Here's A twist

VeakNYC

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I have spent my entire pool related life in New York. So here is my top ten Tri-State area picks. (NY, NJ Conn)

In alphabetical order.

Johnny Ervolino (World class player and character)
The Ginkster (Greatest cueball and the biggest Coconuts)
Sammy Guzman (A great talent lost at a young age)
Dennis Hatch (Could have been World Champ)
Allen Hopkins (A master of all games and a great ambassador)
Mika (He is a former World Champion and is starting to play like it again)
George Mikula (World class player, Mentor and teacher)
The Miz (No explanation should be necessary)
Tony Robles (Maybe a greater teacher than player and that is saying alot)
Mike Zuglan (A great player and has given other great players a venue to
show their stuff)
If I missed anyone tell me.
 
Sigel and Crane are both from Rochester, NY, along with Larry Hubbart... Not ever considered in a Tri-State discussion... ;)
 
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catscradle said:
Wasn't Mosconi a New Yorker too?
Never heard of him. :p
P.s.
Veak you misspelled trials in your signature. Very badly too. :D
Irving Crane was one of the best players of all-time.
He even won a world title in his 60's.
Joey~Hoping he can run two balls in his sixties~
 
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VeakNYC said:
I have spent my entire pool related life in New York. So here is my top ten Tri-State area picks. (NY, NJ Conn)

If I missed anyone tell me.

Larry Lisciotti
Jean Balukas
Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich
Frankie Hernandez
Troy Frank
Eddie Vasquez
Jose Garcia
 
Wait, nobody mentioned NY Fats. lol
Mosconi was from Philadelphia.
.........
Willie Mosconi, Philadelphia
Won World Pocket Billiards title 15 times between 1940 and '57; holds unbroken exhibition run of 526 balls.
......
Number 37 on SI's Greatest Sports Figures of the 20Th Century.
 
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Joseph Cues said:
Never heard of him. :p
P.s.
Veak you misspelled trials in your signature. Very badly too. :D
Irving Crane was one of the best players of all-time.
He even won a world title in his 60's.
Joey~Hoping he can run two balls in his sixties~

You mean johnny. He ran over three hundred a few years back in his seventies. Oh and thanks about the misspelling never noticed it.
 
manlyshot said:
Larry Lisciotti
Jean Balukas
Danny "Kid Delicious" Basavich
Frankie Hernandez
Troy Frank
Eddie Vasquez
Jose Garcia

Liscotti is from mass. Frank isnt he from Ohio. And your kidding about Spanish Pete right.
 
VeakNYC said:
You mean johnny. He ran over three hundred a few years back in his seventies. Oh and thanks about the misspelling never noticed it.
You're welcome.
I did not know Crane ran over three hundred in his 70's.
That is sick.
Ervolino for what it's worth supposedly ran more than Mosconi but in practice.
I know an older gentleman from Philly who played with these greats. He has the scrapbook to prove it. He says Ervolino was a great practice player but was not a great money player. Mosconi he says was the best at exhibitions, tourneys and money games.
 
Wally in Cincy said:
You may be thinking of a guy named Eufemia that I have heard about.
Thanks Wally. I will ask him that.
This gentleman adored Mosconi. He even copied his slip-stroke.
 
VeakNYC said:
Liscotti is from mass. Frank isnt he from Ohio. And your kidding about Spanish Pete right.

Veak, I had thought Lisciotti hailed from CT, but I could be wrong. On Troy, you're probably correct.

As far as Eddie, in tournament play recently, he knocked down some noteworthy opponents, and sometimes a player's performance during non-tournament play is more impressive than the same player's performance in competition (IMO). ;)

Some younger players worthy of mention would be Rob Saez, Ian Costello, and Jarrod Clowery! :)
 
Mika from NYC? Then I am from Helsinki...

No offense.. but let clarify or say lifetime area players...

You can and then should add.. Jack Colavita, Pat Fleming, Tom Ruocco, Joe Frady, Teddy Garrahan

If you want to go one pocket there is NJ Mel, and a few others...

Looking back at an old Tristate standings chart from 1993...

1 - Pat Fleming
2 - Tony Robles
3 - Joe Frady
4 - Flaco
5 - Paterson George Umstead
6 - Bill Hendrixson
7 - Sly Vanchiro
8 - Jonny Ervolino
9 - Rich Hansen / Carlos Viera
11 - Ed Hodan
12 Tom Ruocco
13 Joey Kong
14 Pete Tascarella Sr.
15 Al Foxx

Same magazine.. tri state tour results
1- Paterson George
2- Pete Tascarella Sr
3- Jimmy Fusco
4 - Joey K
5/6 - Fleming, SanSouci (Ginky)
7/8 Danny Barouty / Flaco

There were and still are some very strong regional players... These tournaments were really a killers paradise and the calcuttas were unmatched.

Joe
 
Let me clarify what I meant about Tri-State. I was not refering to the rinky dink tour but the states of NY, NJ and Conn.
 
Joseph Cues said:
You're welcome.
I did not know Crane ran over three hundred in his 70's.
That is sick.
Ervolino for what it's worth supposedly ran more than Mosconi but in practice.
I know an older gentleman from Philly who played with these greats. He has the scrapbook to prove it. He says Ervolino was a great practice player but was not a great money player. Mosconi he says was the best at exhibitions, tourneys and money games.

Your way off base about Ervolino. He was one of the best one pocket gamblers in the country just ask Grady.
 
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