I met Frank Marks when I was a kid. I must have been 13 -14 years old. He was a special kind of guy. He had a barber shop in Chicago Heights, IL.
Rumor had it that if the neighborhood kids who stop by at Franks barber shop and try to be helpful by sweeping the floor (hair cut hair) or rolling up his canvas awning outside that he would let you shoot pool in the back of his barber shop. It didn't matter what your race, creed or back ground was. Once I learned this I rode my bicycle and up and down the small streets of downtown Chicago Heights in search of his shop.
Chicago Heights had quite the reputation of being the home of a lot of mobsters. Many people believed that Al Capone had a small home there too. When I walked into Franks barber shop and saw him for the first time he looked like he could have been a mobster himself. He kinda looked like Stefano Pelinga. His slicked back jet black hair was flawless. He always wore his crisp white barber shirt, pressed black trousers and shinny black shoes. He also reminded me of a movie star. When he spoke the tone of his voice came across just above a whisper. He never raised his voice and now that I think about it it made me listen to every word that he said.
Frank must have had the patience of a saint to have kids like me hanging around being frustrated because we didn't made too many shots back then. Once I remembered that I was complaining about a shot and I blamed it on my stick. Frank told me that it wasn't the stick by my hand bridge. Of course I was big headed and so he told me that I should use his stick and he picked up the push broom. Not only did he beat me, but he switched hands! He had a 9' -0" Brunswick table that had a fast cloth and live rails.
He always found the time to play with you just as soon as the next customer got his hair cut. I used to get jealous of his customers and often hoped that no one would come for a hair cut on the days that I would hang out and play with him.
Franks barber shop was decorated with framed old time black and white photo's of the early players of the game. I remember seeing a picture of Willie Hoppie. I also remember seeing a old photo of maybe I believe an African American gentleman who didn't have any hands. He had white gauze wrapped around stumps and had a pool stick resting on his left hand (stump) and pressed in his side by his right hand (stump) and body.
Frank had a few scrap books showing his picture in many newspapers mentioning his wins in various competitions both local and abroad. Some mentioned the tie in of being a barber and a pool player saying stuff like "not only can he cut hair but almost impossible shots to take yet another win".
Anyway, Frank showed me one of his prized possessions and it was a custom cue that Herman Rambow made for him. This cue was very unique. I remembered that it had green and orange inlays amongst others.
It also had a small plate (maybe brass) that read I believe "Frank Marks 1964 Midwest Champion"
I think that the year read 1964 but it could have been earlier 62', 63'.
Frank told me that he played in a big tournament at that time and that he won the Midwest title but that he lost to Willie Mosconi in the final. He also told me that the cue maker made the sticks for Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman in the Movie The Hustler.
Frank told me that the reason why he quit playing professionally was because he developed a heart condition. He said that he suffered a heart attach while playing nine ball for $1000.00 a game. He told me that most of the pros had heart condition's because of the stress and pressure.
I lost touch with Frank when I moved to my Fathers house in Chicago when I was in High School. A few years ago I found out that he had died. Funny how time passes by. I guess that I just assumed that he had passed away long before. It was my loss because my Mother still lives in that same town. Had I had known that he was alive all of those years I surely would have visited with him. I actually painted the outside of his house when I was 16. I remembered that he was having trouble with his vision at that time.
I found out about his death about a week after he was buried. I went to his home and paid my condolences to his wife. That's when she told me that she was moving and that she gave his pool table (which was at that time in his basement) to a neighbor friend. She also told me that she buried him with his stick.
I guess I would like to get as much information about Frank as a way of keeping a piece of him to share with my friends and family as a way of thanks.
Thanks again, Luke
