Luther Lassiter.
best pool player in your pool room.
- Thread starter richiebalto
- Start date
Is that the guy they called the Truck-driver?
I gambled at a place called the Golden 8-ball?(i think)
Heard him and Vickery played about equal.
They were both out of town when I was there...
might have been a good thing...but I'm not sure for whom
nycRailBird
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When I first started hanging around the Golden Q in NY regularly in the early '80s, Pat Flemming, Ray Martin and Cicero Murphy were there just about everyday. I had no idea who they were! I learned over time. 99 Critical Shots and Accustats. Oh!
Johnny Ervolino was around for a while(I didn't know quite who he was either), then he "went away", only to return about 3 yrs later and become a fixture. We had "Jack the cop" and "Pete the cop Tascarella", two gents who were quite fine players also but not quite in the upper echelon.
We had "big Steve" everyday. He doesn't seem to get much press here, but another "killer" at most games, especially one pocket!
We had Jack Colavito on the weekends. I never realized that it was possible to run a hundred plus and out in three consecutive games. Jack seemed to do it routinely.
Tommy Walters, Danny Berouti, Dave "the face" Lipner, George Farrell, the list goes on... Ah, Gene Nagy!!
As I've said before.... "Pool heaven" for a young player.
A
nycRailBird
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Golden Q, Forgot a few
Ginky a bit later.
Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez and Sammy Guzman, who met an early demise though possbly might have been the best of the trio.
Ginky a bit later.
Tony Robles, Frankie Hernandez and Sammy Guzman, who met an early demise though possbly might have been the best of the trio.
nycRailBird
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Last but nnot least....
Lenny Favata. I always thought he had as much talent as anyone in the game.
Lenny Favata. I always thought he had as much talent as anyone in the game.
richie dont forget the piano man. he beat buddy hall you know. ask him, he will tell you
Thanx
I was travelling with a guy who graduated from Ohio state.
He told me about Kenny and spoke well of him.
So I asked for a description.
He said "Well,bud,he looks just like a big old truck driver."
I said "You got all that higher education so you could tell me that?"
He said "Some courses I didn't do so good at."
regards pt
Players
Maybe not quite the speed of some of these boys but guaranteed to have played many of them. Gary Drennon?( The Driller). The Pool Room. Okc. Vietnam Nam vet claiming agent orange when he missed a shot!! Climbed on the table like a monkey(short fellow). Hustled some bikers one day at some hole and they came back several days later and dammed near killed him. Eight weeks in the hospital. Hustling is dangerous!
Maybe not quite the speed of some of these boys but guaranteed to have played many of them. Gary Drennon?( The Driller). The Pool Room. Okc. Vietnam Nam vet claiming agent orange when he missed a shot!! Climbed on the table like a monkey(short fellow). Hustled some bikers one day at some hole and they came back several days later and dammed near killed him. Eight weeks in the hospital. Hustling is dangerous!
Whoops wrong thread.
On topic. The best player in my first room was me tied with another guy that was around the same level. The best player in my second room was Billy Palmer when he came by for the Sunday tournaments at HT Sac. My next pool room was HT Bellflower, there are too many good players to label one the best, but Tang, Dave, Morro, to name a few. The best guy in my current room is a guy you have definitely never heard of, but he blanked Rodney Morris when Rodney came through town playing challenge matches.
On topic. The best player in my first room was me tied with another guy that was around the same level. The best player in my second room was Billy Palmer when he came by for the Sunday tournaments at HT Sac. My next pool room was HT Bellflower, there are too many good players to label one the best, but Tang, Dave, Morro, to name a few. The best guy in my current room is a guy you have definitely never heard of, but he blanked Rodney Morris when Rodney came through town playing challenge matches.
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Used to hear talk of those days, growing up in N. VA...usually along with stories of the riots.
Do you recall a Herb (Herbie) Roberts? A policeman who could play a little...
If you were a road player , and walked through ANY door in North Jersey in the late 70's / early 80's you were in trouble . The railbirds had figured out how to use the 'telephone' , and one or more of those guys would be down with the quickness.
If you had played 10 dollar nine ball with Kenny , be glad you didn't play. {Unless you played like Rempe, Buddy, Marino speed.} Even then it probably wouldn't have been worth the torture.
He didn't play as good for big money but what working man does?
If you never got a chance to watch him play you missed something pretty special, he plays with all kinds of spin and moves the cueball around more than any good player I know , but he used to get out from everywhere.
The only thing I think he knows about systems is "Thunk it a little on this side, {his exact words}.
I noticed in the 1960s that he always addressed the cue ball at about 3 oclock which explains why he always got so much english on the ball ,{backhand english}, he said he did it so he could aim better.
Thanx for the response
I was pretty flush then so I probably wouldn't have played.
Played lots of cheap 9-ball (it kept you in stroke) but if I had to go to
the 'well' and play hard I would insist on raising.Didn't want to be known
as a $10 hooker.:grin:
I think I would've got along with Kenny and put him in action....
...gotta like a man who says "Thunk it."
. Thanks for the post.
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
Comin' up in South Miami in the late 70's thru the 80's it was Jimmy Matz and John DiToro, then came Tom Brown...man could he play. "Super Mario" Cruz in the mid-90's til 2000. Now from 2000 til 2010 in Hollywood, Fla it was Rob Melrose and Monster John...til he took ill, sigh.
Many times it's ambiguous who the best player is at a room.
The historic 711 in NYC had many players visit.
But the best resident player ,imo,was Brooklyn Jimmy.
Spanish Eddy was second.
Johnny Ervelino,Boston Shorty and Jersey Red were considered
visiting royalty.
The historic 711 in NYC had many players visit.
But the best resident player ,imo,was Brooklyn Jimmy.
Spanish Eddy was second.
Johnny Ervelino,Boston Shorty and Jersey Red were considered
visiting royalty.