Great Pool Room Stories

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brunswick1901

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I would like to hear your story but I will start with mine.

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This happened at Stan's Family Billiards on Washington Boulevard near Western Avenue not far from Downtown Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

I didn't see it happen but I heard a serious accident in front of the pool room.

One of the guys, I do not remember his name, in the room was a off duty paramedic.

When he heard the accident he ran out the front door then his car which was in one of the parking spaces in front of the pool room.

He pulled out a bag which I would later learn was a medical kit paramedics carried to help people that needed medical help.

He started to help the guy that was on his motorcycle when he was hit.

When the LA Fire Department paramedics arrived they did not rush in to help

I was told they waited because they could see he knew what he was doing and waited until the paramedic got to a logical point where they could take over.

I also do not remember how much time passed but a van with a bunch of motorcycles pulled into the small parking lot and the street in front of the room.

One of the motorcycle riders came in and said he was looking for the guy that helped his friend.

When they went outside, the guy who was in the accident was lowered out of the van in a wheelchair said, "I understand you saved my life".

The paramedic shook his head and said, "I was just doing my job".

The guy in the wheelchair said, "Do you know who I am?".

The paramedic shook his head again and while he was shaking his head the guy in the wheel chair said, "I'm the president of these guys".

"If you ever need anything, call me".

The guys on the motorcycles were Mongols, a infamous motorcycle gang in Los Angeles.

I wonder if the paramedic ever called him for a favor.

*************************

A bit of trivia, Tad Kohara owned the pool room before Stan and where Tad started making cues in the workshop in back of the pool room.
 
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brunswick1901 said:
I would like to hear yours but I will start with mine.

***********************

This happened at Stan's Family Billiards on Washington Boulevard near Western Avenue not far from Downtown Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

I didn't see it happen but I heard a serious accident in front of the pool room.

One of the guys, I do not remember his name, in the room was a off duty paramedic.

When he heard the accident he ran to the front door then his car which was in one of the parking spaces in front of the pool room.

He pulled out a bag which I would later learn was a medical kit paramedics carried to help people that needed medical help.

He started to help the guy that was on his motorcycle when he was hit.

When the LA Fire Department paramedics arrived they did not rush it to help

I was told they waited because they could see he knew what he was doing and waited until the paramedic got to a logical point where they could take over.

I also do not remember how much time passed but a van with a bunch of motorcycles pulled into the small parking lot and the street in front of the room.

One of the motorcycle riders came in and said he was looking for the guy that helped his friend.

When the guy who was in the accident was lowered out of the van in a wheel chair he said, "I understand you saved my life".

The paramedic shook his head and said I was just doing my job.

The guy in the wheel chair said, "Do you know who I am?".

The paramedic shook his head again and while he was shaking his head the guy in the wheel chair said, "I'm the president of these guys".

"If you ever need anything, call me".

The guys on the motorcycles were Mongols, a infamous motorcycle gang in Los Angeles.

I do not know if the paramedic ever made the call.

*************************

A bit of trivia, Tad Kohara owned the pool room before Stan and where Tad started making cues in the workshop in back of the pool room.
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Wow, that's nuts.
 
A guy was sitting at the bar playing kissy face with the woman sitting next to him. His cell phone rings and I could hear him telling his wife, I found out later, that he was on his way home but he got called back into work so he’d be home in a few hours. As he was talking a woman approached from across the room talking on her cell phone with an angry look on her face. It was his wife that he’d been talking to, then all hell broke loose! LMAO
 
This is a proofed read story I wrote in 2024.

In the late 1960s the biggest pool tournament in Los Angeles was the straight pool or 14.1 tournament at the Elks Lodge on South Parkview Street which borders the Eastside of McAuthur Park which is now fenced off because of the homeless drug problems.

The tournament was sponsored by Fred Whalen who put up his own money because he loved the game

Fred always lost money because he would invite the best players in the country who would promise to pay their entry fee when they arrived. This was told to me by Nat Cuspert who set up the Gandy tables.

Fred let them play because their names were on the posters that were placed in most of the pool rooms in Los Angeles. Did I mention that some of the players did not pay their entry fee as promised?

I think the cost to see the tournament was $4 or $5 dollars and only $1 to watch the players in the practice room. An easy choice for me because I was going to school and making $1.80 an hour bagging groceries at a local market.

The practice room was packed and most of the people were watching a 10-Ball Ring Game.

Because I'm short and I was able to work my way to the front where I saw a really old looking guy smoking while waiting for the being racked.

After the balls were racked he set his cigarette down, broke the balls then picked up his cigarette.

While smoking he slowly walked around the table, set his cigarette down and ran out.

While I was watching I heard a voice in back of me say, "Why aren't you in the game?".

Another voice said, "I just told them I want in".

To prevent an incoming player from choosing who he will follow, the new player has to tell the table he wants to play in the next game.

This prevents the incomming player choosing to follow a player that keeps missing.

The older gentleman broke and ran out the four rack and did not make a ball on his fifth break which means he won five games in a row.

I learn later the gentleman who ran the five racks was Don Willis and the player who never shot was Lou Butera.

The only other name I remember is Ed Kelly because his picture was at the entrance of the tournament room and Ed won the straight pool tournament.
 
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I just listened to the Billy Incardona interview on Legends of the Cue.

If you like pool and would like to hear what pool stories from the 1960s to the late 1990s it will be well worth your time.

This is the link to Part 1.

www.legendsofthecue.com

Billy Incardona - Part 1 (The Early Hustle — From Pittsburgh Streets to Poolroom Legends)

In this first installment of our six-part conversation with the great Billy Incardona — known to pool fans everywhere as “Nine-Ball Billy” and later the unmistakabl…
www.legendsofthecue.com www.legendsofthecue.com
 
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