fats

[pt109]

Fats was the most confident man I ever met. Even Muhammed Ali lost out in the war of words with him, raising Fat's hand in victory after a Howard Cosell joint interview. It might have been on the Carson show.

Notice I never said anything about his pool playing. I don't have to.

P.S. When the Feds busted Johnston City in 1972 and hauled all the pool players into court, Fats was the one who took the stand on their behalf. After he talked for about thirty minutes, the judge dropped all charges! True story.

I'd love to see that Cosell interview.
Can one of you geeks post it?

regards
pt..<..who still uses an abacus

 

[alstl]

man, i wrote about a tale concerning fats wanderone and wimpy lassiter, and i got some of the craziest retorts that i have ever heard. one guy, jay hefert, even has his own web site. just like rush limbaugh, glenn beck, michelle bachman, and sharon angle. one said that i should be ashamed for disparaging lassiter because i wrote about him swearing.to this person, if you think lassiter didn't swear, you've never seen him anywhere except network tv. another said i didn't know my ass from a hole in the ground because of bentivegna's book about fats. the author rates fats as one of the best. who doesn't know their ass from a hole in the ground? and i hope "island drive" bill meachum reads this again because i think i used to know him pretty good if he's tall, better pool player than i am, had his cue wrapped in electrical tape, played a lot with denny geiske and jon russo at siu, and was generally a nice guy. if you are the bill meachum that i knew in carbondale, ISN'T GETTING OLD NO GOOD?
and i'd like to get it straight that i liked fats just fine. he, rightly or wrongly, was a celebrity that always had time for the kids at the cue carom. fats, it might be mentioned, never went to crazyhorse because that was where gieski and dave malane(sp?) played. and fats did love animals as someone pointed out, so that is good. and i certainly never said he wasn't smart. all i said was his fame was a sham because "the hustler" was not about wanderone. he took advantage of the sham. more power to him. but he claimed on many occasions to be the best player in the world and that was a blatant lie. he wasn't even in the top five in southern ill. i hope you guys get just as up in arms when some batshit crazy right wing nut calls the president a nazi.

Uh..............

 

[Roadking]

I have to second what my buddy The Beard just said. There was never anyone like Fats and never will be either. He was the original "Pied Piper." People (everyone!) would just follow him around wherever he went, like little kids following the ice cream truck. Like Freddie said, you had to see it to believe it. I had the HONOR of carrying his cue case in and out of the poolroom for his exhibitions. At the time I was a 19-22 year old man, but thrilled to be given this awesome role in his life.

Fatty never once called me Jay. He referred to me as "The Little Man." I had my own position in his entourage! He respected my intelligence and would often have me read documents, including contracts for him. Don't get me wrong, I just read them, he made all the decisions. And yes, he was Triple Smart! No one could get over on Fats! Pity the poor con man who tried. He'd end up the loser. Fats was the most confident man I ever met. Even Muhammed Ali lost out in the war of words with him, raising Fat's hand in victory after a Howard Cosell joint interview. It might have been on the Carson show.

Notice I never said anything about his pool playing. I don't have to.

P.S. When the Feds busted Johnston City in 1972 and hauled all the pool players into court, Fats was the one who took the stand on their behalf. After he talked for about thirty minutes, the judge dropped all charges! True story.

I love these old war stories,keep them coming.

 

[JamisonNeu]

P.S. When the Feds busted Johnston City in 1972 and hauled all the pool players into court, Fats was the one who took the stand on their behalf. After he talked for about thirty minutes, the judge dropped all charges! True story.

I would love to have been in that room...

 

[freddy the beard]

A $40 personal appearance

Freddy I just got your banking with the beard DVD and I'm loving it. I love how you interject stories on the DVD.

Tell the one about the pool room owner that couldn't afford to pay fats for an exhibition so fats did him a favor.

One of the funniest Fatty episodes occurred when I was watching him perform to the crowd at Johnston City. He would periodically put on impromptu exhibitions down there, and believe me they were priceless to see. He loved to pick on the top guys, like Lassiter, chiding him about only getting $150 to do an exhibition, and being tickled about it. To see Fats would cost you thousands.

Fats said a small time pool room owner called and asked him how much to do an exhibition in his room. When he heard how much Fats charged to perform, he gasped and said he couldn't possibly afford that price, the most he could pay was $40. The guy begged Fatty for a compromise, so as a favor Fats said he would walk in the joint and take a leak for the $40!

Beard
As an aside to Fats getting the judge to throw the gambling case out at Johnston City in 72', the members of the Grand Jury followed Fats out into the corridor and made him sign autographs for them.

Last one, I gotta save some for my next book:
A restaurant story. Fats was ordering breakfast, pound of bacon, dozen eggs and a loaf of bread. When the waitress asked Fats if he wanted his eggs scrambled, Fats said, "Hell no, sunnyside up, I wanna count em'."

 

[steveinflorida]

I have to second what my buddy The Beard just said. There was never anyone like Fats and never will be either. He was the original "Pied Piper." People (everyone!) would just follow him around wherever he went, like little kids following the ice cream truck. Like Freddie said, you had to see it to believe it. I had the HONOR of carrying his cue case in and out of the poolroom for his exhibitions. At the time I was a 19-22 year old man, but thrilled to be given this awesome role in his life.

Fatty never once called me Jay. He referred to me as "The Little Man." I had my own position in his entourage! He respected my intelligence and would often have me read documents, including contracts for him. Don't get me wrong, I just read them, he made all the decisions. And yes, he was Triple Smart! No one could get over on Fats! Pity the poor con man who tried. He'd end up the loser. Fats was the most confident man I ever met. Even Muhammed Ali lost out in the war of words with him, raising Fat's hand in victory after a Howard Cosell joint interview. It might have been on the Carson show.

Notice I never said anything about his pool playing. I don't have to.

P.S. When the Feds busted Johnston City in 1972 and hauled all the pool players into court, Fats was the one who took the stand on their behalf. After he talked for about thirty minutes, the judge dropped all charges! True story.

The Feds were painting a picture of all these pool playing gamblers and huge sums of money changing hands all over the place. So Fatty tells the court " If you did a blood test on 'em, most of them would come back 10% hot dog and 90% coffee."

 

[jay helfert]

One of the funniest Fatty episodes occurred when I was watching him perform to the crowd at Johnston City. He would periodically put on impromptu exhibitions down there, and believe me they were priceless to see. He loved to pick on the top guys, like Lassiter, chiding him about only getting $150 to do an exhibition, and being tickled about it. To see Fats would cost you thousands.

Fats said a small time pool room owner called and asked him how much to do an exhibition in his room. When he heard how much Fats charged to perform, he gasped and said he couldn't possibly afford that price, the most he could pay was $40. The guy begged Fatty for a compromise, so as a favor Fats said he would walk in the joint and take a leak for the $40!

Beard
As an aside to Fats getting the judge to throw the gambling case out at Johnston City in 72', the members of the Grand Jury followed Fats out into the corridor and made him sign autographs for them.

Last one, I gotta save some for my next book:
A restaurant story. Fats was ordering breakfast, pound of bacon, dozen eggs and a loaf of bread. When the waitress asked Fats if he wanted his eggs scrambled, Fats said, "Hell no, sunnyside up, I wanna count em'."

Minnesota Fats exhibition fee in the 60's - $1,500
Minnesota Fats dog and cat food bill each month - $1,000
Minnesota Fats going at it with Omaha Fats - PRICELESS!

 

[Tramp Steamer]

Thanks to some guy who takes a cheap shot at Fats, and Mr. Lassiter, we've heard some truly wonderful pool stories. I guess every cloud does have a silver lining. Keep 'em coming boys.

 

[Winston846]

Unfortunately, I wasn't born until one of the years most of this was going on (1966). Makes me wish I was born about 20 years earlier. For as great as these stories are to hear, it must have been truly priceless for guys like Jay and Freddy to live them.

 

[Island Drive]

Thanks to some guy who takes a cheap shot at Fats, and Mr. Lassiter, we've heard some truly wonderful pool stories. I guess every cloud does have a silver lining. Keep 'em coming boys.

When fatty was first dating Evelyn he and the Greek, think it was Jimmy....we're sitting at a dining booth in Dowell and they ordered a steak for her, Ev said it was ''as big as the platter'', fatty cut her steak up for her and she said every bite she took, both of em followed the fork to the plate and back to her mouth, she ''knew'' at that point in her life things somethin' going on. She also told me about the night her and fats slept over in an upstairs apt. with fattys new convertible parked out front. She remembers fats being upset ;the next am finding a cigarette hole in the top of his new convertible, she said it might of been hers, she remembers throwing the cigarette out the window but she never told fatty.

 

[Maniac]

To me, whether it be sport or games, there is that one person who fits the mold as the leader for that particular endeaver.
Babe Ruth in Baseball, Johnny Unitas in Football, MJ in Basketball, Jack Nicklaus in Golf, Don Garlits in Drag Racing, and Fats in Pocket Billiards, hands down.

.....and Tony "Maniac" Metz in Sorry (Parker bros. game)

Maniac

 

[freddy the beard]

Miss Illinois

When fatty was first dating Evelyn he and the Greek, think it was Jimmy....we're sitting at a dining booth in Dowell and they ordered a steak for her, Ev said it was ''as big as the platter'', fatty cut her steak up for her and she said every bite she took, both of em followed the fork to the plate and back to her mouth, she ''knew'' at that point in her life things somethin' going on. She also told me about the night her and fats slept over in an upstairs apt. with fattys new convertible parked out front. She remembers fats being upset ;the next am finding a cigarette hole in the top of his new convertible, she said it might of been hers, she remembers throwing the cigarette out the window but she never told fatty.

Wasn't she once Miss Illinois, Bill? I know one of his women was Miss Illinois, I thought it was Evelyn.

Beard

 

[Rick S.]

I am telling this story not as any sort of a reply to the dolt who started this thread, but to entertain and maintain the Fatty legend. I too, knew and played, Bill Meachum and Dennis Gieske. So what? How does that give credibility to your conclusions, or your nasty political agendas?


I, like Jay Helfert, treasure the time I spent around Fats, the most unforgettable character I've ever come across in life. You shoulda been dere.

Roy Acuff, the Hall of Fame, billionaire country music producer from Nashville, would give Fatty anything he needed. He loved Fatty and doted around him like a schoolgirl. This I garnered from Roy's chauffeur, Joey Bowman (also a pool player from Johnson City, Tenn.). Roy probably put Fatty up and paid for his lodging and expenses at the hotel he wound up living in, in Nashville.

Years earlier there was a pool tournament in Nashville. Joey Bowman was there, and so was Fats. Fats told Joey to go to Roy's office and tell him to get his a-ss down to Fat's hotel room -- right now! When Joey went back to Roy's office (it was in a building he owned, which was like a block square) and told him what Fatty had said, Roy's reply was, "Fatty wants to see me?" and giggled like a kid. Roy closed up the whole operation and zipped downtown to see Fats.

When he went into Fat's hotel room, and naturally it was crammed with other people, Fats dragged his butt in and then got Roy to "second" about 20 of Fat's lies.

Fats even told stories about the "old days" when Roy was broke with no place to sleep, and Fats would give him money to eat and get a room. When Fatty asked Roy to confirm that he was telling the truth, Roy Acuff just shook his head up and down and said, "Yes, Fatty, yes Fatty."


Beard

Roy Acuff was one generous man. His Grandson lived in the same condo complex I did (Nashville) during the late 70's-early 80's and was a friend of mine. He was still in high school at the time.

Roy bought him a new Camaro, and the condo. Along with anything else he ever wished for. He was a VERY popular kid.

Fats lived in the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville later on. The 'story' was that the hotel let him live there for free for publicity.

I'd be more inclined to believe it was Roy that was footing the bills.

 

[Island Drive]

Wasn't she once Miss Illinois, Bill? I know one of his women was Miss Illinois, I thought it was Evelyn.

Beard

She didn't mention it, but she was a proud woman, I don't think she would of brought this up unless asked. Having read many of the old Life Magazines and other periodical articles of Fats life this was never mentionted.

 

[Island Drive]

Roy Acuff was one generous man. His Grandson lived in the same condo complex I did (Nashville) during the late 70's-early 80's and was a friend of mine. He was still in high school at the time.

Roy bought him a new Camaro, and the condo. Along with anything else he ever wished for. He was a VERY popular kid.

Fats lived in the Hermitage Hotel in downtown Nashville later on. The 'story' was that the hotel let him live there for free for publicity.

I'd be more inclined to believe it was Roy that was footing the bills.

Here's a testament to Evelyns sense of humor. The woman/fluzzie per Ev, that supposidly married Fatty (tho Ev was still getting her SocSec cks and she showed me the check) called Ev after Fatty passed, immediately Ev's attention went UP/because when ever this woman called her, she wanted something. In their brief discussion, Ev asked her what was on his Tombstone, since the Fluz didn't know or answer right away, Ev said,
''Pepperoni & Cheese"? Boy we laughed. It would be hard to imagine how many times in her life she had a good laugh with Rudolph. And when Fat's dad died (merchant marine) Fatty cried like a baby, uncontrollably.

 

[freddy the beard]

Pretty sure...

She didn't mention it, but she was a proud woman, I don't think she would of brought this up unless asked. Having read many of the old Life Magazines and other periodical articles of Fats life this was never mentionted.

Bill, I have read of it several times somewhere, and heard it a few times that he was with Miss Illinois, but it's been so long I have forgotten the sources. It might have been BabyFace Whitlow that told me first.

Beard