Mike Fusco’s World Famous Poolroom Philly’s Boulevard Social and Athletic Club. FUSCO’s !980’s

[Cris00009]

Around 1987,88 im guessing a guy named Dave Saviano bought the Boulevard. He had some bent nose silent partner. I can’t remember his name. I do remember when the Infiniti Q45 first came out he got 1 and brought it up the pool room and showed it to me and Dave. Dave was not a good player but had a Joss that was a replica of the balabushka in the Hustler. i was always a UNLV fan as a teenager and Dave put a picture of me on the wall in a grey UNLV hoodie when you first got up the steps on the left there. I was the best young player up there back then.

 

[philly]

Around 1987,88 im guessing a guy named Dave Saviano bought the Boulevard. He had some bent nose silent partner. I can’t remember his name. I do remember when the Infiniti Q45 first came out he got 1 and brought it up the pool room and showed it to me and Dave. Dave was not a good player but had a Joss that was a replica of the balabushka in the Hustler. i was always a UNLV fan as a teenager and Dave put a picture of me on the wall in a grey UNLV hoodie when you first got up the steps on the left there. I was the best young player up there back then.

Where else did you play?

 

[Cris00009]

I’m 53 .. i played all over the city looking for games. I had a game at Roosevelt boulevard mall billiards it was downstairs behind the mall down from macys. The owners son Kenny was a sucker i busted a few times. There was a kid named Joey ?? Something, they would stake him against me I was a small winner lifetime against. stopped thru the country club now and then but don’t remember any names. Played at Mosconi’s and played Dayo when we were very young cuz we heard he was best young kid he was better than us for sure. Knew cornflakes from Chickies and he later hung at south philly billiards when that became the spot in town. He played Josh and Ronnie Durante there. That’s about the time Flakes started play cards in AC and eventually moved to vegas and became Johnny World. Ive seen him here in vegas thru the years.I playes poker for a few years in 2004 era when poker got big.

 

[Cris00009]

I ran around with Spanish Dave when he was playing good. We would even go to a room in west oak lane i think looking for action. Cant remember name of poolroom.

 

[philly]

I ran around with Spanish Dave when he was playing good. We would even go to a room in west oak lane i think looking for action. Cant remember name of poolroom.

Was it the Cue and Cushion at 19th and Cheltenham?
That room was the only room in West Oak Lane that I know of at the time.
Spend any time at the Mosconi's at 10th and Rockland in Logan?
Remember a guy named Tommy Burns at Country club, that used to be called Moulin Rouge?
Just curious.

 

[sjm]

Was this the room on Roosevelt Boulevard / US1? If so, I played there in the late 1970s a few times and I remember seeing the truly unforgettable Peter Rabbit there.

You're bringing back some old memories. I've barely spent any time at all in Philadelphia since the early 1990s.

 

[Cris00009]

Had to be cue and cushion yes!!! The only Mosconi’s I ever went to was on 20th and Oregon in south philly!

 

[philly]

Had to be cue and cushion yes!!! The only Mosconi’s I ever went to was on 20th and Oregon in south philly!

the Cue and Cushion is called Lynwood Billiards now.
Korean owned.
Downstairs is a private 3 cushion club replete with kitchen for their members.
Was down there about 5 years ago.

 

[GoldCrown]

Was down there about 5 years ago.

Cheltenham Ave. Recognize it? Lees. Theater. Chinese restaurant? How was the room? Did anyone play 1 ball in the corner. That was the Cottman Ave Cue&Cushion game.

Chris… where did you grow up.

 

[spliced]

Cheltenham Ave. Recognize it? Lees. Theater. Chinese restaurant? How was the room?

My old pool instructor, Fred McCann, was a regular at the Boulevard in the 80s and told stories about it often. He was good friends with the Fuscos and a great one pocket player. I would bet you crossed paths with him at some point. He passed away in 2020.

 

[GoldCrown]

My old pool instructor, Fred McCann, was a regular at the Boulevard in the 80s and told stories about it often. He was good friends with the Fuscos and a great one pocket player. I would bet you crossed paths with him at some point. He passed away in 2020.

My time at BLVD was around late 60’s. Not familiar with Fred but yes might have crossed. Northeast Phila was the best of times for fun, action..back then. Pretty safe. Nobody bothered anyone.

 

[Cris00009]

My old pool instructor, Fred McCann, was a regular at the Boulevard in the 80s and told stories about it often. He was good friends with the Fuscos and a great one pocket player. I would bet you crossed paths with him at some point. He passed away in 2020.

Yea thank you for the memory! Fred was a great guy and great player! Talked to him often as he was friends with Pete Davis.

 

[Cris00009]

Cheltenham Ave. Recognize it? Lees. Theater. Chinese restaurant? How was the room? Did anyone play 1 ball in the corner. That was the Cottman Ave Cue&Cushion game.

Chris… where did you grow up.

I grew up in germantown but spent every weekend from 13 or so in Olnwy at zach and pete davis house. Thats how i got to up the boulevard Pete would take us amd we’d get stay up there all hours of the night watching and learning from the best around!

 

[GoldCrown]

I grew up in germantown but spent every weekend from 13 or so in Olnwy at zach and pete davis house. Thats how i got to up the boulevard Pete would take us amd we’d get stay up there all hours of the night watching and learning from the best around!

I was in a shitty marriage in the 80's... I should have hung out more (Blvd). I'm from Oxford Circle. Burholme was the first room at $.50hour... That was great. Small time action but some good players. I'm a recreational player...never got involved in money games but loved what goes on in a room.

 

[Cris00009]

back pocket 9ball got trendy for a while at Fusco‘s in mid to late 80’s.also Veasey and others would play the ghost . I bet against him 1 night and that old man played for hours and finally quit stuck a few bets, it was one of the best singular sessions of pool i ever saw.

 

[JAM]

An AzB-er named "Barbara" many years ago said Mike was not any relation to Pete and Jimmy and owned a pool room in New Jersey.

Here's my Pete Fusco photo taken with Keith McCready in, I think, 2003-ish era at Super Billiards Expo, the old place, the one that was pretty cool in Valley Forge.

 

[JAM]

The thread mentioning Fuscos: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/weekend-tournaments-for-june-25-26-2005.14446/

The AzB-er who said Mike was no relation to Jimmy and Pete.

 

[GoldCrown]

back pocket 9ball got trendy for a while at Fusco‘s in mid to late 80’s.also Veasey and others would play the ghost . I bet against him 1 night and that old man played for hours and finally quit stuck a few bets, it was one of the best singular sessions of pool i ever saw.

On Bustleton Ave?

 

[cue4me]

The thread mentioning Fuscos: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/weekend-tournaments-for-june-25-26-2005.14446/

The AzB-er who said Mike was no relation to Jimmy and Pete.

View attachment 654537

That is correct. Jimmy and Pete were cousins and Mike was not related at all. Mike opened that room, I recall it was called the Green Room, in New Jersey a few years after he sold the Boulevard. He still liked to think he could play high level straight pool. To enable himself have higher runs he beveled the lips of the pockets so the balls would fall in easier. It was a nice room with a huge amount of memorabilia from the Philly pool scene, including vast amounts of Willie Mosconi pictures and other memorabilia.

 

[GoldCrown]

Does anyone remember the houseman at BLVD before Mike bought it...I think his name was Fisher. A fighter/boxer. A player calls time off. Fisher clicks the time card and says $5.00. The player is skeptical of the $5.00 and asks to see the card. Fisher gets insulted and says I'll show you the card and then I'm going to punch you in the fkn mouth. Everyone backed up a little bit. The guy turns a little pale ...pays the bill and leaves.