Golden Cue N.Y. met Mizerak

tikkler

tikkler

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When we were around 15 years old a bunch of us used to hang around the original Golden Cue on Queens Blvd. We used to stay until closing watching the greatest players shooting.
In 1972 my father in law bought a table so I went back to the Cue to try to buy a Bushka from someone. When I got there and told them my intentions, Mizerak came over to me right away. He was trying to sell me his Bushka but it had no wrap on it, so the dopey kid that I was, said no thanks. He tried hard for about ten minutes to get me to buy it but I refused...LOL
A few minutes later I was approached by this big tall dude who turned out to be a pro named Barry Greenberg. He showed me this fancy cue and told me it was a Bushka, what did I know? I bought it for $90. I thought it was a Bushka until 1985, and then found out it was a palmer......I should of went with the MIZ......
Anybody out there around the Cue back then?
Steve
 
tikkler said:
When we were around 15 years old a bunch of us used to hang around the original Golden Cue on Queens Blvd. We used to stay until closing watching the greatest players shooting.
In 1972 my father in law bought a table so I went back to the Cue to try to buy a Bushka from someone. When I got there and told them my intentions, Mizerak came over to me right away. He was trying to sell me his Bushka but it had no wrap on it, so the dopey kid that I was, said no thanks. He tried hard for about ten minutes to get me to buy it but I refused...LOL
A few minutes later I was approached by this big tall dude who turned out to be a pro named Barry Greenberg. He showed me this fancy cue and told me it was a Bushka, what did I know? I bought it for $90. I thought it was a Bushka until 1985, and then found out it was a palmer......I should of went with the MIZ......
Anybody out there around the Cue back then?
Steve
Click to expand...

I've been in there probably 20 times or more in that time frame. I lived in East Rocakway, Oceanside, and Rockville Center from 1941 to 1976. I mostly went there on dates with Queens and Brooklyn girls. I was a barbox player so I ran from the monsters in there. Johnnyt
 
the cue

When we were around 15 we also went up to AMES, just to say we were there once........the good ole days
Steve
 
I was there in the '70s, but I can't remember what year. We were on the road, looking for action, and drove on over to this pool room on Queens Boulevard. It was the first time I saw Jean Balukas, but only from afar. She was practicing in the middle of the pool room. It seemed huge to me back then.

There were two tables way in the back on the left that were the action tables, and both of them had players on them. There was a guy named "Whale" who gave my friend some action.

What struck me about this place more than the pool players and action was that the locals told me my car could get stripped within 5 minutes flat, even though I was parked across the street. They advised me to park it at the gas station next door to the pool room and pay the gas station attendant 20 bucks to watch it. I had a brand-new Chrysler Fifth Avenue, and that is exactly what I did. I don't know why, but I have never forgotten that.

Oh, yeah, the other thing was when I went inside to get me a cup of coffee, the locals would go up to the counter and ask for a "regular," which means a coffee with cream and sugar.

Also, we got lost on those freeways getting to this place. I was scared driving up there, cars whizzing by.

Those are my New York City memories from that era. :o

Gimme New Jersey any day of the week. There's a diner on every block with homestyle cooking. :D

JAM
 
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the great part about the place was you never knew who you were gonna see playing. On any given night you could see mizerak, o'laurie, cue ball kelly, and on and on. We learned more from watching them play for 3 hours than we did from playing for 2 weeks straight.
 
I was a regular at the Golden Q from the mid 70's to the late 80's. Many of the top pros and road players frequented the place. There was lots of big action there and some of the regulars were truly unforgettable characters. Top players I saw there on multiple occasions include Onofrio Laurie, Ray Martin, Steve Mizerak, Jack Colavita, Gene Nagy, Mike Eufemia, Pete Margo, Pat Fleming, Irving Crane, Johnny Ervolino, Jersey Red and Joe Balsis. Of the ladies, I saw Balukas there just once, but Fran Crimi and Billie Billing played there on many occasions.

The regulars included a lot of guys known by their nicknames, among them Big Steve, George the Greek, Teddy the Greek, Jack the cop, Pete the cop, Buddy the cop, Bobby Gloves, Seaman, Slow Jimmy, Richie the Polack, Charlie Beans, Flatlands Freddie, Jake the pimp, Dave the face, colorful characters every one of them.

The setup was sweet, with two exhibition tables in the back with enough bleacher seating for about fifty spectators. Still, if you spectated a big action game, you had to be sure you behaved. I recall an incident where a spectator got under the skin of an action player, and when the spectator got back to his car later on, all four of his tires had been slashed.

Though the Gloden Q was scheduled to close at 4:00 AM, you could always pay off the houseman to keep the place open late if you were in the right action game and didn't want to quit. Sidebetting on action matches was common, but if you made a score in side action, you were expected to pay some of the table time due at the end of the match.

Finally, not only could one buy a Balabushka there from one of the pros or patrons, but George Balabushka himself dropped by on occasion until his death over thirty years ago.

Those were the days!
 
tikkler said:
When we were around 15 years old a bunch of us used to hang around the original Golden Cue on Queens Blvd. We used to stay until closing watching the greatest players shooting.
In 1972 my father in law bought a table so I went back to the Cue to try to buy a Bushka from someone. When I got there and told them my intentions, Mizerak came over to me right away. He was trying to sell me his Bushka but it had no wrap on it, so the dopey kid that I was, said no thanks. He tried hard for about ten minutes to get me to buy it but I refused...LOL
A few minutes later I was approached by this big tall dude who turned out to be a pro named Barry Greenberg. He showed me this fancy cue and told me it was a Bushka, what did I know? I bought it for $90. I thought it was a Bushka until 1985, and then found out it was a palmer......I should of went with the MIZ......
Anybody out there around the Cue back then?
Steve
Click to expand...
I was at thye Cue many times a week - Barry Greenberg the giant was a hell of a 3 cushion billiards plqyer - what a crew was there - Jersey red - Johnny Ervolino - Balsis - Rockaway Abe and so many others - was nice place to hang and learn the game. Me and Nagy went there a lot looking for games.

BMR
 
Back around 1980, my brother used to work at the BK next door and we would go in a play every once in a while. I was around 13 yo at the time.
 
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