The Rack in Detroit

[stevelomako]

Here's one I know I haven't told yet.

Harry "Poochie" Sexton, a great player but god love him, not the biggest money player around. Harry just loved playing 5-10 a game, 20-30-50 dollar sets and would run out for days. Harry was a bar table monster too, damn what a break.

Anyway he gets matched up with Bobby Hunter one night.

Freddie Salem is staking Poochie and I dont know who was staking Bobby. They agree on 5 ahead 9-ball and Freddie says to Bobbys' stakehorse how much? The guy holds his hand up with all fingers out and tells Freddie "How about 5?" Freddie says OK and they start playing.

Well Harry starts out just playing flawless and he's up 2 sets pretty quick, then Bobby wins a set, Harry wins a set back to go up 2 sets again.

Some guy Harry knows comes in and starts sweatin the game where Harry is sitting. He says "How you hittin em Pooch?" Harry tells him real mildly hes playing pretty good. Now the guys says "What are you playing for?" and Harry tells him $500 a set. We started laughing and someone told him "Harry, you're playing for $5,000 a set!"

Harry gets up and asks Freddie what they're playing for? Freddie says "5", Harry says "5 hundred?", Freddie says "No 5 thousand".

I think he was just stunned that he thought he was playing for 5 hundred and it was really 5 thousand but he actually started gettin pale looking and he asked Freddie if they could quit after that set cause he didn't feel good. Well everybody loved Poochie and Freddie said no problem.

Bobby wins that set and Freddie tells them Harry has to quit cause he isn't feeling good and they say no problem even though they're stuck one set. No bull or bichin about being quit winners, just class.

We were just laughing and Red kept telling Harry "You're probly not to sick to spend that money are yah?"

 

[gunzby]

I can't help, but read all these stories. From what I've read I'll change a quote I heard about Babe Ruth to compare to this "If The Rack never existed Hollywood couldn't of come up with a better story."

I'd imagine that if I was old enough to walk in there and they'd let me just watch I bet I'd be there every day with my jaw on the floor and eyes wide open.

 

[JimS]

Someone would have to explain to me....why laughing in his face and just walking out wouldn't be possible.

Ya don't pay the rent ya gets evicted. It's about flow. Ya gotta let the flow continue. Put a plug in the drain and that shuts off the faucet. It's just the way it works.

 

[freddy the beard]

Richie Ambrose

Richie beat Al Sherman for between 80 and 100k and didnt drop anything to the house. He bought a poolroom in town but never got to play in the Rack again. If you played in my joint, North Shore Billiards, which was the second biggest action joint in the country, your time bill was 5% of your win. It was a must pay. Race Track Phil allowed no walkouts like what happened with Ambrose.

The Rack was a non-denominational Gangster hangout. The Jewish Purple Gang, featuring the insidious, Candy, the Italian Mafia, the Syrian Mafia, the Black Syndicate, and of course the smattering of individual desparados like Baltimore's Jerry Hubbard, and various rebel/hillbilly stick-up men and murderers.

It was also a gathering of the world's best bite-men, which included, Kilroy, Ronnie Allen, Bugs, CornBread, Detroit Whitey and Peter Rabbit. I have to confess I have fallen victim to each and every one of them.

the Beard

 

[poolandpokerman]

Great stories, Steve, hope you can remember/find some more. I remember poochie, he was from West Virginia and love to drink, best I can remember he had a head of black hair, the guys like me who are hair challenged remember the hair. Tom

 

[Tommyd1]

Indian Charlie ???

Does anyone know of a guy that was supposedly called, " Indian Charlie "?

I bought an old Richard Helmstetter cue from a Arab guy that owns a Party Store in Detroit a couple years ago, he said he won it off Indian Charlie in a golf game.

He said Indian Charlie used to travel around with Cornbread Red ??

Thanks Tom

 

[FSutton]

I've got and idea someone should put togather a book on THE RACK.... come on Beard are you up to it?

 

[12squared]

I guess this place was kind of like Woodstock.

A million people have said they've been there and the numbers keep growing year after year.

I was too young for Woodstock, but I was at "Goose Lake" :thumbup:

a book about the Rack would be great.

Dave

 

[demonrho]

... smattering of individual desparados like Baltimore's Jerry Hubbard, and various rebel/hillbilly...the Beard

An old Rackster tells me you probably meant Phil Hubbard, who was Baltimore's infamous hillbilly gambling genius.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Ima gonna bump this thread>>>>

I thought I'd bump this thread because it's one of the best. Hearing stories about The Rack is like listening to your parents talk about Woodstock - except stories about The Rack are much better!

I hope Jay H, The Beard and some others will give us more Rack stories. I remember when this thread was going strong I would lay in bed hitting refresh in my browser waiting to read what the next guy would say.

C'mon guys--- those who lived it... let's hear more stories about this spot-

Dave

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

Calhoun, seattle sam, and Phil and Steve hubbard were the " corperation " at bennies in the 70's. Phil liked to needle Houn that he was the " weak link " because he lost a few times...lol. Houn would cuz Phil and storm out of bennies.
Bennies was prob the 2nd greatest room next to capitol billiards ( the rack )
Bennie lost over 200k at the rack....but we never knew if it was " business "
lots of rumors...anyone know?

 

[bfdlad]

Is this the same Rack in Livonia just outside of Detroit??

 

[turbo]

Is this the same Rack in Livonia just outside of Detroit??

nah this was in oak park..

 

[JimS]

Good stories about The Rack in "Cornbread Red" by Bob Henning. http://www.amazon.com/Cornbread-Red-Pools-Greatest-Player/dp/1887956344

 

[pt109]

The Rack - early history

The action in the 60's was at the Miscue on Harper owned by Mike Ravino.He looked like a movie star grandfather with silver hair and gold rimmed spectacles but when he spoke,everyone listened.Freddy Salem,Cornbread Red and Paul Bruesloff were the action stars then and anybody got played.New York Arty was also part of the crew.
Mike was a 'man of respect'. He was also religious so on sunday the club
was closed.So for one day a week the action would move to the Rack and
Cue in Oak Park.
When Mike died the Miscue closed for good.The Rack and Cue was
acquired and became the Capital Social Club,on Capital st across from
Stanley Steamer.It was divided with a card room on one side and original Brunswick Anniveraries on the other.
Gill Elias,a former tournament carom player,ran the place and kept the best
cloth on the tables.The room was not immaculate but the tables had top maintenance.I think this had a lot to do with the action getting so big.
Paul was now a millionaire selling kitchenware and the high rolling started.
Freddy was arguably the best 5x10 snooker player in the country and only bet high.Red could create action in a telephone booth and was one of the
best alround players ever.
Then Ben showed up.His company manufactured private jets so he became known as Airplane.It's been estimated he pumped 60 million into
the pool economy.
The Capitol retained it's street name 'TheRack' and became a legend.


.... long post....maybe some more later

 

[HollyWood]

A little help from Jay- with the west side stories

amazing and not 1 head hanging from the corner pocket story. (anyone care to comment) The Filipino's were here in 85 there must be some stories. Mostly California ? Buddy Hall,Jimmy Rempe,Mike Segal, Busta ,Efren , Hosa, Allen Hopkins, Jimmy Mataya, Jimmy Reid, Keith McCready, Steve Mizerak, Luther, Cornbread, Dallas west,Danny Janes ,Bill Stroud,

 

[freddy the beard]

You are right

An old Rackster tells me you probably meant Phil Hubbard, who was Baltimore's infamous hillbilly gambling genius.

Youre right, it was Phil Hubbard. I got his first name mixed up with the super famous tush hog also from Baltimore, Jerry Ebersol. Phil and his wife were later murdered in a Motel Room down south, over a probably dope deal. Phil used to tell a great story about when he had just got out of the navy and was drunk at a carnival. There was a chimpanzee in a cage with his left hand on the bars. The pitchman would pay off anybody who could get the chimp to take his hand off the bars. Phil was with another tush hog who was also drunk and they both went into the cage. Phil thought he would end it right away and sucker punched the chimp. That didnt work, and the Chimp whacked him so hard on the top of his head that he drew blood. The chimp then grabbed Phil's partner and started slamming him all over the cage. Phil crawled out of the cage and watched his partner get tossed around. In the meantime, the chimp did all this and still never took his left hand off the bars.

Phil also made a serious attempt at "jarring" me while I was playing James Texas Blood Brown, at The Rack. It was a noble effort and almost worked. He made a slick switch on my coffee cup, and I would have went for it, save that the coffee had cream but no sugar, so I came to immediately.

Beard

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

Cornbread "REDS" Book is full of Rack Stories.

 

[SpiderWebComm]

Youre right, it was Phil Hubbard. I got his first name mixed up with the super famous tush hog also from Baltimore, Jerry Ebersol. Phil and his wife were later murdered in a Motel Room down south, over a probably dope deal. Phil used to tell a great story about when he had just got out of the navy and was drunk at a carnival. There was a chimpanzee in a cage with his left hand on the bars. The pitchman would pay off anybody who could get the chimp to take his hand off the bars. Phil was with another tush hog who was also drunk and they both went into the cage. Phil thought he would end it right away and sucker punched the chimp. That didnt work, and the Chimp whacked him so hard on the top of his head that he drew blood. The chimp then grabbed Phil's partner and started slamming him all over the cage. Phil crawled out of the cage and watched his partner get tossed around. In the meantime, the chimp did all this and still never took his left hand off the bars.

Phil also made a serious attempt at "jarring" me while I was playing James Texas Blood Brown, at The Rack. It was a noble effort and almost worked. He made a slick switch on my coffee cup, and I would have went for it, save that the coffee had cream but no sugar, so I came to immediately.

Beard

hahaha that chimp story is priceless... that's why this thread rocks

 

[stevelomako]

The action in the 60's was at the Miscue on Harper owned by Mike Ravino.He looked like a movie star grandfather with silver hair and gold rimmed spectacles but when he spoke,everyone listened.Freddy Salem,Cornbread Red and Paul Bruesloff were the action stars then and anybody got played.New York Arty was also part of the crew.
Mike was a 'man of respect'. He was also religious so on sunday the club
was closed.So for one day a week the action would move to the Rack and
Cue in Oak Park.
When Mike died the Miscue closed for good.The Rack and Cue was
acquired and became the Capital Social Club,on Capital st across from
Stanley Steamer.It was divided with a card room on one side and original Brunswick Anniveraries on the other.
Gill Elias,a former tourament carom player,ran the place and kept the best
cloth on the tables.The room was not immaculate but the tables had top maintenance.I think this had a lot to do with the action getting so big.
Paul was now a millionaire selling kitchenware and the high rolling started.
Freddy was arguably the best 5x10 snooker player in the country and only bet high.Red could create action in a telephone booth and was one of the
best alround players ever.
Then Ben showed up.His company manufactured private jets so he became known as Airplane.It's been estimated he pumped 60 million into
the pool economy.
The Capitol retained it's street name 'TheRack' and became a legend.


.... long post....maybe some more later

I heard Orville Hubbard the Mayor of Dearborn started The Rack to keep the blacks out of Dearborn.

"Airplane Ben Braskey" came around after he sold TWA to Howard Hughes for 5 Billion dollars cash!!! He'd bring a Million Dollars cash every nite. He had Gay bodyguards, they liked to frisk you up and down before you could come near him.