Of Bill Amadeo & Jack Levine

A

AzDave

Registered
IMO, the two men who did the most to resurrect the popularity of pool in Arizona when it died in the 50's were Bill Amadeo and Jack Levine. I just learned that Bill past about three years ago. These were two great guys. Jack opened the Golden Cue on the west side of Phoenix, while Bill opened the Cue Stick on the east side just a bit later. Both were extremely player friendly and actively promoted pocket billiards.

I just searched on each name and was disappointed to see absolutely no mention of their contributions to our sport and Arizona pool. I'm hoping anyone with tales to relate about these gentlemen can do so in this thread so we can document their importance to the resurrection of our sport in the SW. They should not be forgotten.
 
AzDave said:
IMO, the two men who did the most to resurrect the popularity of pool in Arizona when it died in the 50's were Bill Amadeo and Jack Levine. I just learned that Bill past about three years ago. These were two great guys. Jack opened the Golden Cue on the west side of Phoenix, while Bill opened the Cue Stick on the east side just a bit later. Both were extremely player friendly and actively promoted pocket billiards.

I just searched on each name and was disappointed to see absolutely no mention of their contributions to our sport and Arizona pool. I'm hoping anyone with tales to relate about these gentlemen can do so in this thread so we can document their importance to the resurrection of our sport in the SW. They should not be forgotten.
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Bill was a damn good player, originally from back East. I knew him from Johnston City days. His best game was 14.1. What else? He was a mentor for many good young players and took them under his wing. My last visit with him was at the L.A. Open All Around tourney in 1993. Bill brought Steve Cook out from Florida.

Steve won the One Pocket, picked up ten grand and took a plane home. He didn't bother to play the Banks or 9-Ball. He was the only one to beat Mark Tadd that week. Mark won everything else and got second in the One Pocket. He won a total of $26,000! And got it all in cash! Right Mark. I know you're lurking on here. It was during the Don Mackey era and many of the top players boycotted the tournament. Were they pissed when they saw all the money getting handed out (over 140K total). You snooze you lose.

Jack Levine had the best poolroom in Phoenix in the 70's. And he helped develop some pretty good players there. Babe Thompson was a regular and Koos Keizer came out of there. Danny Diliberto was the house pro in the 80's. A couple of others too whose names I forget. Pete Glenn was around too. A gentleman hustler who played a mean game of One Pocket. His sons Denny and Steve Glenn have the most valuable cue collection in the world, to the best of my knowledge. Szambotis, Bushkas, and gobs more top drawer stuff.
 
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jay helfert said:
Bill was a damn good player, originally from back East. I knew him from Johnston City days. His best game was 14.1. What else? He was a mentor for many good young players and took them under his wing. My last visit with him was at the L.A. Open All Around tourney in 1993. Bill brought Steve Cook out from Florida.

Steve won the One Pocket, picked up ten grand and took a plane home. He didn't bother to play the Banks or 9-Ball. He was the only one to beat Mark Tadd that week. Mark won everything else and got second in the One Pocket. He won a total of $26,000! And got it all in cash! Right Mark. I know you're lurking on here. It was during the Don Mackey era and many of the top players boycotted the tournament. Were they pissed when they saw all the money getting handed out (over 140K total). You snooze you lose.

Jack Levine had the best poolroom in Phoenix in the 70's. And he helped develop some pretty good players there. Babe Thompson was a regular and Koos Keizer came out of there. Danny Diliberto was the house pro in the 80's. A couple of others too whose names I forget. Pete Glenn was around too. A gentleman hustler who played a mean game of One Pocket. His sons Denny and Steve Glenn have the most valuable cue collection in the world, to the best of my knowledge. Szambotis, Bushkas, and gobs more top drawer stuff.
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Bill Amadeo owned a pool room in the Tampa/St Pete area called Fatso's...Buddy was the man there for yrs. I never saw him play but his legend told of a solid 14.1 player. I remember him as a older fella that always hadda cigarette in his hand.
 
jay helfert said:
Bill was a damn good player, originally from back East. I knew him from Johnston City days. His best game was 14.1. What else? He was a mentor for many good young players and took them under his wing. My last visit with him was at the L.A. Open All Around tourney in 1993. Bill brought Steve Cook out from Florida.

Steve won the One Pocket, picked up ten grand and took a plane home. He didn't bother to play the Banks or 9-Ball. He was the only one to beat Mark Tadd that week. Mark won everything else and got second in the One Pocket. He won a total of $26,000! And got it all in cash! Right Mark. I know you're lurking on here. It was during the Don Mackey era and many of the top players boycotted the tournament. Were they pissed when they saw all the money getting handed out (over 140K total). You snooze you lose.

Jack Levine had the best poolroom in Phoenix in the 70's. And he helped develop some pretty good players there. Babe Thompson was a regular and Koos Keizer came out of there. Danny Diliberto was the house pro in the 80's. A couple of others too whose names I forget. Pete Glenn was around too. A gentleman hustler who played a mean game of One Pocket. His sons Denny and Steve Glenn have the most valuable cue collection in the world, to the best of my knowledge. Szambotis, Bushkas, and gobs more top drawer stuff.
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:) I hear ya Jay :)

mark tadd
 
West Palm Beach, Fla

For awhile, in the late 60s or early 70s, Bill Amadeo had a small poolroom in West Palm Beach, FL. He always wore some kind of weird shoes.

the Beard
 
Did Bill Amadeo play poker relativly high? I remember playing 100/200 stud with a guy by that name. since I have gone on to play poker as a source of income it amazes me how many pool players excel at poker (hustler mentality)
 
AzDave said:
IMO, the two men who did the most to resurrect the popularity of pool in Arizona when it died in the 50's were Bill Amadeo and Jack Levine. I just learned that Bill past about three years ago. These were two great guys. Jack opened the Golden Cue on the west side of Phoenix, while Bill opened the Cue Stick on the east side just a bit later. Both were extremely player friendly and actively promoted pocket billiards.

I just searched on each name and was disappointed to see absolutely no mention of their contributions to our sport and Arizona pool. I'm hoping anyone with tales to relate about these gentlemen can do so in this thread so we can document their importance to the resurrection of our sport in the SW. They should not be forgotten.
Click to expand...

Dave
Both were fantastic men. I wanted to watch some pool exhibit on the other side of town (I was probably 14 or so) I was going to ride my bike. Bill came over to my house, asked my Mom if she would let me go with him and he would get me home (it was going to be late). I grew up at the Golden Cue, it was a couple blocks down the road from where I lived. Jack and his wife watched so I didn't get into too much trouble --- would call my Mom if I needed a talking to. And of course when I got older and after Jack sold his room, I ended up at the Golden 8 ball with the owner Pete Glenn and his sons- Denny, Stevie, Davey. Got to play with Pete quite a bit --- taught me a thing or two. Lots of action in both the Golden Cue and Golden 8 Ball.
 
Bill Amadeo competed well into his old age, and I saw him in a couple of World Straight Pool Championship events in the late 1970's and early 1980's. He was well past his prime, but from the way others treated him, you could tell he was considered a grand old man of the game by many.
 
hi from oldzilla.

i was talking of the old days last night and i brought up bill amadeo's name.

well i found this on main forum and thought matbe someone out there

could add to it.

i met bill in florida in the 80's and i wish i could of known him much much

sooner. he was one of the nicest guys you could meet. i did not know

about bill but i could tell he knew alot about pool. he was always very

helpful to me. it's a shame i did not get down to florida again before he

passed away.
 
oldzilla said:
i was talking of the old days last night and i brought up bill amadeo's name.

well i found this on main forum and thought matbe someone out there

could add to it.

i met bill in florida in the 80's and i wish i could of known him much much

sooner. he was one of the nicest guys you could meet. i did not know

about bill but i could tell he knew alot about pool. he was always very

helpful to me. it's a shame i did not get down to florida again before he

passed away.
Click to expand...

i remember talking about old times with someone the other day, had fun doing it too.

although i don't think i had ever met bill, i wish i had. from what i have come to understand, the pool world needs more people like him.

M.C.
 
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