Speaking Of Mr. Lassiter

C

Chip Roberson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
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Those links in the OP spook me. LASSITER & MURPHY

The year was 1975. The US Open was 14.1. The field was a mere 32 players, all of whom qualified by winning a tournament. I won an event in Jersey that had Sigel, Hubbart, 2 Fuscos, Liscotti, Marino, and the whole east coast New England clan. I was only 21 at the time ( I quit as a 24year old).

http://www.charlesursitti.com/archive/programs/1975USOpen141.pdf
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=B60FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3422,2918712&hl=en

My first two matches were LASSITER & MURPHY!. I lost to Lassiter 150-91 and beat Cicero 150-149. After my match with Lassiter, I sat and had a long discussion with him about "Rotation Slim" (George Hairston) and the shortcomings of the woman's play. He had a lot to say about both.

There was a rack in my match with LL where I sat up in my chair and chalked my cue 6 times, thinking I was going to be up and at the table making balls. Lassiter banked, caromed, and combinationed his way right into the next rack. I will never forget it.
 
Paul Schofield said:
Those links in the OP spook me. LASSITER & MURPHY

The year was 1975. The US Open was 14.1. The field was a mere 32 players, all of whom qualified by winning a tournament. I won an event in Jersey that had Sigel, Hubbart, 2 Fuscos, Liscotti, Marino, and the whole east coast New England clan. I was only 21 at the time ( I quit as a 24year old).

http://www.charlesursitti.com/archive/programs/1975USOpen141.pdf
https://news.google.com/newspapers?...AIBAJ&sjid=B60FAAAAIBAJ&pg=3422,2918712&hl=en

My first two matches were LASSITER & MURPHY!. I lost to Lassiter 150-91 and beat Cicero 150-149. After my match with Lassiter, I sat and had a long discussion with him about "Rotation Slim" (George Hairston) and the shortcomings of the woman's play. He had a lot to say about both.

There was a rack in my match with LL where I sat up in my chair and chalked my cue 6 times, thinking I was going to be up and at the table making balls. Lassiter banked, caromed, and combinationed his way right into the next rack. I will never forget it.
Click to expand...

Great stuff here. I see Jack Breit (with his wife) and New York Blackie in the front row, Onifrio Lauri behind Breit, Cue Ball Kelly sitting by the table (he was probably the head ref), and Johnny Irish there to pat Luther on the back after it was over. I'm sure there were others that I don't recognize in this grainy video. Al Gassner (also a very good player) is the ref for the match. Ervolino and Butera had to be there somewhere.

Paul will probably recognize other players who were watching the match.
 
Of another thing to take note of, I've spent sometime now , watching the older guard , where they held there cues. Mostly Willie , Crane and Lassiter,,they all held their cues forward , while in attack mode. Didn't see them holding their cues back nearer the butt as many players do today. Guess it's what ever is more controllable ,,but those Gents had control. Thanks for the added links on the tourny Mr. Schofeild,,enjoyed seeing who's who in the field of players that attended that match.
 
Thanks for the link! That was great love to watch thes e old players of the past. There is just something special in how they play and approach the game.

Boy can you imagine if we could breath life back into these guys. It seems they left so many unanswered questions and so many untold story's.


Can you imagine what it would be like to spend a day in the pool room with those two guys.
 
I remember about 1966 or 1967 Luther Lassiter and Ciscero Murphy played an exhibition in Greensboro NC at Coed Cue Club out by Guilford College. Bob King ran a pool room with about 7 or 8 tables. Chip were you around back then?
 
The years I made Greensboro home and played out of there,,77 to 81. That was before Collisiem Billards Burned. In 66 and 67,,I was around 14 years old,,but playing a lot of straight pool,,no one in my area played the game,,it was all 9 ball. Man those days around Greensboro ,,Wade Crane and I would spar ,,learned a lot about stringing racks together. Silas Carter, Bill Lawson, Jerry Brock, Walter Glass, Johnny Ross, Timmy Daniels.Eddie O'Connell, Patch Eye,Kenny Wellerman,,Rooster , Bob Ogburn on occasion That was a few of the ones that were regulars in that area for a few years. Geese would come through on occasion--lot of road agents frequented the area during those years. With all the running that was going on--from coast to coast and North To South,,never got to see Mr. Lassiter in action. I kick myself now for not doing so. In Late 81 I left the pool world and finished my Biz degree and have been in Biz ever since,,but can still run a Hundred on occasion ;)
Wish I could find some good vid's of Gene Naggy in gear,,also Lissicotti ,,back when they were in top form,,both of those were silent Killers on the table's
 
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Thanks for posting, really good stuff. Not complaing but just thinking how great it would be if they had the same quality recordings we have today.
 
Chip Roberson said:
The years I made Greensboro home and played out of there,,77 to 81. That was before Collisiem Billards Burned. In 66 and 67,,I was around 14 years old,,but playing a lot of straight pool,,no one in my area played the game,,it was all 9 ball. Man those days around Greensboro ,,Wade Crane and I would spare ,,learned a lot about stringing racks together. Silas Carter, Bill Lawson, Jerry Brock, Walter Glass, Johnny Ross, Timmy Daniels.Eddie O'Connell, Patch Eye,Kenny Wellerman,,Rooster , Bob Ogburn on occasion That was a few of the ones that were regulars in that area for a few years. Geese would come through on occasion--lot of road agents frequented the area during those years. With all the running that was going on--from coast to coast and North To South,,never got to see Mr. Lassiter in action. I kick myself now for not doing so. In Late 81 I left the pool world and finished my Biz degree and have been in Biz ever since,,but can still run a Hundred on occasion ;)
Wish I could find some good vid's of Gene Naggy in gear,,also Lissicotti ,,back when they were in top form,,both of those were silent Killers on the table's
Click to expand...
Silas Carter, was he also known as Steve Carter?
 
Yep,,also known as Steve Carter,,could be crazy as a loon at times , but Okay,,and could produce a good speed on the tables at times,,Hated to hear of his Passing away a few years back.
There were some decient gun Slingers hanging out in Greensboro in the late 70's
 
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