macguy said:
You are Correct.
Grady, JAY, Blackjack,OHB,DAYTON 70'S
- Thread starter Leil gay
- Start date
You are Correct.
Was the guy who won 30,000sand bags Dennis Searing or D Searcy thats annoyed me for years, I watched that payball game for days it was who's who of pool I think Cornbread Red was the big loser while Jimmy Reid must have went broke 6-7 times, he just kept finding new stake horses!!! Any memories Jay Helfert?
I have heard stories of Searcy being a great ring game / payball player. 
Leil gay said:
Sorry Jr.
I keep writing super long posts about Dayton and they keep getting deleted. I just wrote two pages all about Dayton and it disappeared. Maybe I´ll try again when I get back from my trip to Costa Rica.
I do remember you though, the young kid who was playing and beating everyone. Denny Searcy beat that Ring Game and several others too.
macguy said:
Not as far as I know. Although he was friends with Joe Burns. I´ll have to ask him.
Leil Gay in Dayton
Hey Jr,
Just got home last night. Costa Rica is a great place to visit.
I remember you from Dayton of course. You were the young kid everyone was talking about. You were taking on many good players and beating them. Actually Red wanted me to play you, but I watched you play for a while and decided to pass. Bet you didn't know that. Of course, you were all about 9-Ball then and my road game was One Pocket, although I could play a little 9 rock to, especially with the roll out.
There was tons of action in Dayton, sort of a predecessor to Derby City. Joe Burns loved the pool players and loved the action. Almost every night, all 24 tables were going non stop with money games. Minimum bets were like a $100 a game.
Denny Searcy robbed the Pay Ball game night after night, taking down something like 26K. Jack Cooney took Richie (Florence) off playing Knock Rummy and many people didn't even know he was there, as he never picked up a cue. He was sneaky that way.
Allen Hopkins showed tons of heart giving Fat Harley the Eight and the break for some serious money. Like 300 a game and Allen was only about 21 at the time. They played non stop for days, with only a few short breaks. Allen got the cash in the end, and he got my respect for life.
I was in action myself every day, winning a $1,000 one day and blowing it back the next. Small fortunes were won and lost there. I got lucky playing some Banks with Willie Munson and caught Dan Louie (who was the new college champ) at 9-Ball before he became a top player. Sizemore tried to give me the same game that Youngblood did in Banks. 5 to 4 and he didn't like it too much, pulling up after five games and five hundred.
Jersey Red sharked me pretty good in the tournament, telling me he didn't give himself much of a chance against me after watching me bomb Dan Louie. Needless to say, Red creamed me the next day. We were in the final 16 on the winner's side, and I had to go over and play Larry Lisciotti. Bye bye Jay.
By the way, I stopped thru Cleveland way back when and played Herbie Cue and Marshall Kassof. Have you ever heard of them? I beat Marshall, and Herbie and I called it a draw. Buddy Wallace was alive then and he was the many times Ohio 14.1 champ. He wanted to give me 50 to 150 at Straights for $100. I told him I would play him One Pocket even for $50 a game, and he turned me down.
Mark Maryo used to come to many tournaments I ran in the 80's and 90's. A very good player and a class act. Tell him I say Hi.
See you in Louisville.
Hey Jr,
Just got home last night. Costa Rica is a great place to visit.
I remember you from Dayton of course. You were the young kid everyone was talking about. You were taking on many good players and beating them. Actually Red wanted me to play you, but I watched you play for a while and decided to pass. Bet you didn't know that. Of course, you were all about 9-Ball then and my road game was One Pocket, although I could play a little 9 rock to, especially with the roll out.
There was tons of action in Dayton, sort of a predecessor to Derby City. Joe Burns loved the pool players and loved the action. Almost every night, all 24 tables were going non stop with money games. Minimum bets were like a $100 a game.
Denny Searcy robbed the Pay Ball game night after night, taking down something like 26K. Jack Cooney took Richie (Florence) off playing Knock Rummy and many people didn't even know he was there, as he never picked up a cue. He was sneaky that way.
Allen Hopkins showed tons of heart giving Fat Harley the Eight and the break for some serious money. Like 300 a game and Allen was only about 21 at the time. They played non stop for days, with only a few short breaks. Allen got the cash in the end, and he got my respect for life.
I was in action myself every day, winning a $1,000 one day and blowing it back the next. Small fortunes were won and lost there. I got lucky playing some Banks with Willie Munson and caught Dan Louie (who was the new college champ) at 9-Ball before he became a top player. Sizemore tried to give me the same game that Youngblood did in Banks. 5 to 4 and he didn't like it too much, pulling up after five games and five hundred.
Jersey Red sharked me pretty good in the tournament, telling me he didn't give himself much of a chance against me after watching me bomb Dan Louie. Needless to say, Red creamed me the next day. We were in the final 16 on the winner's side, and I had to go over and play Larry Lisciotti. Bye bye Jay.
By the way, I stopped thru Cleveland way back when and played Herbie Cue and Marshall Kassof. Have you ever heard of them? I beat Marshall, and Herbie and I called it a draw. Buddy Wallace was alive then and he was the many times Ohio 14.1 champ. He wanted to give me 50 to 150 at Straights for $100. I told him I would play him One Pocket even for $50 a game, and he turned me down.
Mark Maryo used to come to many tournaments I ran in the 80's and 90's. A very good player and a class act. Tell him I say Hi.
See you in Louisville.
Getting senile Jay?
Jay, did you forget that Jack Cooney got "jellied up," (took speed pills) got in the ring six ball game and blowed about 15k? Barbara could not pull him up. The abuse she heaped on him for that mistep was brutal. That was one of the few (maybe only time) Jack went off at a tournament. Many people dont know that Jack, on his own, will go off like a rocket. It has been the managing skills of Barbara that has kept them successful. On the other hand, her first husband, Jimmy Reid, allowed her not a whit of input regarding a play. I spent considerable time with her and Jimmy and her and Jack. After she had broken up with Jimmy Reid I even tried to fix her up with Artie Bodendorfer.
the Beard
I now have a compete knee and am looking forward to administering pool punishment in Jan at DCC.
jay helfert said:
Jay, did you forget that Jack Cooney got "jellied up," (took speed pills) got in the ring six ball game and blowed about 15k? Barbara could not pull him up. The abuse she heaped on him for that mistep was brutal. That was one of the few (maybe only time) Jack went off at a tournament. Many people dont know that Jack, on his own, will go off like a rocket. It has been the managing skills of Barbara that has kept them successful. On the other hand, her first husband, Jimmy Reid, allowed her not a whit of input regarding a play. I spent considerable time with her and Jimmy and her and Jack. After she had broken up with Jimmy Reid I even tried to fix her up with Artie Bodendorfer.
the Beard
I now have a compete knee and am looking forward to administering pool punishment in Jan at DCC.
freddy the beard said:
Come to think of it, you may be right you old fart. Jack had a pocket full of Richie's money and had been watching the game for days. He did go off, all in one night. I don't think he played any pool with anyone though.
It's about time you redid your knee. You have been talking about this operation for a hundred years. Now is there anything they can do to fix your stroke. Maybe an elbow transplant?
freddy the beard said:
Freddie, I went on the road in California with Jimmy and Barbara before I ever met you. Jimmy was the straight shootin'est kid you could ever imagine, and absolutely fearless (well that hasn't changed) and Barbara was a young beauty. She was a knockout when she was a youngster. And already as smart as a whip, but you're right, she had to sit in silence (and watch) when Jimmy played. If he was running bad, he would get all over her case.
It bothered me sometimes how he would berate her and it must have got to her finally too. One day, let Barbara (or Jimmy) tell you the story of the time someone slipped me some acid and I walked over the hill from the Valley to their apartment on Wilton Place in Hollywood. At that moment they were the only people I trusted. And Jimmy was the guy who turned me on to weed for the first time at age 22. I was soooo straight back then.
Ok, true confessions is over.
He only played in the Ring Game
Right Jay, the only leak he had at that tourney was the Ring Game. He played no other pool. Barbara was able to shut everything else down.
Jimmy Reid -- love him like a brother -- was really brutal with Barbara. I was living with them in Detroit when he played Richie Florence 72 hrs worth of nine ball (Jimmy won about $3500). Barbara sweated out every minute. After it was over and she suggested we all go to the Stage Deli for breakfast, Jimmy ranked that, sent her to the grocery store and made her cook breakfast! I felt so sorry for her, plus she wasnt much of a cook either. I knew her since she was nineteen. She was gorgeous when she was younger.
Hope you dont draw me in Derby City, Jay.
the Beard
jay helfert said:
Right Jay, the only leak he had at that tourney was the Ring Game. He played no other pool. Barbara was able to shut everything else down.
Jimmy Reid -- love him like a brother -- was really brutal with Barbara. I was living with them in Detroit when he played Richie Florence 72 hrs worth of nine ball (Jimmy won about $3500). Barbara sweated out every minute. After it was over and she suggested we all go to the Stage Deli for breakfast, Jimmy ranked that, sent her to the grocery store and made her cook breakfast! I felt so sorry for her, plus she wasnt much of a cook either. I knew her since she was nineteen. She was gorgeous when she was younger.
Hope you dont draw me in Derby City, Jay.
the Beard
Last edited:
freddy the beard said:
It's 20 years since we played a Bank pool match in Kentucky. I had beaten Lebron 5-2 after Billy made the line I wouldn't get two (I bet him 200). Now I had to play you and he made the line I wouldn't get three (so I bet another 200). You know how that one turned out. Now I had to play Dave Bollman and Billy wouldn't make a line for the match. I asked him why not, and he said I had to quit stealin' his money.
Jim Mataya (shirtless) played Mike Carella $1000 sets of 9ball in the tournament room after hours. Mike saw the number "3" on the wall and impulsively asked to play for $3000. (They didn't.)
Cueball Kelly ref'd and did finger-pool exhibition. Mike Massey did 1-handed pushups and trick shots. Minnesota Fats did an exhibition.
Other names: Omaha Fats, Mizerak, Lassiter, Joey Spaeth, Ray Martin,
Cornbread, Jim and Pete Fusco.
Accustats had 1 stationary camera mounted on the wall above each tournament table.
I have pictures somewhere that I'll try to post.
Cueball Kelly ref'd and did finger-pool exhibition. Mike Massey did 1-handed pushups and trick shots. Minnesota Fats did an exhibition.
Other names: Omaha Fats, Mizerak, Lassiter, Joey Spaeth, Ray Martin,
Cornbread, Jim and Pete Fusco.
Accustats had 1 stationary camera mounted on the wall above each tournament table.
I have pictures somewhere that I'll try to post.
That name rings a bell!
A friend of mine staked Louis in a $20 ring game with Paul Campbell, and about 3 other guys. Paulie was winnig all the dough. Louis dropped about $400 of my buddies money and never won a game.
Anyone remember aguy named Frank from Canada. Played snooker against Grady and Danny D. I think, giving them a little weight, and he was his own partner. Sam
Not sure how well he played, but it sure rings a bell. Another bell goes off too. I didn't see it, but heard Louis Roberts bet some guy he could run his head thru the wall. He had done this before and Joe burns told him if it ever happened again, he kick him out of the tournament. He bet $500, won the bet, and Joe made him leave.Leil gay said:
A friend of mine staked Louis in a $20 ring game with Paul Campbell, and about 3 other guys. Paulie was winnig all the dough. Louis dropped about $400 of my buddies money and never won a game.
Anyone remember aguy named Frank from Canada. Played snooker against Grady and Danny D. I think, giving them a little weight, and he was his own partner. Sam
Leil gay said:
A good little player and an excellent banker. Out of Missouri I believe. Owned a poolroom there fro many years, maybe still does.