Unknown "monster" players
- Thread starter DoubleA
- Start date
When I first got into playing pool here in Springfield there was a gentlemen named Rich Tiffatiller, pardon my butchering the spelling of his last name. All I ever heard coming up was that he played unbelievable! The most credible part about this is that I wasn't hearing this from people ignorant to pool, these comments came from notable players who had nothing but respect for the man so I'm pretty sure their assesments were dead on.
Back in the early 70's, There was Barry Greenberg, a lawyer out of New York. He could run 100's at will. Poor fool decided to get a job. Wonder who remembers him.
Greg Stevens and Joe Salazar were not unknown by any means. Weldon Rogers stayed under the radar much better. On the West Coast, everyone knew the name Peter Gunn, but most did not know what he looked like. Tacoma Whitey found out to the tune of 60K in 1970's dollars.
Jack Cooney hid his identity successfully for two decades or more. Bill Mielke was another good sniper back then. He could beat all but the best players. James "Youngblood" Brown snuck up on a lot of good players, on big tables and bar boxes. Just ask King Kong what happened to him the first time he met James.
Mikey Carella was an unknown monster until he finally got "outed". Danny D. kept him under wraps for several years, just bringing him out long enough to get the cash. Wade Crane (aka Billy Johnson) was another 'unknown' monster player back then. He went back and forth across the country beating everybody before he started playing tournaments under his real name.
One of the best ever was Canella the Mexican champion who emerged in the 70's and was beating EVERYBODY. Very few people knew what he looked like. He succumbed to drugs at an early age. When he came back north, he was not the same player.
Did you know the first time Parica came to this country was in the early 80's to play in a Straight Pool tourney in New York. None other than Steve Mizerak tried to give him 50 going to 150. Didn't work out so well for Steve. Then Parica came back in the mid 80's and went to Houston. He played David Howard, James Christopher, Louie, Earl and a couple of other top players. He spotted EVERYONE at Ten Ball, giving some the eight and others the nine. NO ONE know who he was! He won over 100K that first trip. Try that sometime.
Just remember one thing, back in the 70's and 80's Buddy was a very well known player. All the unknown 'monster' players ducked him. He was where they drew the line. Only Parica wanted to play him. No one else wanted to play a guy who got perfect position a foot or two away from the object ball all day long. Would you?
And one more thing, Keith went looking for 'monster' players.
That wuz a "GREAT" read....thanx Jay!!!!
I could sit -n- listen to you all day, every day.....LOL:thumbup:
Frankie
Tommy has tought me alot over the years and is very well known down here in south east Texas. His name is known by all of the old time Pro's.
str88shooter
Registered
How about a few stories about Mike Carella from Miami. Probably the best all-around player in the country when he was killed in 1978 he had gambling wins over Keith and Louie Roberts playing 9-ball. The best under the radar player of all time would have to be Vernon E. My opinion but these two are head and shoulders above most all the rest mentioned.
Back in the early 70's, There was Barry Greenberg, a lawyer out of New York. He could run 100's at will. Poor fool decided to get a job. Wonder who remembers him.
Greg Stevens and Joe Salazar were not unknown by any means. Weldon Rogers stayed under the radar much better. On the West Coast, everyone knew the name Peter Gunn, but most did not know what he looked like. Tacoma Whitey found out to the tune of 60K in 1970's dollars.
Jack Cooney hid his identity successfully for two decades or more. Bill Mielke was another good sniper back then. He could beat all but the best players. James "Youngblood" Brown snuck up on a lot of good players, on big tables and bar boxes. Just ask King Kong what happened to him the first time he met James.
Mikey Carella was an unknown monster until he finally got "outed". Danny D. kept him under wraps for several years, just bringing him out long enough to get the cash. Wade Crane (aka Billy Johnson) was another 'unknown' monster player back then. He went back and forth across the country beating everybody before he started playing tournaments under his real name.
One of the best ever was Canella the Mexican champion who emerged in the 70's and was beating EVERYBODY. Very few people knew what he looked like. He succumbed to drugs at an early age. When he came back north, he was not the same player.
Did you know the first time Parica came to this country was in the early 80's to play in a Straight Pool tourney in New York. None other than Steve Mizerak tried to give him 50 going to 150. Didn't work out so well for Steve. Then Parica came back in the mid 80's and went to Houston. He played David Howard, James Christopher, Louie, Earl and a couple of other top players. He spotted EVERYONE at Ten Ball, giving some the eight and others the nine. NO ONE know who he was! He won over 100K that first trip. Try that sometime.
Just remember one thing, back in the 70's and 80's Buddy was a very well known player. All the unknown 'monster' players ducked him. He was where they drew the line. Only Parica wanted to play him. No one else wanted to play a guy who got perfect position a foot or two away from the object ball all day long. Would you?
And one more thing, Keith went looking for 'monster' players.
Hey Jay, I dont know where you got your information about Danny bringing out Carella just long enough to get the cash. Danny and Carella never went on the road together because Danny couldnt stand the fact that Carella was better than him at 9 ball and one pocket. Get your facts straight. Hope you didnt put that in your book!
........says the anonymous guy with 5 posts.
The thing is buddy is that I was there and grew up with and bet on Mike. I wasnt across the country.
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
........says the anonymous guy with 5 posts.
Ktown...he has a whopping 7 posts now. L
LI know nineball1 for over 15 yrs, he knows the whole 60's-70's pool history of South Florida, believe it.
Voodoo Daddy
One Pocket 101
I lived in Texas for 2 months last year and the Tommy Sanders stories run rampet in the Beaumont area. He is legendary for his runout style and his zero handicap on the golf course. When I got back to Florida and asked all my older poolbum friends that traveled the road, they all knew of him.
A lot of good players ("A" and shortstops) are car salesmen, or in other sales jobs. Most are good at it. If I find out a salesman is on commision I run to another store. Johnnyt
Ted was a great player. Ronnie Allen tells a good story about Ted on his audio tape series. The tapes are very entertaining!
Here is the link.
http://www.tropicanabowlingalley.com/ronnie.html
Bob Ingersoll was a great player in the Boston area for many years. He once placed an add in the New York Times for anyone to come to Boston and play him one-pocket.
Nick Vlahos was also a great player from the New England area. He played in tournaments, in the Boston area, for over a year in the early eighties and never lost a set. I would say roughly fourteen or fifteen straight tournaments.
Nick Vlahos was also a great player from the New England area. He played in tournaments, in the Boston area, for over a year in the early eighties and never lost a set. I would say roughly fourteen or fifteen straight tournaments.
Vlahos was a monster player, but not unknown at all. He was greatly feared throughout the Northeast and, to a lesser extent, beyond. It was a sad day when Nick died young, for his future was so very bright. He was a great rival and friend of both Tony Robles and George "Ginky" SanSouci in the 1990's, and his name still comes up from time to time in the poolhalls of New York City.
Marty Herman may not be wholly unknown but I feel like his game is worth mentioning. He may not win majors because he is a bit wild with sending his cueball around the rails, but man what a stroke! My non-pool playing friends watched him shoot and said his cue was like a master violinist.
Billy Weir
IMO Billy Weir was one of the best I seen when I started playing. I watched him rob all the road players when they would come to town. he used to have a standing bet at his place in town that anyone, anytime, any table, 2000 dollar bets and up!!! Another that sticks in my mind is Jason Dutchover. Never really made it Big but definately couldve.
IMO Billy Weir was one of the best I seen when I started playing. I watched him rob all the road players when they would come to town. he used to have a standing bet at his place in town that anyone, anytime, any table, 2000 dollar bets and up!!! Another that sticks in my mind is Jason Dutchover. Never really made it Big but definately couldve.
I watched Billy Weir run 18 racks of 9-ball in a row on the bar box
with the big cue ball back in the early 80's, could cut anything in,that man was wicked!, he was running with Gary Seay(Cey), watched Gary put a 9 pack down once at 9-ball, he was a jump shot artist!
David Harcrow
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