Peter Margo Obituary

eddiethelock

eddiethelock

Locksmith
Silver Member
Peter Margo Obituary:
We are heartbroken to announce the death of Peter D. Margaritondo. He passed away at the age of 78 on July 21, 2023, surrounded by family. He was an amazing husband, father, sibling, grandfather and friend.
Peter was a World Champion and Hall of Fame Billiard Player. He was inducted into the Straight Pool Hall of Fame, Greatest Player Category, in 2016. He began playing pool at 14 years old when his father Danny purchased a pool room in 1960 located in Union City, New Jersey, his home town. Peter went on to win the 1972 World Straight Pool Championship, 3 World Series of Pool Tournaments and over 20 other major titles. Peter quit the game he loved in 1982 and started a successful video rental store chain in the Metropolitan area. His company subsequently merged with a larger chain that went public in the stock market allowing him to eventually sell the business and retire at an early age to enjoy time with family and friends.
During his lifetime, Peter made countless movie, commercial and television appearances. He was an extraordinary man who had the honor of being a guest at the White House and met with the President of the United States. He had friendships with legendary athletes and movie stars. Peter was a class act adored by all.
Despite all of his accomplishments his greatest joy came from spending time with his family and friends which usually involved great food and wine. It brought Peter great joy to make his pasta sauce with an Italian sausage recipe passed down from his mother, Marie Rose, for family gatherings while enthusiastically reminding everyone it took him almost a full day to make it for them.
Peter is survived by his wife, Gloria Haden-Vero, sister, Linda Mizerak, his three children, Joseph (Erika) Margaritondo, Steven (Stacey) Margaritondo, Marie (Michael) Gallardo, grandchildren, Thomas, Matty, Joseph Jr., Jenna and Michael, his wife's children, Teresa (Jeremy) Overstreet, Marc (Veronica) Vero and her grandchildren.
Peter will be forever remembered for his kind heart, laughter, devotion to family, loyalty to friends, sense of humor, great sense of style and passion for life.
We would love for you to come and honor Peter's life at Memorial Funeral Home located at 155 South Avenue, Fanwood, New Jersey on Tuesday, July 25, 2023. The Viewing will be between the hours of 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. and the Memorial will be from 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.


www.fanwoodmemorial.com

Obituary information for Peter D. Margaritondo

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I only knew him in passing. I did speak to him on the phone quite a few times business related.
My best memory of him was at the 1972 Us Open. He had just seen the play Grease and he loved it. He went on for like a half hour acting out the parts. He had everybody hysterical.

There was an era of pool that is slowly closing with the loss of its players.
 
NJ had so many great 14.1 players on the 70s - Miz, Pete, Colavita, Ray Martin. Hopkins, etc. I wonder if there was a lot of 14.1 action between these guys back then? I only hear about their tournament play- I guess it was too much of a 50/50 proposition for them to gamble high stakes among each other - anyone could run 100 at any time
 
mikemosconi said:
NJ had so many great 14.1 players on the 70s - Miz, Pete, Colavita, Ray Martin. Hopkins, etc. I wonder if there was a lot of 14.1 action between these guys back then? I only hear about their tournament play- I guess it was too much of a 50/50 proposition for them to gamble high stakes among each other - anyone could run 100 at any time
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Don't leave out two-time US Open 14.1 Champion Tom Jennings, and also Pat Fleming and Jose Garcia.
 
mikemosconi said:
NJ had so many great 14.1 players on the 70s - Miz, Pete, Colavita, Ray Martin. Hopkins, etc. I wonder if there was a lot of 14.1 action between these guys back then? I only hear about their tournament play- I guess it was too much of a 50/50 proposition for them to gamble high stakes among each other - anyone could run 100 at any time
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No stories of big time match ups from me as these guys prime were before my time (before they all decamped for Florida or elsewhere basically), but I’ve heard of family ring games with Miz and Margo in attendance. What would you give to be in that room?

Other guys around the NJ scene (other than the people SJM mentioned) capable of big runs were Ed Hodan and Ken the Farmer. I’m not sure if Neptune Joe was all that known for 14.1 but I’m sure he was capable of hitting you with something big. I think Ed is still alive, the other two have sadly passed. I got to play Neptune Joe and only saw Ken and Ed Play. Ed and Ken played beautiful 14.1.

I love hearing stories about the glory days in rooms like the West End, High Cue, and Steeles. Back when giants roamed the Earth (or at least Union and Essex County NJ).
 
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Well I know that the big guys in NJ matched up for practice sessions together before the big 14.1 tournaments back in the day. I suspect just too much respect for each other to throw any big money around - none of them had all that much anyhow in the 70s; and they certainly would not spot much if anything on the wire, so I doubt there would be backers for this sort of action.
 
7x4 ft. floral arrangement at Petey Margo's funeral

flowers.jpg
 
mikemosconi said:
Well I know that the big guys in NJ matched up for practice sessions together before the big 14.1 tournaments back in the day. I suspect just too much respect for each other to throw any big money around - none of them had all that much anyhow in the 70s; and they certainly would not spot much if anything on the wire, so I doubt there would be backers for this sort of action.
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I can't give a definitive answer here, but a couple of points are worth considering.

1) Straight pool was never a major action game. Even in the 1970s, the big action matches tended to be one-pocket and by the late 1970s, nine ball was becoming a big action game.

2) The top New Jersey and New York players were very close and many of them formed a partnership to establish the PPPA, an upstart pool organization that debuted in 1976. Among those that helped devise this venture were Allen Hopkins, Ray Martin, Pete Margo, Steve Mizerak, Pat Fleming, and Jack Colavita. Of course, some of them gambled, but not often against each other for real money.

Two outliers were the late John Ervolino (known as "Brooklyn Johnny" then) and his frequent road partner Jack Breit (known as "Jersey Red" then). Both liked to gamble frequently at both straight pool and one-pocket.
 
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JusticeNJ said:
No stories of big time match ups from me as these guys prime were before my time (before they all decamped for Florida or elsewhere basically), but I’ve heard of family ring games with Miz and Margo in attendance. What would you give to be in that room?

Other guys around the NJ scene (other than the people SJM mentioned) capable of big runs were Ed Hodan and Ken the Farmer. I’m not sure if Neptune Joe was all that known for 14.1 but I’m sure he was capable of hitting you with something big. I think Ed is still alive, the other two have sadly passed. I got to play Neptune Joe and only saw Ken and Ed Play. Ed and Ken played beautiful 14.1.

I love hearing stories about the glory days in rooms like the West End, High Cue, and Steeles. Back when giants roamed the Earth (or at least Union and Essex County NJ).
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I played Neptune Joe 9 ball and 14.1 for years.
Joe could run a 100 like it was nothing.
He played me 100 to 80 and one game he broke and I ran 53 and missed,Joe ran a 100 and out how strong is that?
He played Mizerak 14.1 dead even what does that tell you?
 
measureman said:
I played Neptune Joe 9 ball and 14.1 for years.
Joe could run a 100 like it was nothing.
He played me 100 to 80 and one game he broke and I ran 53 and missed,Joe ran a 100 and out how strong is that?
He played Mizerak 14.1 dead even what does that tell you?
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HA HA - I remember back in about 1998 when we had a grand finale tournament up here in Ct. resulting from a 10 week tournament series- they allowed players who had not participated to buy-in to the big money finale. Well, the "tournament Director" brought in Neptune Joe Frady, I was doing real well that day, until running into Neptune Joe, nobody knew who he was, we were all younger and none of us were from NJ. It was a $500 first place prize in 1998- fairly good payday for sure.

As for Ervolino, another room owner that I visited in Derby, CT. told me about the times in the later 60s when Ervolino would drive up from NYC at night to play one pocket against John Vives ( who was a Johnston City one pocket winner) - Ervolino would come up with mobster backers and a few blondes for the road - play went on all night long into the morning hours.

Mizerak, while he was a college student , would travel around on weekends and offer anybody 75- 25 straight pool money games. My old friend Johnny Tona ( a great 14,1 player who traveled at one time for Brunswick after Mosconi gave him the introduction) owned a room in Huntsville, Alabama and Mizerak would stop in regularly to play Johnny with no spot. Johnny's standard spot was 100 to 40 to most comers.
 
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A friend of mine was one of the best players on Long Island in the 1970`s. He used to go to Staten Island to play Pete. Pete would spot him the 7, 8 and all the breaks and they would play $100 sets. He NEVER beat Margo.
 
straightline said:
RIP and all but he looks like George C Scott in that photo. How come Mike Sigel isn't mentioned here?
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Sigel for sure prowled the East Coast during his time in the 70s and 80s, but I don't recall him being part of the NJ / NYC crowd specifically, being from Rochester / Upstate New York.
 
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