Players at Johnson City

APA7

STRAIGHT POOL SUPERMAN
Silver Member
Hey Freddy, since everyone knew everybody at Johnson City, did you know a guy who calls himself Fast Larry Grindinger/Guninger? He says he was there, hung around with Omaha Fat and Minnesota Fats. Any truth to this?


Brian
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
APA7 said:
Hey Freddy, since everyone knew everybody at Johnson City, did you know a guy who calls himself Fast Larry Grindinger/Guninger? He says he was there, hung around with Omaha Fat and Minnesota Fats. Any truth to this?


Brian

If he hung with Omaha Fats that is not much to brag about, that guy was disgusting. He slept in his car and I don't think he ever changed his clothes. I played him once and he was scratching his crotch so much, I'm talking hand inside the pants, you didn't want to touch the table after a while. He played good one handed pool though. His real name was Martin,something?
 
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freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
It was Johnston City fellas

It's a common mistake, but the place was Johnston City, IL, not Johnson City. Even many of the guys that were there still call it "Johnson City." I'am ashamed to admit it, but I did too up until about 20 years ago. Omaha Fats, whose real name was Martin Kieman was a certified pool-retard, nut-case. I was around him long enough to discover that his looney-tune act that he put on was 90% legit. He really was goofy. The guy mentioned, Fast Larry, I dont remember him. He couldnt have played too good, because I remember everybody there that could play. Hanging with Omaha Fats wasnt much of a endorsement either. A high-stakes game for Omaha Fats was a fin.
the Beard
 

Pizza Bob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
...because I remember everybody there that could play.

the Beard

Freddy:

How about Joe Russo? He's from out of Trenton, NJ - believe he won Johnston City in '71 or '72.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 

Pizza Bob

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tom In Cincy said:

WOW Tom! Thanks - that was great. Seeing those names made shivers run up my spine - Jersey Red, Boston Shorty, Cisero Murphy and Tom Halliday (Doc Halliday) - who although listed as from NYC, spent the latter years of his life in the Central Jersey area - a truly nice guy. Doc used to hang with Joe, who as I said previously won at Johnston City in the early 70's. I think it was just the 14.1 contest, not the overall. Joe is still with us, and many of you have been touched by Joe without knowing it. He was the inventor of the Russo Interlocking Bridge - probably the most commonly used bridge today. That bridge was/is Joe's retirement plan LOL. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Adios,

Pizza Bob
 
APA7 said:
Hey Freddy, since everyone knew everybody at Johnson City, did you know a guy who calls himself Fast Larry Grindinger/Guninger? He says he was there, hung around with Omaha Fat and Minnesota Fats. Any truth to this?


Brian


Hey Brian :rolleyes: ....funny that you start a thread like this out of the clear blue sky bringing in the flame name and the other one.

Do you know a guy who calls himself Arizona Howie/Howerton?

Just curious...inquiring minds would like to know.
 

freddy the beard

Freddy Bentivegna
Silver Member
Ervolino and Russo

Pizza Bob said:
Freddy:

How about Joe Russo? He's from out of Trenton, NJ - believe he won Johnston City in '71 or '72.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Sure I remember Joe Russo. He was strictly a straightpool player. There is a great story when he played Brooklyn Johnny Ervolino in L.A. Russo won the game and after he made the game ball Johnny bopped him over the head with his cue stick. Johnny. always the diplomat, apologized to the crowd. "Ladies and gentleman, I humbly apologize for my actions to you, but I dont apologize to that dirty x%x@## Joe Russo!
the Beard
 
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cigardave

Who's got a light?
Silver Member
Yeah, I agree... that was a great read. It brought back some vague memories.

I say vague because I actually went to Johnston City one year... and as it turned out, it was its last year, 1972, according to what I've just read... vague... because I was just a ball banger back then and I didn't appreciate the significance of Johnston City... at all. Wish that I had considering my love for the game now. Back to the story...

My college buddies and I were out cruisin' on our bikes one Friday or Saturday night and had nowhere special in mind to go... and someone suggested we head over to Johston City and watch some of the pool tournament that was going on there.

Hell... it was only 13 miles away!! (We shared a rental house in Crainville.)

You see, I had just got out of the Army months before... and with the GI Bill paying my way, had just started college down at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale... and was totally out of touch with pool in the States. For the past 18 months, I had been banging balls on the base pool table back in Neckarsulm, Germany ... and had no idea or interest in the top players of the game at that time.

What little I remember was how small the place was... and virtually no seating... cuz we didn't stay long... that, I remember. And it was crowded.

Wish that I could remember who the players were... but I'd just be guessin'.

An opportunity lost... that's for sure.
 

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pizza Bob said:
WOW Tom! Thanks - that was great. Seeing those names made shivers run up my spine - Jersey Red, Boston Shorty, Cisero Murphy and Tom Halliday (Doc Halliday) - who although listed as from NYC, spent the latter years of his life in the Central Jersey area - a truly nice guy. Doc used to hang with Joe, who as I said previously won at Johnston City in the early 70's. I think it was just the 14.1 contest, not the overall. Joe is still with us, and many of you have been touched by Joe without knowing it. He was the inventor of the Russo Interlocking Bridge - probably the most commonly used bridge today. That bridge was/is Joe's retirement plan LOL. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Tommy used to hangout in my room in Florida in the winter. He used to bring Danny Gartner over every day and Danny would sit in a special chair we had for him watching all the action most of the time sleeping. Tommy was very funny always laughing. Is tommy still alive?
 

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sports Illustrated articles

I gobbled up the mags, from Ebay to get the articles on all of the Johnston City tourneyments.

The artwork was excellent too. While the articles were okay.

Regards
ken
 

APA9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
The guy mentioned, Fast Larry, I dont remember him. He couldnt have played too good, because I remember everybody there that could play.

Surprise surprise.
 

APA9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just looked at his site. I love this sentence in his bio: "Over 2 billion people have either read about him or seen him play which is 2/6ths of the planet. That record is only matched by Mike Massey."

2/6ths? As in, 1/3rd? As in, BULLSHIT? :D :D :D

Thanks, Larry. I needed a good laugh.
 

Dana Bufalo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
freddy the beard said:
It's a common mistake, but the place was Johnston City, IL, not Johnson City.the Beard
Check out http://www.freepoollessons.com/stories/stories1.shtml and read Jimmy Reid’s short story about Minnesota Fats and The Last Johnston City Tournament. This story is a thing of beauty!

If you enjoyed that story, then click on http://www.freepoollessons.com/stories/stories.shtml for more shorts on Danny Jones, Luther Lassiter, Billy Burge, Ronnie Allen, Peter Rabbit, Willie Mosconi and Jimmy Reid himself.

IMO, Jimmy Reid tells a great story.., I also enjoyed listening to Larry Lisciotti and Boston Shorty tell similar “road stories”.., I would see both Larry and Shorty at many events here in New England over the years and they were never at a loss for words.., especially Lisciotti.., there was rarely a dull moment when Larry was in attendance!

Hey Freddy, do you have anything about Boston Shorty or Larry Lisciotti that you can share with us?

Dana Bufalo
 

PoolBum

Ace in the side.
Silver Member
cigardave said:
Yeah, I agree... that was a great read. It brought back some vague memories.

I say vague because I actually went to Johnston City one year... and as it turned out, it was its last year, 1972, according to what I've just read... vague... because I was just a ball banger back then and I didn't appreciate the significance of Johnston City... at all. Wish that I had considering my love for the game now. Back to the story...

My college buddies and I were out cruisin' on our bikes one Friday or Saturday night and had nowhere special in mind to go... and someone suggested we head over to Johston City and watch some of the pool tournament that was going on there.

Hell... it was only 13 miles away!! (We shared a rental house in Crainville.)

You see, I had just got out of the Army months before... and with the GI Bill paying my way, had just started college down at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale... and was totally out of touch with pool in the States. For the past 18 months, I had been banging balls on the base pool table back in Neckarsulm, Germany ... and had no idea or interest in the top players of the game at that time.

What little I remember was how small the place was... and virtually no seating... cuz we didn't stay long... that, I remember. And it was crowded.

Wish that I could remember who the players were... but I'd just be guessin'.

An opportunity lost... that's for sure.

At least you can say you were there. Kinda like being at Woodstock. Now you need to start making up some great stories.
 
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