Denver Pool Halls -- '60s and '70s.

[jay helfert]

Do you remember a guy there who was pretty good action named Coit Chapman. I haven't heard that name in many years and was just curious.

He had an intrest in a collection of Huebler cues that was stolen andended uup in Denver at that time. Some were pretty nice and they were scattered all over the Denver area.

I had bought one from the Waterdog and right in the middle of my match with Swannee, an FBI agent walked up and took it from me. It was a cheaper one and after they examined it, they gave it back to me. I had no idea they were stolen, but they figured mine was so cheap, they let me keep it.

I knew Coyt real well. Nice looking guy with white hair. He spent his last years in San Diego. Good little shortstop who was never afraid to match up and play. He died way too young. I heard drugs were involved. I always liked the guy, and we got along fine. I played him my mandatory one time to check his speed at the Billiard Tavern in SD. Early 80's I believe. We broke about even, but I think he quit me first. I may have won a couple of games.

 

[Island Drive]

Do you remember a guy there who was pretty good action named Coit Chapman. I haven't heard that name in many years and was just curious.

He had an intrest in a collection of Huebler cues that was stolen andended uup in Denver at that time. Some were pretty nice and they were scattered all over the Denver area.

I had bought one from the Waterdog and right in the middle of my match with Swannee, an FBI agent walked up and took it from me. It was a cheaper one and after they examined it, they gave it back to me. I had no idea they were stolen, but they figured mine was so cheap, they let me keep it.

I remember the name very well and a pleasant man, but I forget his face and therefore some stories. I brought up Henry Granis in this thread and that reminded me of Him/"Henry" being probably the best at Icing another player (now illegal) during a match (and probably why he won the BCA Nationals 8-ball finals but I could be wrong here), I finally figured out how to beat him at his own game.
One afternoon at the weekly Colfax on Tennyson Sunday 9-ball he started doing his "thing".........so I was forced to create my own "thing" too..when I missed...I walked away from the table,...did not LOOK at HenREEEEEEEE while he was shooting...turned my back on the table (Granis would not cheat) and this bugged the hell out of em, sooooooooooo much that he started complaining to the tournament director telling him how I was "supposed" to watch, the director laughed told him there was no Rule and it was an easy win that day. Henry had such a bad habit of doing this he was barred from allot of events from there on, shot clocks were now part of the CO lore and Henry later ruined his back lifting a 5 gal water refill bottle and you now know the Rest of the Story.

 

[9BallPaul]

More characters

After sleeping on it, I remember a few more faces from the Denver old days.

Joe Finesilver played the first jack pool I'd ever seen, and played it well. You could find Joe all over town, in the taverns and coffee shops and pool halls. A loudmouth of the first order, Joe was reputedly the brother of a federal judge (Sherman Finesilver, now retired). He loved to jaw at Fat Marty, but I can't remember them actually playing.

Rob Sutherland, a genuinelly nice guy who played a notch below Andy and the gang, but was a willing gambler. Drove a big green Thunderbird and weilded a Paradise cue, first I'd ever seen.

Indian Karl (Carl?) was another late night character found all over town. A bar-box specialist, he'd often pop into Celebrity Lanes looking for tunas.

 

[cuesblues]

Hi Dave

First, I want to thank 9ballpaul for starting this thread, rep to you.

I moved to Fort Collins, CO a little less than 7 years ago so I missed all of what everyone is talking about Denver of old. Too bad, it really sounds like a great pool environment. I really don't know the majority of names that have been talked about but I know a few. Sid, Frank E. Melody, Chuey - you know, the ones that are still around and have bee for the last 7 years. The only one I know (that I know I know) of the posters is Ted (cuesblues) - Hi Ted! And regas (sixpack) I met in Sacramento, and I've run into Jay a few times - Hi to you, too!

I just wanted to say thanks for my "new" memories.

Dave

Just for any old Denver guys, coming from someone that watched and played a lot of pool in the 60's in Denver, Dave aka 12squared could have played with anybody here in those days. Dave is one of the top players in Colorado, and is the best player that I have ever played.

 

[cuesblues]

Andy

I hesitate to post this because I don't want anyoneto get the wrongi dea about my old friend and make no mistake, I loved Andy dearly.
Itwas back in the 80's andAndy was still playing pretty well despite being in his 60's.
We were at Colfax Billiards and Andy had beatensome guy pretty handily or of a few bucks and the guy really took the heat over it. Andy was in no danger as there were many of us around, "watching his back".
The guy called Andy many things and finallyout came the N word and we knew something was about to happen andI was about to .
pop the guy myself.
Andy was as nice a guy who lived, and never started trouble with anyone, butcould hold hisown in verbal altercations. When the guy refused topay and then used the N word, Andy clamly laid his cueon the table and turned and walked over to the wall and grabbed a house cue andslowly walkedover to the guy who had his back to . He held the cue with both hands by the shaft and raised it slowly and KONK! Andy popped him right ontop of the head. Idon't ever in life remember laughing as hard as Idid that very minute.
The guy got off the floor and saws everal of us standing very close and calmly reached in his pocket and paid Andy. Andy thanked him and then went and paid the time. He then came over and handed me like a $10 Jelly roll, winked at me and said Thanks. I was still out of control laughing.
The nextday Isaw Andy and wentover a shook hishandand brought up the incident from the night before, still laughing. Andy looked atme very soberly and said, That's a bad word. Ilooked at his eyes and saw his pain. We never talked about . it again. That day, I dropped the N word from my vocabulary
andstillfeel a bit ashamed of my behavior.

It sounds like Andy took care of it by himself. Andy was the most respected pool player ever in Denver, with your friend Al Hogue right there with him. I'm surprised the entire pool hall didn't come down on this guys head, and it's a good thing I wasn't there.

When I was 16 years old Sid seriously threatened a guy that was giving me a hard time, and the guy got so scared he left, and never bothered me again. It was over a 10 dollar bet.

My new word is "Konk" that's priceless

 

[sixpack]

Just for any old Denver guys, coming from someone that watched and played a lot of pool in the 60's in Denver, Dave aka 12squared could have played with anybody here in those days. Dave is one of the top players in Colorado, and is the best player that I have ever played.

Yeah, I got that feeling when we met in Sac and John Schmidt came up and asked him how to play a certain shot

Another funny story that I heard before my time: Izzadore was setting up prop shots at Eck's Saloon and he had CB on one end rail, middle diamond, OB on other end rail, middle diamond and was giving people chances to make it or they could bet against him making it.

Surfer Rod was there hanging out and drunkenly stumbled out from the crowd and said, "hell, that doesn't look all that hard to me!" So he bets and makes it first try. Well Izzadore, not knowing Rod, bets he can't do it again. Of course you see where this is going. Rod busts Izzy on his own prop shot.

~rc

 

[1-pocket-player]

That's a great story, $160.00, that's not so bad, at least you didn't fire an air-barrel at him. Sid Barcelona has told me several stories about gambling with Surfer Rod. I think Sid won some Tad cues from Rod, that I would like to buy.

Surfer Rod was some character in thosedays. He played pretty good on a bar table, but was mostly a "Go off artist". He was entertaining though.

Surfer Rod Curry still plays (In Ogden, Utah) and he is still a pretty big "Go off artist" for those that didn't know. I played him some bar box 9-ball a few months ago and he was playing with a Tad-2.

-Andy

 

[jrhendy]

Sam {Cigar Sam} played golf onthat front snookier table maybe as well as anyone on the planet, As matter offact I think our own John Henderson played some golf there some years ago and could shed a little light on this too.

I spent less than two weeks in Denver on a road trip with Poker Paul in the 80's, but remember it well. I played in two places, The Family Fun Center and Colfax Billiards. I beat a couple of guys at the Fun Center playing golf, including Bill Ackerman. Then Sam asked me if I wanted to put up a thousand and play the next day. He was the only guy on this road trip that drilled me playing golf. I didn't blow the whole thousand before the place closed, but I didn't want anymore. Kicked balls in better than anyone I ever saw (except for maybe Ronnie) and just never made a mistake. At Colfax Billiards the only loser I booked was playing the owner, Frank Burgess, one hole and giving him too much weight. There was a guy practicing on one of the tables and Frank said "Go ask that guy to play some $50 nine ball. I'll stake it". I asked and the guy would not play. Frank laughed and told me the player was Henry Granis, who I had no chance of beating, but he was a $5 player who wouldn't mix it up with strangers. Frank told me if he heard of me playing Danny Medina ANYTHING, I was Barred from his room. He said I couldn't beat him at anything and there must have been some history there. Dick Henry was my neighbor when I was a kid growing up outside LA before my pool playing days. Like me, he started out playing snooker an a 5 x 10 at Steve's Pool Hall on Garvey Blvd in Monterey Park. He was one of the best players at Hollywood Billiards when I was just starting to go there in the late 50's. He left for Colorado soon after that and I heard some of the crazy stories about him from time to time. He had a brother five or six years older than me that used to stake me from time to time. He was also half crazy with a lot of gamble and both of them died fairly young. Great post with lots of memories. John Henderson

 

[woodyosborne]

denver in early 70's

i worked mostly on south broadway- about two block from the old, huge montgomery ward store-used to eat dinner there. there was pool tables all up and down broadway. loved the town and the people. lots of great times. used to go(i was underage even for the 3.2 beer at the time) to some cowboy bar saturday nights and team with a wrecker operator called "speed" i believe. we had a good bit of fun for a buck or a beer. i do remember family fun and colfax billiards. i seem to remember family fun had this really large parking lot. colfax billiards had the first 3cushion table i ever saw- right in front of the desk. denver was a great place to be- miss my friends there.

 

[Scott Lee]

Wow...I've read this whole thread, and know almost all of the places mentioned, as I lived in CO for 15 yrs (but up in Gunnison). Made trips to Denver all the time. One room that was only open for a couple of years in the 70's, that nobody has mentioned is Brass Rail Billiards. It was on the north side, up I-25, just off off of, IIRC, 56th St. It was open 24 hrs, and along with Family Fun Center, and Colfax Billiards, was a late night action spot. I remember Isadore in there betting on that backwards frozen rail cut shot. I learned that shot so well, I made a lot of $$$ on it over the years.
Wow, that was a LOOOONG time ago!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

 

[SJDinPHX]

Jay and some of the others had a thread going about great rooms across the USA -- many long gone, and some of the characters who hung out there. I thought I'd localize that thread with this one about Denver, where I grew up playing.

Only one Denver room remains open, that would be the old Family Fun Center on West 38th and Sheridan, later called Paradise Billiards. It recently sold and is called something else (Hank's?) but it retains the character and charm it had in the '60s, when I first started playing there.

Some of you might remember that JAM wrote about stopping in Hank's in a post a couple years ago while she and Keith were on a road trip (and while JAM was still posting on this board). It's a player's room and some kind of action can usually be found from noon on. Lately when I've stopped in I've seen a golf session that seems to happen daily on the corner snooker table, and most of the players are engaged in 9-ball but you can find 14.1 and one pocket too. Can't remember seeing the billiards table that once occupied a prominent spot, the table where I watched Kelly string a dozen three-rail billiards as though he did it every night.

Because I drinks a bit, I can't get out for late night sessions anymore, but I've got a feeling things still happen in that room. Andy Hudson, a guy I've rhapsodized about before on this forum, must have put in a half-century playing in this room and playing amazingly well.

Among the players I saw at Family Fun were Eddie Kelly, Bill Staton (Weenie Beanie) and Bill Stroud. For a while, Stroud was living in Aspen and would occasionally pop in looking for 9-ball action. Local players I recall would be Freddy the Jap, Tony Ricotta (Tony Cheese, of course), his son, TJ Ricotta, Bill Barnes, Fat Marty, Tim Cole, Steve Roundsville and Rodney Robitz.

Sometimes as a 17-year-old, I'd sneak out my dad's old Dodge Dart and drive over to the Fun Center for post-midnight entertainment. At the time, Denver had a law that forced pool halls to close after midnight. The Fun Center sat just across the Denver line, in Wheat Ridge, and thus could close whenever it suited them. Then I'd sneak home, pop into my basement window, and no one was the wiser.

Celebrity LanesLocated in a little Denver enclave called Glendale, Celebrity also was exempt from the Denver law and so action could go on all night and usually did. Room was equipped with a dozen AMF 9-footers and a half-dozen AMF snooker tables.

The house man at night was named Don Roselle, he dressed in all black and played a mean game of 9-ball. Then, one night, in wanders Fat Marty, traveling with his sidekick Okie. He made a nice score off of Don and started hanging out at Celebrity as it suited him. Fat Marty owned a big black Cadillac convertible, but Marty was physically unable to drive it, such was his girth. So chauffering fell to Okie, an oldtimer who was missing some prominent teeth and yet still suited up in sport coat and tie wherever he went. Fat Marty, though, did his thing in dirty t-shirts, baggy pants and a hideous green cardigan sweater that appeared slept in.

Steve Roundsville began frequenting this room and that's where I met him. Last time I saw Steve, he had raised his game to a really respectable level, but don't know if he's still around.

York Billiardsat East Colfax and York Street. First thing you gotta know is that Colfax is the center of all vice in Denver. Yet it flows through lots of moneyed neighborhoods and through Downtown. But whatever you're looking for in Denver, whether it's a pool game or a pipeful of crack, Colfax is your place.

York Billiards was owned by two characters, Don DeLuzio and his partner, Gino. Gino had a respectable job in a Denver bank, but was moonlighting with his old pal, Don, whose reputation was slightly, uh, tarnished.

DeLuzio had been an all-state basketball player at Regis High and went on scholarship to play at the University of San Francisco. Some sort of scandal happened, though I've never learned the details. Anyway, he returned to Denver, hooked up with Gino, and opened this pool room with 16 Gold Crowns and a couple snooker tables.

Among Don's pals was Chauncey Smalldone, at that time considered the don of whatever kind of organized crime was happening in Denver. Chauncey would park his big green Cadillac right on the sidewalk outside the pool hall, totally illegal but perfectly safe from any cop who might dare to screw with him. Because my pool buddy Mickey and I both went to high school just a couple blocks away, we spent lots of time here, truant officers be damned. Over time Chauncey began giving us odd jobs and dispensing us on errands for some spot cash, which we happily accepted. The Smalldone family was a big part of Denver history, operating the old Gaetano's restaurant on the north side. Mostly the family business involved bookmaking, but other shady stuff was often alleged, usually by cops quoted in Denver newspapers.

Midnight would often find Mick and me hanging around while Don and Gino counted the cash and closed for the night. Then we'd go across Colfax to the White Spot coffee shop, where they'd treat us to breakfast.

York Billiards was the place where I ran into Rodney Robitz. He was just a teenager but grew up with a pool table in his living room. So naturally he had a sidewinder kind of stroke, a la McCready. His dad owned a used car lot on Colfax and kept a wad of cash stashed in his dresser at home. Rodney was fully aware of this bankrool and made frequent trips to his dad's dresser.

Rodney was on his way to becoming a top player, but I don't know what happened to him, just like Steve. Last I heard many years ago was that he was a regular at the dog track and had done some time in prison. Sorry to hear it, kid.

Varsity BilliardsOn South University Boulevard, near the University of Denver. In the '60s it was run by a guy named John Canino. Not too many players came through here, but one day I dragged in Fat Marty and announced to the room that he was my dad. This brought on lots of attention, Marty loved it and put on a show. Then I stuffed him back into my Volkswagen and took him home. Don't know who was driving his Caddy that day.

That's what I got. Any other Denver oldtimers out there? Or those who can post on the modern rooms, such as Tarantula's and Table Steaks.

I hate to admit it but I go back to the 50,s in Denver. I was from Durango
and my nick name became "the Durango kid'. I was pretty wet behind the
ears and was easy prey for the scuffs at that time. I remember a few names, "Parking lot Johnny", " Watermellon", "Big Red" and of course Russ. There used to
be a poolroom on East Colfax (near the city bus yard)that was the action joint besides the old Arcade. In later years the Family Fun Center was where
all the action was. Those were my roots, and I thank you for jogging the
old memory bank. In later years, Table Steaks, and Frank Burgess, became
the good joints to get down for the cash.

 

[sixpack]

When I played a lot in Denver I pulled off some things that make me scratch my head now. The biggest was winning the Thursday night tourney at Family. I only played because Melody was short on her mortgage so I played, won the thing and then gave her the money minus my entry fee. Felt really good.

Another was once everyone was *****ing about the handicaps and how there were not enough tourneys for AA and up players and so Terry Mac had an open, no handicap tournament at his Commerce City room, called Tournaments.

Everyone decided they didn't want anybody to get lucky so we played round robin. Everyone played everyone. There was only 8 or so players. I remember it was Dave Gomez, Melvin Sharpe, Me, Chris Onesky, "Hot Rod" Larry Rodriguez, Larry Blazer and another guy that worked there called "Murph".

Hot Rod and I were 'B' players, CO was an A+ or AA at the time and Murph was a AA, everyone else was AAA or higher.

Anyway, once the dust settled I ended winning 5 of my matches to tie at 5-2 with Melvin Sharpe and won the tournament on the tiebreaker

So the next week, they decided to have an open, no handicap scotch doubles tournament so me and my buddy Steve Bokros played in it. Teams I remember were Dave Gomez & Hot Rod, Larry Blazer and Terry, CO & Murph, and Leroy Garcia and someone I can't recall.

Anyway, Steve and I snap it off

So back to back weeks I won open tourneys with big-name fields.

Then I went out and won 11 out of 14 handicapped tournaments, including a 24-hour period where I won three tourneys. I was playing out of my head and was gambling and beating AAA players. It was one of those times where my game just JUMPED in a serious way.

And then I moved out of state for a couple of years. Now if I play in Denver and it's a CBA house, they normally make me play as a AAA.

I really miss Denver in the 90's. From what I heard it was even better in the 70's & 80's. But no place I've lived has been as good a place to be a pool player as Denver was back then. Tournaments every night somewhere, gambling everywhere and any night of the week I could go out and find 20 guys who would like to gamble with me.

One of the thing that made it great was the number of players that loved the game, worked hard, and were just under the top players.

Other places I've lived, including here, it seems like there is a lot of GREAT players, but then the numbers drop off considerably.

For example, in Denver in 1995, say, there were 20 players or so who were AAA+ speed. But there were 500 players at least who were A & AA speed who were also active in the tournament scene. Another 1000+ B& C players ( I know, I kept the stats on the rankings for a while )

The players above are players that were 'out and about' regularly.

Here, (Bay Area) there are probably 100 players who play AAA+ or better but if you go to tournaments, it feels like there are only another 100-200 who are A-AA. and probably 10,000 who are B&C, but they only play occasionally and don't gamble or play tournaments they think they have no shot in.

I give credit for the scene in Colorado during the 90's to Lief Jensen and Terry McFadden, Alex Johnson and the others who put together the CBA and created a regular tournament trail and a good atmosphere for players of all levels to compete.

In my opinion, leagues like the APA and BCA try to do this, but they fall short for me because there is nothing in them for better players.

Thanks for starting this thread Paul, I still think I know you

~rc

 

[fade]

Sid

I looked into my box of memorys and found a card from the Velvet Rail ,it has a velvet feel to it. Sid asked me to be his wife's (girlfriend's) 8-ball partner and we won the tournament! Ask if him if he remembers that?

 

[cuesblues]

Civic Center Billiards / Denver pool update

I hate to admit it but I go back to the 50,s in Denver. I was from Durango
and my nick name became "the Durango kid'. I was pretty wet behind the
ears and was easy prey for the scuffs at that time. I remember a few names, "Parking lot Johnny", " Watermellon" and "Big Red". There used to
be a poolroom on East Colfax (near the city bus yard)that was the action joint besides the old Arcade. In later years the Family Fun Center was where
all the action was. Those were my roots, and I thank you for jogging the
old memory bank. In later years, Table Steaks, and Frank Burgess, became
the good joints to get down for the cash.

The pool room on East Colfax was Civic Center Billiards, I think it is now a parking lot.


I went to Table Stakes Sputh and played for a few hours today, and talked to many of the people mentioned on this thread, and people that knew most of them. I also traded a full spliced Phillippi cue for a Dave Kikel, I didn't by a Judd Fuller that someone was selling for 550.00, and I looked at a Murray Tucker cue that I've wanted for a long time but the nose / forearm is severely warped, that is too bad because I really wanted that Murray Tucker. Mellisa Little was shooting lights out, and her fianc? & coach Mark Haddad who is a great player looked like he was going to win the tournament when I left.

 

[12squared]

Yeah, I got that feeling when we met in Sac and John Schmidt came up and asked him how to play a certain shot

Hi John Henderson. I remember you telling me the story of a guy in Denver who you couldn't beat, was that Sam?

And just to clarify the above observation, John Schmidt asked me a question about kicking because of my 3-Cushion background. I couldn't carry his jockstrap when talking about the rest of pool. He shoots, thinks and executes way better than I. Thanks for the nice compliment though.

Dave

 

[jrhendy]

Hi John Henderson. I remember you telling me the story of a guy in Denver who you couldn't beat, was that Sam?

Dave

That was Cigar Sam. I think some one said is name was Sam Jones, but who knows. Had us stuck about $800 of the $1,000 we put up, but I won the last couple of games before they closed & didn't want any more.

Jointed Cue Tournament at the end of March. Any chance you will make it? John

 

[Cuephoric]

No mention of Pinkey's? lol
I used to drive up from Texas on the weekends to play there with a backer from Amarillo Slim's in the early 90's. It was the only place he liked to go. He said everywhere else in town was bad luck for him, but I really enjoyed playing at B.I. and some of the places around there.
The Texas Bar in Trinidad used to always have some good action, but the games weren't as good as Denver by any means.
Is Megan still playing around there?
Mark Haddad told me last year that she moved back east.
There's alot of good shooters that I met through the years in the Denver area, and alot of good memories came out of it....
Thanks for bringing some of them back. Wish I could have been around the tables in the earlier years, sounds like it was alot of fun!

 

[mark8950]

pool halls in denver? you forgot!

the best pool hall in denver you forgot about "mr. luckys" on colfax 1970! thanks again. sparky webb

 

[ironman]

That was Cigar Sam. I think some one said is name was Sam Jones, but who knows. Had us stuck about $800 of the $1,000 we put up, but I won the last couple of games before they closed & didn't want any more.

Jointed Cue Tournament at the end of March. Any chance you will make it? John

It was Sam Jones. He was a southpaw from La Mesa Texas. His best games were on the snooker table, but also played pretty good one pocket and later on got to playing fair 3-cushion as well. I think Sam has passed on now. He was an incredible character as well. The man one rail kicked balls as well as anyone I ever saw.

 

[12squared]

Jointed Cue Tournament at the end of March. Any chance you will make it? John

I doubt it, but you never know. That's one fun tourney and the burgers are the best.

Cuephoric, Megan is back. She just took a break and went back east for a month or two and has been back for a while. Not playing as much since she took a job a Croc's.

Dave