Country

[jay helfert]

Who remembers Country, the black pool hustler out of New York? I believe he's still alive, probably in his 80's now. He was around when I was there way back in the 60's. Country, along with Jack Cooney are the most legendary hustlers of that era, regularly making telephone number scores. I just remember him in his long trench coat sizing up the scene when he came into Guys and Dolls. If he got a game it was usually held off to the side, away from the crowd. Country liked to keep everything on the down low, never talking about his games or his scores. He was good at his job!

Where is he now? Is he still alive? Is he still hustling?

 

[Nostroke]

I'm pretty sure he died about 6-7 years ago.(edit apparently still alive) He was a great hustler right into his 70's. The last time i saw him was during the last days of the Golden Cue on Queens Blvd. Sometime around 2005 I'd say. Even there he stayed out of sight as much as he could and the couple of times i saw him playing, it was on a 'non player's table'.

In the 90's I was told right after it happened that he spent a month in Chicago Billiards of the Kid Delicious book fame without ever playing. Somehow finally wrangled his way into a game or two and won $30k. I didnt question it at the time but thinking about it, I'm not sure how he could pull that off as that was Liscotti's room and he HAD to have known Country. I suppose Larry may have been away at the time for one reason or another. I know a guy i can ask just for the heck of it. Edit-not true-It was a guy NN 'Black Rob' who was later shot to death at Lodi Billiards BUT he was SENT to Chicago Billiards by Country!

PS- I also heard Country did some time and when they arrested him at his house they found 2 million or so hidden in the walls.

 

[accustatsfan]

Sounds like many good stories could be written about this person. On the other hand if he was that good a hustler we will never know. Its like criminals the really great ones we will never know who they are/were.

 

[pt109]

Country missed a shot at one-hole in Detroit at the Rack...'78.
He said "I aint felt so bad since my mule got lame."

 

[mikeyfrost]

Who remembers Country, the black pool hustler out of New York? I believe he's still alive, probably in his 80's now. He was around when I was there way back in the 60's. Country, along with Jack Cooney are the most legendary hustlers of that era, regularly making telephone number scores. I just remember him in his long trench coat sizing up the scene when he came into Guys and Dolls. If he got a game it was usually held off to the side, away from the crowd. Country liked to keep everything on the down low, never talking about his games or his scores. He was good at his job!

Where is he now? Is he still alive? Is he still hustling?

Country is still around in New Jersey. He regularly comes to Sand Castle Billiards. Most people have no idea how strong he is. He's my corner man every now and again. He still is sharp, no kinda sight though. Whoever your favorite player was there's a good chance he beat them. From the time I really started talking to him he would be my pick for someone to write a biography on or do a movie on. They say no one took more money playing the game in his era than him. He's a living legend and no one even knows it.

 

[Eric.]

Country is still around in New Jersey. He regularly comes to Sand Castle Billiards. Most people have no idea how strong he is. He's my corner man every now and again. He still is sharp, no kinda sight though. Whoever your favorite player was there's a good chance he beat them. From the time I really started talking to him he would be my pick for someone to write a biography on or do a movie on. They say no one took more money playing the game in his era than him. He's a living legend and no one even knows it.

You beat me to it, but yes, Country has been hanging around for years.


Eric

 

[Nostroke]

You beat me to it, but yes, Country has been hanging around for years.


Eric

Glad i was wrong- I swear i heard it mentioned in passing right here.. I edited my post.

Knowing him, he may have started the rumor.

 

[jay helfert]

Glad i was wrong- I swear i heard it mentioned in passing right here.. I edited my post.

Knowing him, he may have started the rumor.

Don't feel alone. We've had Rafael dead more than once and Billy Ray disappeared for nearly 20 years and got resurrected. In Pool, players often die and miraculously come back to life!

 

[Eric.]

Don't feel alone. We've had Rafael dead more than once and Billy Ray disappeared for nearly 20 years and got resurrected. In Pool, players often die and miraculously come back to life!

It all depends on who owes how much, to whom.

Rafael might be eligible for the Lazarus award.


Eric

 

[Nostroke]

So anyway, rather than sulk over the stock market which has half busted me, ill tell what i learned on the Country Story. Country went to Chicago Billiards and booked a 3K loser playing Tommy Jr 500/gm 1P. He is irate as he almost never books a loser and people were even afraid he might do something rash to get his money back.

He winds up sending this guy Black Rob up there to recoup it for him. Black Rob has gold earrings, chains, and literally at least 30K on him that he flashes which gets a player or 2 salivating. No one in the joint knows him. He winds up playing Billy the Kid (Lanna) who has Ralph the owner as a backer. Ralph owned a regional bakery and was a millionaire several times over though he lived like a pauper practically, other than the money he threw at pool.

They play every night for thousands with Billy spotting him up to 4 more balls than he should IF ANY. Billy loses maybe 50K over 3 weeks or so and they adjust the game several times til finally billy wins 20K back and Rob quits saying you have to come to Lodi if you want to play that game. Of course Billy etc is furious but what are you gonna do?

A few days later, Billy, Bobby Hunt, Tommy Jr and Ralph make their way to Lodi-60-70 miles to play Rob. The place is packed with sweaters including Mobsters with their Rolexes, rings and huge wads of cash in addition to Rob and his.

But now Rob wants to change the the game. They argue of course and Rob wont agree to the original game. Billy just wants to go home but they huddle and decide maybe they can still make some money and if they go eat maybe Rob will have rethought it and agree to play when they get back or they will get other good action.

90 minutes later they get back to Lodi-there is crime scene tape up all over, 10 or more police cars, guys being questioned etc

It turns out minutes after they left, a guy comes in with a gun, takes all Rob's $$ estimated at 150k, everyone else's $$, the mob guys watches, money and all the jewelry-rings etc which they were forced to put on one table. The only thing Rob has left is a big gold chain around his neck and the robber tells him to "give it to me' "better yet I'll take it myself' This guy has robbed Rob TWICE previously which obviously is a bit aggravating to say the least and as he got close, Rob grabs for the gun and in the struggle gets shot in the stomach. The guy steps back and shoots him again executing him.

He takes off and the police catch up with him while trying to go over the GW Bridge. The chase continues and they wind up nailing him in Washington Heights In NYC, where Fats was born by the way. The only thing is-he is reported to have only around $20k on him, no watches, rings etc. Some estimates had the take at well over $500k Where is it? No one who knows is telling. The thief was killed a few years later in jail.

 

[alstl]

So anyway, rather than sulk over the stock market which has half busted me, ill tell what i learned on the Country Story. Country went to Chicago Billiards and booked a 3K loser playing Tommy Jr 500/gm 1P. He is irate as he almost never books a loser and people were even afraid he might do something rash to get his money back.

He winds up sending this guy Black Rob up there to recoup it for him. Black Rob has gold earrings, chains, and literally at least 30K on him that he flashes which gets a player or 2 salivating. No one in the joint knows him. He winds up playing Billy the Kid (Lanna) who has Ralph the owner as a backer. Ralph owned a regional bakery and was a millionaire several times over though he lived like a pauper practically, other than the money he threw at pool.

They play every night for thousands with Billy spotting him up to 4 more balls than he should IF ANY. Billy loses maybe 50K over 3 weeks or so and they adjust the game several times til finally billy wins 20K back and Rob quits saying you have to come to Lodi if you want to play that game. Of course Billy etc is furious but what are you gonna do?

A few days later, Billy, Bobby Hunt, Tommy Jr and Ralph make their way to Lodi-60-70 miles to play Rob. The place is packed with sweaters including Mobsters with their Rolexes, rings and huge wads of cash in addition to Rob and his.

But now Rob wants to change the the game. They argue of course and Rob wont agree to the original game. Billy just wants to go home but they huddle and decide maybe they can still make some money and if they go eat maybe Rob will have rethought it and agree to play when they get back or they will get other good action.

90 minutes later they get back to Lodi-there is crime scene tape up all over, 10 or more police cars, guys being questioned etc

It turns out minutes after they left, a guy comes in with a gun, takes all Rob's $$ estimated at 150k, everyone else's $$, the mob guys watches, money and all the jewelry-rings etc which they were forced to put on one table. The only thing Rob has left is a big gold chain around his neck and the robber tells him to "give it to me' "better yet I'll take it myself' This guy has robbed Rob TWICE previously which obviously is a bit aggravating to say the least and as he got close, Rob grabs for the gun and in the struggle gets shot in the stomach. The guy steps back and shoots him again executing him.

He takes off and the police catch up with him while trying to go over the GW Bridge. The chase continues and they wind up nailing him in Washington Heights In NYC, where Fats was born by the way. The only thing is-he is reported to have only around $20k on him, no watches, rings etc. Some estimates had the take at well over $500k Where is it? No one who knows is telling. The thief was killed a few years later in jail.

The State presented compelling evidence that in the early morning hours of April 29, 1997, defendant shot and killed Robert Price during a robbery in a pool room in Lodi. Price, a pool room patron, resisted the perpetrator's effort to remove gold chains from his neck. A scuffle ensued during which the perpetrator drew a firearm. As Price attempted to gain control of the gun, a shot was fired. When the gun jammed, the perpetrator slammed it on the table, re-cocked it and shot Price numerous times. After Price fell to the ground, the perpetrator shot him in the head and then fled the pool hall.

...
Over defendant's objection, Assistant Prosecutor David Pine was permitted to testify that defendant had been indicted in 1995 for committing armed robbery and weapons possession offenses. Robert Price, the murder victim, was also the victim of that armed robbery.



If you read far enough down the page Burgos was acquitted in the 1995 robbery because three eyewitnesses testified he wasn't the guy who robbed Price. I wonder who those three eyewitnesses were and whether they just happened to be in Lodi during the second robbery. Somebody obviously tipped the shooter not once but twice. The answer died with Burgos in prison.