I spoke to Laurie yesterday, and I knew it was bad. I'm lost. Three of my closest friends in this year 2013, it is really heartbreaking. I guess I have a couple more close friends, but not many.
I remember the first time I met Cole. He had just gotten back from Hawaii, and he was with Richie Florence, another great 9-ball player as well. Cole come in the Billiard Palace, and there was a bar across the street. Cole was about 4 years older than me, but I had a phony ID card, so I could get in the bar.
Richie and Cole proceeded to walk across the street from the bar to Vern's place, which was Billiard Palace. I was like star-struck at the time, and I followed in suit, just trying to see what they would say and what they would do. Cole had these blue jeans on with a white rope as a belt. First pool player I've ever seen wear that. It was sort of real flashy watching him play, and that's all I wanted to do, just sit and watch him, every move he made.
They were all in the pool room, cutting up. Larry Lisciotti was there, another one of my good friends that we have lost. Cole and Richie won about 30 grand. I think that's at the time when Richie beat Fats and Cole just beat everybody he played.
I started missing school, just so I could be around Cole. Every time he spoke, everyone would listen. Cole was like an icon in the pool world. After we met, we became very good friends. We did a lot of things together, went dove hunting in Yuma, played golf together, played baseball together, everything. I remember beating him out of a car playing over-the-line baseball. :grin-square:
The one thing I liked about Cole the most is that if he had 2,800 and 3 cents in his pocket and he made a game, it would all play, every penny, just like the way I used to do it. That's where I learned it from.
Whatever had to do with gambling, we would do it. I loved Cole, always will, and I never will forget him. I know Cole, Larry Lisciotti, Ronnie Allen, New York Blackie, Fats, they're all trying to match up right now in heaven or cutting up about old pool stories.
Rest in peace, Cole. We'll all be there sooner or later, and we can start it all over again.
