Please help out a pool legend

[ImaPoolnut]

Anyone who's been in the pool business in the past half century certainly has heard of the legendary Danny DiLiberto.
Danny's health continues to be an issue and COVID has taken all of what little pool life was for him away as there are no more large matches for Danny to provide his world class commentary for.

Here is a call for help from his daughter who has created a GoFundMe page in Danny's behalf.

Please try and help out not only a great guy, a great player, a great commentator but I believe Danny to be the oldest living pro pool left from the Johnson City day (precursor to Derby City).

https://gofund.me/1c8df4c2

 

[sjm]

Thanks for sharing this. Danny is a valued treasure in our game, and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to contribute.

PS I think the claim of him being the oldest living player of the Johnston City generation is correct. He is about a year older than his fellow BCA Hall of Famer Ray Martin.

 

[sjm]

To get to the Gofundme, use this in your browser:

gofund.me/8e32f25a

 

[evergruven]

I hate to hear that danny's not doing well, but I'm glad to have an opportunity to help
thanks for sharing, and well wishes to danny d!!

 

[ImaPoolnut]

Thanks for sharing this. Danny is a valued treasure in our game, and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to contribute.

PS I think the claim of him being the oldest living player of the Johnston City generation is correct. He is about a year older than his fellow BCA Hall of Famer Ray Martin.

I grew up idolizing Danny in Buffalo when I was a pispot and had the great fortune of spending the last 15+ years with Danny back in Buffalo.

His experience and knowledge in the game is unparalleled IMO and the world would be a much less enjoyable place without him in it.

Thanks for sharing and caring. Coming from one of the most recognizable faces in Accu-stats it's my pleasure and I'll be sure to share all the well wishes from this fine AZB community.

 

[ImaPoolnut]

I just spoke for a while with Danny. His doctors have informed him that his kidney has stopped functioning and unfortunately in his condition and at his ripe age of 86 there really isn't anything they can do and Danny will most likely have to live out his days with his 1 functioning kidney. His days of enjoying a glass or two of red wine are over as he needs to pamper the 1 kidney he has left.

His primary concern is his car which was repossessed last week. They given Danny until Wednesday to come up with the past due payments or he'll lose the car.

Having a reliable vehicle is paramount for Danny to care for his daughter who is ill and requires regular doctors visits and treatments.

With so many large pool events canceled last year due to COVID and many this year either canceled or TBD it has put Danny under extreme financial hardship.

Let's see if we can pool together from our great community and help out one of the most celebrated names in pocket billiards.

Here's the link to the Gofundme page set up by Danny's oldest daughter.

gofund.me/8e32f25a

Danny personally thanks everyone who has shared their kind words and memories with him and he and his family are very grateful for any and all support we provide him during these difficult times.

Mark Ozzie

 

[kling&allen]

Someone should post this to the pool groups on Facebook as well.

 

[ImaPoolnut]

I've posted this on my page and shared with some cue collecting groups. Please feel free to share on FB in any capacity.

 

[JusticeNJ]

Hard to hear this. Danny is pool royalty. I contributed and hope others can too, if possible. I hope to see Danny once more down here in NJ.

 

[ImaPoolnut]

gofund.me/8e32f25a

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

gofund.me/8e32f25a

View attachment 592316

Anyone know how to donate to Danny using paypal ? Thanks.
Hang in Danny D !

 

[middleofnowhere]

I just spoke for a while with Danny. His doctors have informed him that his kidney has stopped functioning and unfortunately in his condition and at his ripe age of 86 there really isn't anything they can do and Danny will most likely have to live out his days with his 1 functioning kidney. His days of enjoying a glass or two of red wine are over as he needs to pamper the 1 kidney he has left.

His primary concern is his car which was repossessed last week. They given Danny until Wednesday to come up with the past due payments or he'll lose the car.

Having a reliable vehicle is paramount for Danny to care for his daughter who is ill and requires regular doctors visits and treatments.

With so many large pool events canceled last year due to COVID and many this year either canceled or TBD it has put Danny under extreme financial hardship.

Let's see if we can pool together from our great community and help out one of the most celebrated names in pocket billiards.

Here's the link to the Gofundme page set up by Danny's oldest daughter.

gofund.me/8e32f25a

Danny personally thanks everyone who has shared their kind words and memories with him and he and his family are very grateful for any and all support we provide him during these difficult times.

Mark Ozzie

Whats the deal with the car, where is it and what does it take to get it out of hock? The current amount in the go fund me should be enough to solve that problem for now.

 

[arnaldo]

Someone should post this to the pool groups on Facebook as well.

As a member, I just posted the key details and opening intro of this thread to the FB group "Straight Pool Fanatics".
Definitely one of the many appropriate groups, given Danny's deep connection to our mutually beloved Straight Pool.

I'm of Danny's Depression Era-born generation (couple months apart in the mid-1930s), and got to know him very well when I score-kept a number of his matches as part of the 12-man rotating group of L.A.-based volunteer scorekeepers at each of Fred Whalen's annual Round-robin Invitational 14.1 Championships (held at the huge Elks Club in downtown L.A.) during most years of the 1960s and early years of the 1970s.

Arnaldo

 

[middleofnowhere]

As a member, I just posted the key details and opening intro of this thread to the FB group "Straight Pool Fanatics".
Definitely one of the many appropriate groups, given Danny's deep connection to our mutually beloved Straight Pool.

I'm of Danny's Depression Era-born generation (couple months apart in the mid-1930s), and got to know him very well when I score-kept a number of his matches as part of the 12-man rotating group of L.A.-based volunteer scorekeepers at each of Fred Whalen's annual Round-robin Invitational 14.1 Championships (held at the huge Elks Club in downtown L.A.) during most years of the 1960s and early years of the 1970s.

Arnaldo

Were you there the year that Mosconi played? Danny tells some pretty funny stories about that.

 

[u12armresl]

This isn't going to be popular, but I will say it because I respect and have enjoyed Danny over the years.
Where are we as far as helping our old timers in the sport, the ones who gave us motivation to play and when we couldn't play provided us with their stories.

Everyone is so quick to donate to the famous pool players, but where are we when guys like Danny need the help. 100k matches, 300k matches, constant action matches, someone needs help. Here is $20, or thoughts and prayers. Yes, it is your money and you can and should do with it what you want, but remember there will come a time when you could be that guy who needs help.

 

[penguin]

This isn't going to be popular, but I will say it because I respect and have enjoyed Danny over the years.
Where are we as far as helping our old timers in the sport, the ones who gave us motivation to play and when we couldn't play provided us with their stories.

Everyone is so quick to donate to the famous pool players, but where are we when guys like Danny need the help. 100k matches, 300k matches, constant action matches, someone needs help. Here is $20, or thoughts and prayers. Yes, it is your money and you can and should do with it what you want, but remember there will come a time when you could be that guy who needs help.

Most people forget that GoFundMe is a popularity contest

 

[pwd72s]

Old curmudgeon who doesn't like giving a card number on the net. Also would love to cut go fund me out of their fees. Is there a secure address where I could send a check made out to Danny Diliberto? Just a way to thank him for the past match commentary I've enjoyed on youtube.

If so, post it here....maybe a P.O. Box?

 

[Paul Schofield]

It was the year Danny won the Johnson City. I was 18 and a lifeguard at a local park. Danny beat me out of my paycheck. I will donate again.

 

[arnaldo]

Were you there the year that Mosconi played? Danny tells some pretty funny stories about that.

Yep. That wasn't a Fred Whalen event, however, but rather the 1966 14.1 round-robin co-promoted by shady Arnie Satin and his co- promoter also named Arnie (Rosen surname) and held in a Burbank building that was a former huge supermarket and was slightly "remodeled" (walls patch-painted, and un-optimal carpeting installed) and the venue hyperbolically advertised as "Burbank's Hall of Champions"for the all-tuxedo event. Bleachers were rented and installed. I saw every one of Mosconi's 16 games (all were evening games -- he refused to play afternoon games). Danny's humorous reports centered around all-true happenings:

Willie's playing was increasingly rusty and it sadly led to very audible and continual frustration-motivated demands for rule alterations. Willie feuded daily with promoter Arnie Satin. Various mistaken rumors emerged years later about a post-finals vicious, knocked-unconscious Arnie vs Willie fistfight that actually never happened (they did square-off and swung their arms for about 10 or 15 seconds, but no real punches ever landed -- bystanders instantly pulled the two diminutive fellows apart quickly and easily).

Balsis beat Willie in the finals (a tie-breaking playoff -- they had equal 14-2, win-loss records for the round-robin games). Willie was 53 years old, in far from ideal health or playing condition, and had demanded 10k upfront plus all airline, food and lodging expenses paid just to appear, plus 5% of every night's gate receipts no matter if he won or not. Willie's two losses came at the hands of Irving Crane, then Cisero Murphy. (Followed, as mentioned, by his loss to Balsis in the final match of the event.) As Arnie Satin handed the 2nd place Runner-up trophy to Mosconi he quite audibly (and aggressively) said to him: "How does it feel to lose a tournament, Willie?" Fighting words, as it turned out.

Danny and Richie Florence enjoyed playing some hilarious, crazy pranks after hours on everyone in the motel, when they roomed together near the tournament.

Arnaldo

 

[ThinSlice]

What Danny should do is start doing video interviews with old pool stories. Kinda like what Ronny Allen did. I sometime go back and listen to those YouTube videos with Ronnie. The old days of pool will probably never come back and the stories are priceless. He can maybe do one with Billy. Talking about great matches etc. that would be my suggestion. I will say in 100% honesty that many of the younger generation did and does not appreciate his commentating. But, I went back at one point and watch a one pocket game he played. He can play. Or could. Plays more aggressive than his commentary. I learned to appreciate what he had to say. But, I might be in the minority. He comes off as a genuine guy. That’s about all I can add. I would feel better about the go fund me if I knew a little more about why he needs money. Maybe I should look at the link and will.


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