Dom saying "where in the heck is this place?" Funny thing is that I lived there for 18 years so I knew the area and still couldn't of found it without his help. All the other pool halls in the area are gone so I'm glad that Frank still cares about pool as he did when I lived there.

When I moved away from Ohio pool was hot. I worked at a hall up the road from there. When I was interviewed the owners wife asked me the dreaded question "why do you want to work here?" My only answer was, "so I can play for free." I got hired and the place was packed every day. Two years later I moved to North Carolina and I must have taken my love for pool with me because while hall after hall up there closed hall after hall down here opened.

 

[JAM]

LoL I hear ya. This one is particularly hard to find as it has 5 tables and not much more so the hall is about 20 feet wide. I went up and down the road looking for it on both sides before calling Dom saying "where in the heck is this place?" Funny thing is that I lived there for 18 years so I knew the area and still couldn't of found it without his help. All the other pool halls in the area are gone so I'm glad that Frank still cares about pool as he did when I lived there.

When I moved away from Ohio pool was hot. I worked at a hall up the road from there. When I was interviewed the owners wife asked me the dreaded question "why do you want to work here?" My only answer was, "so I can play for free." I got hired and the place was packed every day. Two years later I moved to North Carolina and I must have taken my love for pool with me because while hall after hall up there closed hall after hall down here opened.

Some of my fondest pool memories on the road have come from North Carolina. When I was young and dumb with no responsibilities, I went on the road often down South and loved every single minute of it.

In Petersburg, Virginia, I remember a sign out front saying "No Women Allowed." I couldn't believe my eyes. This was in the late '70s. I walked right on in, with my cue in tow. Though I got a few stares, I didn't give a hoot. It was daytime, and there was no action, so we didn't stay long, thank goodness.

In Durham, NC, there was a little pool room called "Sportsman Lounge," I think it was. There was a snooker table in the back room with a bunch of older men playing poker. This, too, was during the daytime hours. There were two tables in the front room for action, along with a house parrot, a huge green bird with a big bill. My partner got action with a local and soon found himself stuck. He finally made a really good shot for the money ball but scratched. Almost on cue [pun intended], the house parrot screeched loudly, "Good shot." With steam coming out of his ears, my friend unscrewed his stick and said, "Come on, let's get out of this joint." LOL! That was the first action we got at the beginning of our on-the-road journey. It wasn't funny at the time, but it is now. :grin:

In Boone, NC, we had to drive up this HUGE mountain. I mean, this mountain was so steep that I thought the transmission was going to blow in our car. At the top of the mountain, we could not believe our eyes when we saw a cute little pool room. We hung out there for a spell, didn't get any action, but I loved the locals there, very friendly and welcoming. :smile:

In Winston-Salem, NC, they used to have a room with a challenge table as soon as you walked in. They had a rack boy who wore an apron. Anybody could challenge the table, even strangers. They usually had a ring game going for 5 or 10. When a game concluded, the breaker would yell out, "Rack," and the rack boy scurried up to the table, racked the balls, and the breaker would throw him a quarter. Oh, man, we hung out there all day long. I loved that pool room, even though it had no windows in it.

They sure don't make pool rooms like those anymore, but if I get the chance to hang out in one when I'm on the road today, you can be sure I'm going to check it out. I've got about five or six now that are on my list to must-sees pool rooms. :smile:

 

[gunzby]

Some of my fondest pool memories on the road have come from North Carolina. When I was young and dumb with no responsibilities, I went on the road often down South and loved every single minute of it.

In Petersburg, Virginia, I remember a sign out front saying "No Women Allowed." I couldn't believe my eyes. This was in the late '70s. I walked right on in, with my cue in tow. Though I got a few stares, I didn't give a hoot. It was daytime, and there was no action, so we didn't stay long, thank goodness.

In Durham, NC, there was a little pool room called "Sportsman Lounge," I think it was. There was a snooker table in the back room with a bunch of older men playing poker. This, too, was during the daytime hours. There were two tables in the front room for action, along with a house parrot, a huge green bird with a big bill. My partner got action with a local and soon found himself stuck. He finally made a really good shot for the money ball but scratched. Almost on cue [pun intended], the house parrot screeched loudly, "Good shot." With steam coming out of his ears, my friend unscrewed his stick and said, "Come on, let's get out of this joint." LOL! That was the first action we got at the beginning of our on-the-road journey. It wasn't funny at the time, but it is now. :grin:

In Boone, NC, we had to drive up this HUGE mountain. I mean, this mountain was so steep that I thought the transmission was going to blow in our car. At the top of the mountain, we could not believe our eyes when we saw a cute little pool room. We hung out there for a spell, didn't get any action, but I loved the locals there, very friendly and welcoming. :smile:

In Winston-Salem, NC, they used to have a room with a challenge table as soon as you walked in. They had a rack boy who wore an apron. Anybody could challenge the table, even strangers. They usually had a ring game going for 5 or 10. When a game concluded, the breaker would yell out, "Rack," and the rack boy scurried up to the table, racked the balls, and the breaker would throw him a quarter. Oh, man, we hung out there all day long. I loved that pool room, even though it had no windows in it.

They sure don't make pool rooms like those anymore, but if I get the chance to hang out in one when I'm on the road today, you can be sure I'm going to check it out. I've got about five or six now that are on my list to must-sees pool rooms. :smile:

Good stories
I live in the foothills of the mountains so I am like 30 minutes from Boone and yes it is a very steep mountain. I remember driving up the mountain thinking about a rock slide for some reason. This was strange as I never thought of it before and I've lived here for 15 years. A few days later it came tumbling down and closed the road for a good while. Thankfully no one was caught in that mess.

 

[9BallPaul]

Nice story JAM

I wonder what kind of cue she has

Maybe a Brunswick Hoppe?