Deeno... I didn't know him in his prime years but I used to talk to him up at Airway all the time. I mean, you had to. If you didn't talk to him, he was going to talk to you.
My favorite memory of him is when I was up there around ten years or so ago and he asked me if I could give him a ride home. I told him, sure. So he starts trying to give me tomatoes and peppers that he'd brought up to give to the guys at the pool room. I thanked him but said I'm good. So we get in my car, a little Acura RSX sports car, and he was all kicked back talking my ear off on the way to his house. We get to his house and I figure I'd just drop him off and head back to the pool room. Nope. I had to come in and see his state nine ball trophy. So I went in and hung out with him for a while and checked out his trophy. Then he started trying to give me random things that were just lying around his living room. First he tried to give me some AARP magazines, which I politely declined. But then he tried to give me a Hustler DVD. And I'm not talking about Hustler with Newman and Gleason. I laughed and told him that my old lady would kick my ass if I showed up at the house with that, which wasn't true, but I really just didn't want it. I mean, I appreciated the gesture. But I just didn't need, expect, or want anything for taking him home.
Deeno was an absolute hoot. And I'm thankful for having had the opportunity to not only meet him but hang out with him and listen to his stories. I obviously never got a chance to see him play in his prime, but I've heard he was a beast.
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