Freddy the Beard interview, Part 1

[NH Steve]

I just posted Part 1 of a Rack 'em up interview with Freddy The Beard Bentivegna
Freddy the Beard, Part 1 (http://onepocket.org/BentivegnaInterview1.htm)

Sorry if the formatting leaves a little to be desired -- I'll tweak it a little later.

He has to be one of the most entertaining and articulate story tellers around in pool these days, so enjoy...

[loveshiscue]

Kickass! thanks this interview was fascinating.

Question about Artie...has he ever considered returning to the game?

Does anyone have any tapes of Artie playing they would be interested in trading or loaning?

Is Artie the Artie Bodendorfer from Las Vegas who is notorious for his sports betting and bookmaking? In May 2000 the FBI seized millions in cash from this Artie Bodendorfer in las vegas when they were investigating bookies.

[One Pocket Ghost]

Kickass! thanks this interview was fascinating.

Question about Artie...has he ever considered returning to the game?

Does anyone have any tapes of Artie playing they would be interested in trading or loaning?

Is Artie the Artie Bodendorfer from Las Vegas who is notorious for his sports betting and bookmaking? In May 2000 the FBI seized millions in cash from this Artie Bodendorfer in las vegas when they were investigating bookies.



Yes, that's the same Artie in Vegas...he's been living there for about 20-25 years now. He never plays anymore and hasn't wanted to. In the purist sense, he never really was a lover of the game like many top players are - instead, he always was, and is, an ultra hard-core gambler, and the thing that he loved about pool, was making money. I was lucky to have been able to watch him play countless times when he was in his prime - Unfortunately, I doubt that there are any tapes of him playing because his main playing days were from about 1962 to 1980 and tapes weren't being made at that time.

[lfigueroa]

I just posted Part 1 of a Rack 'em up interview with Freddy The Beard Bentivegna
Freddy the Beard, Part 1 (http://onepocket.org/BentivegnaInterview1.htm)

Sorry if the formatting leaves a little to be desired -- I'll tweak it a little later.

He has to be one of the most entertaining and articulate story tellers around in pool these days, so enjoy...


*Great interview*. Thanks, Steve.

Lou Figueroa

[gulfportdoc]

In May 2000 the FBI seized millions in cash from this Artie Bodendorfer in las vegas when they were investigating bookies.

LHC, do you have a reference on that story, like a website, or a link to the Las Vegas papers? If just a rumor, did you get it on good authority? :cool:

Doc

[loveshiscue]

http://www.lvrj.com/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?/lvrj_home/2000/May-07-Sun-2000/news/13521854.html

[OldHasBeen]

This is one of the best interviews & storytelling I have ever read or seen on pool. I have either witnessed or heard other versions of some of his players & games and Freddie – Is Right On The Money. I love the way Freddie phrases the experiences. I also enjoyed my playing days upstairs in his poolroom – (on Clark Ave, I think).
I remember Freddie from Johnston City, Chicago & just recently, the DCC. We had a few short conversations but I really don't think he remembered me because of the Hugh (as in fat) difference in my appearance. I was there with Louie & Larry Hubbard so I can understand him overlooking me.
Freddie is very colorful and I've been saying for a very long time now - That is what we need to SELL to get the game where it should be.

I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BOOK - CAN'T WAIT!

TY & GL

[lewdo26]

Steve, we couldn't thank you enough. I'm sitting here thinking, one day you'll have compiled all these interviews, and you're gonna have one hell of a chunk of one pocket oral history!

Freddy's interview is one of my favorites. I saw him play at DCC and was pulling for him to the end.

OldHasBeen, your point about marketing the colorful aspects of pool culture is never lost on me. I've heard you make that point elsewhere, and you got it nailed! The puritans with their little minds ain't having it, though.

Anxiously waiting for Part II and the book!

[gulfportdoc]

http://www.lvrj.com/cgi-bin/printable.cgi?/lvrj_home/2000/May-07-Sun-2000/news/13521854.html
Thanks, LHC! That's a good article. Too bad Artie got nailed. I mean, gambling in Nevada...come on. I wonder what the outcome was? Maybe I'll Email the author, or do a Google search.

Thanks again--

Doc

[gulfportdoc]

Thanks, LHC! That's a good article. Too bad Artie got nailed. I mean, gambling in Nevada...come on. I wonder what the outcome was? Maybe I'll Email the author, or do a Google search.


Couldn't find anything in the "Review Journal" archives, but here are a couple of updates from a "Dogpile" search:

Scroll down to the 6th paragraph:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Jan-24-Fri-2003/news/20542756.html

Scroll down to "On The Boulevard":

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/gaming/2005/mar/25/518506241.html

This was really a B.S. beef! Anyone have any further updates?

Doc

[bjspivey]

I just posted Part 1 of a Rack 'em up interview with Freddy The Beard Bentivegna
Freddy the Beard, Part 1 (http://onepocket.org/BentivegnaInterview1.htm)

Sorry if the formatting leaves a little to be desired -- I'll tweak it a little later.

He has to be one of the most entertaining and articulate story tellers around in pool these days, so enjoy...
Loved it!! Freddy Bentivegna ,CLASS ACT!!!!I want a copy of the book!! ;)

[fred bentivegna]

I just spent a week at Artie's house in Vegas. A quick summary of "the story." The Casinos basically invented a law to stop Artie from out-gambling them. He became the only guy charged, and the only guy convicted for it. He had a gambling stamp and paid taxes. They grabbed 3 mil. and eventually returned only 1 mil. He did several months in a real penitentiary ( another screw-job, he was supposed to go to a Camp not a prison. The deal was a Camp, but somehow they ran out of space in the Camps.) There are people still doing what Artie did in Vegas -- only on a much smaller level -- and they are not bothered.
Freddy the beard

Couldn't find anything in the "Review Journal" archives, but here are a couple of updates from a "Dogpile" search:

Scroll down to the 6th paragraph:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Jan-24-Fri-2003/news/20542756.html

Scroll down to "On The Boulevard":

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/gaming/2005/mar/25/518506241.html

This was really a B.S. beef! Anyone have any further updates?

Doc

[hemicudas]

I just spent a week at Artie's house in Vegas. A quick summary of "the story." The Casinos basically invented a law to stop Artie from out-gambling them. He became the only guy charged, and the only guy convicted for it. He had a gambling stamp and paid taxes. They grabbed 3 mil. and eventually returned only 1 mil. He did several months in a real penitentiary ( another screw-job, he was supposed to go to a Camp not a prison. The deal was a Camp, but somehow they ran out of space in the Camps.) There are people still doing what Artie did in Vegas -- only on a much smaller level -- and they are not bothered.
Freddy the beard
Fantastic interview, Freddy and Steve. Having known, Freddy and Artie, I really appreciated the flashback. The game with, Artie and Ronnie, would have been a must see. The way I see it, Ronnie, had to be the only guy on the planet that had a chance to beat, Artie, playing one handed. I watched, Artie, stick up, Mike Massey, playing one handed. The guy was amazing. Got any one handed stories, Freddy. BTW, your book has to be a best seller.

[loveshiscue]

Holy moly you mean Artie Bodendorfer also played super speed one handed? Man this guy had to be the greatest undercover guy ever. I was in Las Vegas once visiting and saw Toby Flaherty playing some high stakes one handed one pocket and was really impressed. Just so I can get perspective, what kind of one handed matchup do you think Flaherty would need to have played Artie?

[fred bentivegna]

Holy moly you mean Artie Bodendorfer also played super speed one handed? Man this guy had to be the greatest undercover guy ever. I was in Las Vegas once visiting and saw Toby Flaherty playing some high stakes one handed one pocket and was really impressed. Just so I can get perspective, what kind of one handed matchup do you think Flaherty would need to have played Artie?

Two different generations. Artie could beat anybody playing 1 handed 8 ball, but Artie's washed up now, and Toby is a phenomenal 1 handed player. However, Artie beat the acknowledged, best, 1 handed player in the world, the Puerto Rican champion from Harlem, Agusate, in my joint playing 8 ball. Nuff said.
the beard

[kollegedave]

This interview gives all the others 11 to 5. The other ones were great, but Fred has so many good stories.

kollegedave