Who here has "hustled" or made a living on the road?

[uwate]

Hey, is Tom Brown still around? He is a champion that kind of fell off the radar.

Tommy played out of Peg's Pocket in Miami for many years in the 80s. He was a hundred ball runner who played tremendous nineball. One helluva player, especially considering the fact he has one eye. I heard it asked to him more than a few times, "Hey Tommy how do you play with only one eye?" and he use to always respond "Like a Champion!". Tommy was a fun guy to hang out with, all the young players in Miami use to love watching Tommy play the road dogs that came through South Florida. Richie Ambrose and CJ Wiley were two great players that Tommy battled with with all of us sitting on the rail sweating it.

 

[Josh Palmer]

I played different guys every day, hundreds of them, over the course of eight years. Even today, guys come up to me and ask if I remember playing them. Most of the time I don't, although I remember all the guys who beat me. Lisciotti, Marino, Wade Crane, Jack Cooney and Peter Gunn got me, among a few others.

I enjoyed being around Peter Gunn, but I never knew how good he played.. heard some say that he was the best black nine ball player in the country at one time... that true Jay?

 

[watchez]

Don't let him fool you. OldHasBeen is still hustling. He got me for a cold Budweiser last weekend.

 

[3kushn]

I never played for a living but watched a few guys in Southern Illinois in the mid 70's early 80's that took on all comers and believe me there were some great games with some of the best players in the country come through during that period. Multiple racks of 9 ball runs 13 being the biggest run I saw and runouts in 1 hole commonplace. These guys(particularly one) just sat and waited for the roady to show up. Of course they would take off some of the Chicago college punks in the mean time since the big money wasn't always around. Gotta eat.

Anyone know who that one guy was?

Tough way to go. But if you want it, you need to be on the table ALL THE TIME FOR YEARS.

 

[jay helfert]

Jay, tell these guys if they want to say they're roadmen, then they have to go to the joints you and I went in. Like the Watts area in LA. Charley Neals PR and the all night PR in Culver City. Both pool rooms were all black clientele, with plenty of black gangsters in the mix. Even Daisy Mae's bar in Anaheim was a real rough joint, with mostly Spanish, Hillbillies and the mob guy, Charley the Ape. He played pretty good, but if you got him mad he would bend you like a pretzel. Wonderful times.

the Beard
Bank on, Brother!

All's well Bro. We lived thru it. And had fun doing it.

 

[Matt_24]

Danny Medina and his GF Laurette are asleep right now in my guest bedroom. He has made a living from pool for over 30 years and never done anything else. Amazing but true. Danny was a great money player who beat many of the top guys for years. He was virtually unbeatable in and around Denver. The guys he's beaten are a virtual Who's Who of famous pool players.
He still runs from tourney to tourney trying to survive, but It's getting tougher. Another one who called me on the phone last night and has stayed here is the Lizard (Steve Smith). A very good road hustler who still works at his trade. He's heading for Dallas to meet up with Billy Cardone for a little One Hole. Tough action, but the potential to win big, as Billy is pumped right now.
So roadmen exist today in America, probably a few hundred guys traversing the country looking for games.

When Danny Medina is in dead stroke at 9 ball he is a devastating force and will run racks faster than Earl. I love watching that guy play.

 

[ironman]

All's well Bro. We lived thru it. And had fun doing it.

Yep, it was big fun and I still miss it.
I've been working on a book about it for many years and each time I read over it, I think, that nobody would believe half it's content.
P.s. Jay, when Danny wakes up, would you ask him to give me a call? Thanks, Lewis.