Mosconi's only hustle and other stories.

[CreeDo]

I just stumbled on the Sports Illustrated Vault while looking up something online. There's some cool old stories in there.
Y'all should give it a read sometime.

One I liked: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1129513/index.htm

Even back in 1955, people talked about the decline of popularity in pool and its "image problems", which had already been around a long time. I guess we can't blame The Hustler or TCOM for making pool look like the sport of bums and con artists.

Also worth reading is the story of Mosconi's only hustle:

Mosconi says he has never been a hustler himself. Except once, he reflected last week, when the New York restaurateur Toots Shor persuaded him to pull a little con on Jackie Gleason (who was later to be a star of The Hustler). Posing as a Philadelphia dress manufacturer named Shuman, Mosconi gulled Gleason out of $100 in their first game and in the second ran 75 balls right-handed and then 75 left-handed to flatten Jackie's ego as well as his wallet.

(from http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1078494/index.htm )

Just search for stuff like mosconi, billiards, etc. There's good stuff going back 50 years+

 

[Pushout]

I just stumbled on the Sports Illustrated Vault while looking up something online. There's some cool old stories in there.
Y'all should give it a read sometime.

One I liked: http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1129513/index.htm

Even back in 1955, people talked about the decline of popularity in pool and its "image problems", which had already been around a long time. I guess we can't blame The Hustler or TCOM for making pool look like the sport of bums and con artists.

Also worth reading is the story of Mosconi's only hustle:


(from http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1078494/index.htm )

Just search for stuff like mosconi, billiards, etc. There's good stuff going back 50 years+

I think the game with Gleason was mentioned in Willie's Game. I had heard something to this effect before the book came out but not the details.

 

[Scott Lee]

Pushout...I don't know if it was mentioned in Willie's book, but it definitely was mentioned in R.A. Dyer's excellent book, The Hustler & The Champ.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

I think the game with Gleason was mentioned in Willie's Game. I had heard something to this effect before the book came out but not the details.

 

[Pushout]

Pushout...I don't know if it was mentioned in Willie's book, but it definitely was mentioned in R.A. Dyer's excellent book, The Hustler & The Champ.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Could be, Scott. I have contracted a case of Shingles, around my eye, of all places, and I could have got it wrong.