Big Jake Has Passed

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Big Jake, Jake Naumer, aka "The Stockbroker" died last week -- he was a bona fide St. Louis legend, perhaps only second to St. Louie Roberts and Blackie Lasour.

I actually have limited info on Jake but perhaps others from our area can chime in if they see this. In any case, here is what I know.

I first met Jake in the late 90's when I started up playing pool after a 10 year sojourn from the game after living in Washington, DC. Big Jake was physically big (fat) but also lived life bigger than the average human being. As I recall, he was a stock broker or money manger of some kind back in the go-go days of a hyper-inflated market. He profited immensely and he lived "big" in every sense of the word, always coming into the pool hall in nice suits and with the best looking strippers and/or hookers on his arm and willing to bet whatever you wanted. But it wasn't enough and the story was there was a nip there and tuck there that he relieved from his investor's accounts and eventually he lost his broker's license. From there Big Jake fell into destitution and was occasionally found to be pawning a collectable guitar here or a collectible pool cue there. At one point, reports were that he was driving a cab in Las Vegas.

The doctors were not kind to Big Jake and he reportably suffered complications from numerous surgeries that resulted in lasting physical ailments and eventually financial problems with his family. Big Jake got bigger, lost hearing in one ear, and was broke. But regardless, Big Jake was always ready for action. He was one of those guys that, if you were a $10 or $20 a game bettor, you *had* to play for $50 or $100 or more a game because if you won you were going to hit a good pay day. I can still hear him saying, "You hit 'em like Varner. I want 10-7."

None other than Jack Cooney came to town one year to find our local "whale," Big Jake. Jack and Barbara set up camp at room in St. Louis and Jack laid it down. For several weeks he would sit on the rail, play the local short stops 1pocket losing $200 there, and $300 there, until at some point Big Jake could no longer resist the lure.

Big Jake was also an avid backgammon player and introduced the doubling cube to St. Louis 1pocket players. He was fearless with that cube and once a game got going would scare the bejeezus out his opponents with calculated use of the cube. It could get pretty scary when Big Jake had the cube.

Lately he was conducting a small handicapped 1pocket tournament at my home room. I will always remember him and his rat terrier who would sit under the table at The Break until the dog got "the office" to run out and shark you.

Big Jake was a pool room character worth commemorating and that's all I'm trying to do. RIP, Big Jake.

Lou Figueroa
 
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My pool and billiard days started in 1974 at SIU in Carbondale, IL. I believe the Johnston City tournament ended a year or 2 prior, but Carbondale was still at the time a town for the Road Players to hit.

I don't remember when Jake came but he came to attend SIU around 1975 or 76.

The Road players weren't coming to just prey on the Punk College kids. There were a couple of serious players. One being AZB Island Drive and another being Dennis "Tex" Gieske (sp?) Both avid competitors at Johnston City. Then there were 1st string shortstops. Bill Wade, Johnny Cash. Then the 2nd string... 3rd string. Then there was Fats who live about 8 miles North. He'd drop in when the action came, other than that it was every 2 or 3 months to test the waters or to just keep on the cutting edge of his rant and the girls. Lots of action in Carbondale, IL in those days.

Big Jake was always looking for action. It didn't have to be pool. He simply liked to gamble. I'm assuming his parents had money or he was already in business. How do you gamble $25 or $100 9Ball when you're a college student? In 1975. Jake wasn't a player that the top tier feared. But he would at times negotiate a game he'd came out winner. He enjoyed the haggle. And of course the game.

I heard him talk about backgammon a lot, for over a year. My cousin was a traveling Professional Backgammon player. I told Jake I can set him up with a game and a decent bet. I forget all the arrangements but the game was set and played. They played for 3 days. To my amazement (shouldn't have been) Jake busted my cousin. I just smiled at the results. I wasn't in. Didn't particularly care who won.

Sad to hear about Jake. We weren't really friends, but there's no way we wouldn't say hello and how you doing if we saw each other.
 
Big Jake, Jake Naumer, aka "The Stockbroker" died last week -- he was a bona fide St. Louis legend, perhaps only second to St. Louie Roberts and Blackie Lasour.

I actually have limited info on Jake but perhaps others from our area can chime in if they see this. In any case, here is what I know.

I first met Jake in the late 90's when I started up playing pool after a 10 year sojourn from the game after living in Washington, DC. Big Jake was physically big (fat) but also lived life bigger than the average human being. As I recall, he was a stock broker or money manger of some kind back in the go-go days of a hyper-inflated market. He profited immensely and he lived "big" in every sense of the word, always coming into the pool hall in nice suits and with the best looking strippers and/or hookers on his arm and willing to bet whatever you wanted. But it wasn't enough and the story was there was a nip there and tuck there that he relieved from his investor's accounts and eventually he lost his broker's license. From there Big Jake fell into destitution and was occasionally found to be pawning a collectable guitar here or a collectible pool cue there. At one point, reports were that he was driving a cab in Las Vegas.

The doctors were not kind to Big Jake and he reportably suffered complications from numerous surgeries that resulted in lasting physical ailments and eventually financial problems with his family. Big Jake got bigger, lost hearing in one ear, and was broke. But regardless, Big Jake was always ready for action. He was one of those guys that, if you were a $10 or $20 a game bettor, you *had* to play for $50 or $100 or more a game because if you won you were going to hit a good pay day. I can still hear him saying, "You hit 'em like Varner. I want 10-7."

None other than Jack Cooney came to town one year to find our local "whale," Big Jake. Jack and Barbara set up camp at room in St. Louis and Jack laid it down. For several weeks he would sit on the rail, play the local short stops 1pocket losing $200 there, and $300 there, until at some point Big Jake could no longer resist the lure.

Lately he was conducting a small handicapped 1pocket tournament at my home room. I will always remember him and his rat terrier who would sit under the table at The Break until the dog got "the office" to run out and shark you.

Big Jake was a pool room character worth commemorating and that's all I'm trying to do. RIP, Big Jake.

Lou Figueroa
Good story.

Have you ever ran into Cotton Smith around there?
 
My pool and billiard days started in 1974 at SIU in Carbondale, IL. I believe the Johnston City tournament ended a year or 2 prior, but Carbondale was still at the time a town for the Road Players to hit.

I don't remember when Jake came but he came to attend SIU around 1975 or 76.

The Road players weren't coming to just prey on the Punk College kids. There were a couple of serious players. One being AZB Island Drive and another being Dennis "Tex" Gieske (sp?) Both avid competitors at Johnston City. Then there were 1st string shortstops. Bill Wade, Johnny Cash. Then the 2nd string... 3rd string. Then there was Fats who live about 8 miles North. He'd drop in when the action came, other than that it was every 2 or 3 months to test the waters or to just keep on the cutting edge of his rant and the girls. Lots of action in Carbondale, IL in those days.

Big Jake was always looking for action. It didn't have to be pool. He simply liked to gamble. I'm assuming his parents had money or he was already in business. How do you gamble $25 or $100 9Ball when you're a college student? In 1975. Jake wasn't a player that the top tier feared. But he would at times negotiate a game he'd came out winner. He enjoyed the haggle. And of course the game.

I heard him talk about backgammon a lot, for over a year. My cousin was a traveling Professional Backgammon player. I told Jake I can set him up with a game and a decent bet. I forget all the arrangements but the game was set and played. They played for 3 days. To my amazement (shouldn't have been) Jake busted my cousin. I just smiled at the results. I wasn't in. Didn't particularly care who won.

Sad to hear about Jake. We weren't really friends, but there's no way we wouldn't say hello and how you doing if we saw each other.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the backgammon.

Big Jake was an avid backgammon player and introduced the doubling cube to St. Louis 1pocket players. He was fearless with that cube and once a game got going would scare the bejeezus out his opponents with calculated use of the cube. It could get pretty scary when Big Jake had the cube.

Lou Figueroa
 
Where did you live in DC area, Lou?
Did you go to any pool rooms, if so...which?

Sounds like I stated playing around here about the same time you left.
 
Where did you live in DC area, Lou?
Did you go to any pool rooms, if so...which?

Sounds like I stated playing around here about the same time you left.

I lived just outside the District in MD.

I might have played a half dozen times while stationed there. I remember playing in a Black pool room called maybe the Golden Eight Ball; there was a room behind Andrews AFB that I played at a couple of times; there was another room down south towards Waldorf that I peeked in but didn't play at; and I think I recall another up towards the top of the Beltway in a shopping center. I was there '86-'92, first at Andrews for a couple of years and the rest at The Pentagon.

Work kept me too busy to play much.

Lou Figueroa
 
My pool and billiard days started in 1974 at SIU in Carbondale, IL. I believe the Johnston City tournament ended a year or 2 prior, but Carbondale was still at the time a town for the Road Players to hit.

I don't remember when Jake came but he came to attend SIU around 1975 or 76.

The Road players weren't coming to just prey on the Punk College kids. There were a couple of serious players. One being AZB Island Drive and another being Dennis "Tex" Gieske (sp?) Both avid competitors at Johnston City. Then there were 1st string shortstops. Bill Wade, Johnny Cash. Then the 2nd string... 3rd string. Then there was Fats who live about 8 miles North. He'd drop in when the action came, other than that it was every 2 or 3 months to test the waters or to just keep on the cutting edge of his rant and the girls. Lots of action in Carbondale, IL in those days.

Big Jake was always looking for action. It didn't have to be pool. He simply liked to gamble. I'm assuming his parents had money or he was already in business. How do you gamble $25 or $100 9Ball when you're a college student? In 1975. Jake wasn't a player that the top tier feared. But he would at times negotiate a game he'd came out winner. He enjoyed the haggle. And of course the game.

I heard him talk about backgammon a lot, for over a year. My cousin was a traveling Professional Backgammon player. I told Jake I can set him up with a game and a decent bet. I forget all the arrangements but the game was set and played. They played for 3 days. To my amazement (shouldn't have been) Jake busted my cousin. I just smiled at the results. I wasn't in. Didn't particularly care who won.

Sad to hear about Jake. We weren't really friends, but there's no way we wouldn't say hello and how you doing if we saw each other.

FYI - Fats was actually part owner of that pool room. I spent way too many late nights there in the mid-to-late 70's when I should have been studying :)
 
FYI - Fats was actually part owner of that pool room. I spent way too many late nights there in the mid-to-late 70's when I should have been studying :)
Which Pool room you talking about.

BTW We probably know each other.
 
It was the one that you had to go down stairs to get to. Was it called Crazy Horse or something like that? Been a long time ago, and my memory sucks :)
It was Crazy Horse then they knocked a hole in the wall to access the next room and made it, (originally) a beer and wine bar named Gatsby's. City ordnance prevented hard stuff cause it was within so many yard of SIU Campus. That soon changed. Too many tax $$ not being collected.

Never heard anything about Fats having a part of this. I'd think I would have heard the rumor. Jim Winfrey didn't need any help by the time I got there, but Crazy Horse was well established by then. And Jim had lots of Irons in the Fire, throughout Little Egypt.

Anyway back to Big Jake

Always negotiating. Might take a week. Patience or a good argument to hurry it up before they left.
 
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