fred bentivegna
Verified Member
Wimpy did little gambling in those years
Wimpy did little gambling in those years
You are much misinformed. The main reason Wimpy stopped gambling was that he did not want a blemish on his reputation. He was regarded as the World's Nineball champ. He was more interested in giving exhibitions at $150 a pop as the reigning world champ than taking a chance of getting beaten in a short set and having his reputation tarnished. When Weanie Beanie, wanting to stake him, begged Wimpy to come to Grand Rapids and play Harold Worst nineball for 5k, Wimpy refused. He went on an exhibition tour instead. He was certainly not afraid of Worst, but he didnt want to give anybody a cheap shot at his title. Plus Wimpy knew that Worst had just dismantled his old road partner, Don Willis playing nineball. Not getting beat in public was pretty much the same reason Fats would only play to a selected audience in Johnston City. To see Fats play Ronnie or Richie Florence you had to be invited.
In all the years I spent at Johnston City, and I was there every year but the first, I only know of Wimpy gambling one time. The hustlers trapped him into giving Ronnie Allen the seven ball. Ronnie had a good game but he never got to shoot, Wimpy poured racks on him, and Ronnie had to quit. The other champion who I never seen gamble down there was Eddie Taylor. He played in a few ring nineball games but was quickly barred out. The main reason those two never played is nobody really wanted to play with them. There was plenty other action so the players just left those two alone. Wimpy would play if forced, but the bet would have to be a minimum of 10k, so the players usually looked for greener pastures. Example: when Incardona was rated the top nineball player in the country, he asked Wimpy (in front of me) for the eight ball. Wimpy didnt want anyone taking any cheap shots at him so his offer was to play 20 games ahead for 10 or 20k. He offered Cardone a four game head start to the 20 ahead. Billy declined.
That's the real history of those years, my friend.
the Beard
Wimpy did little gambling in those years
Terry Ardeno said:Freddie,
Luther Lassiter won the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP in 141. in 1966 & 1967. He won the U.S. Open 14.1 Championship in 1970 & 1971 and finished 2nd in 1973. He also won the Johnston City 1 Pocket Championship in 1969, the 1967 & 1969 Johnston City 9 Ball Championships, the 1970 & 1971 Johnston City 14.1 Championships, The ALL AROUND TITLE in Johnston City in both 1967 & 1969. He also won the ALL AROUND CHAMPIONSHIP at the Stardust Open in 1971 as well as the 1971 Stardust Open 9 Ball Championship. To say that Wimpy was at the bottom of his gambling careeer may also be construed as "TWEAKING" it a little as well. In fact, since Luther didn't die until October 1988, and since he never had a job after leaving the U.S. Coast Guard as a teenager, all of his income came from gambling. With the exception of royalies from his book "Billiards for Everyone" that he had published in 1965 and his other book The Modern Guide to Pocket Billiards" that was published in 1964. If he was able to compete and WIN in the aforementioned fields, why would he NOT gamble, being that he was still a powerhouse?
You are much misinformed. The main reason Wimpy stopped gambling was that he did not want a blemish on his reputation. He was regarded as the World's Nineball champ. He was more interested in giving exhibitions at $150 a pop as the reigning world champ than taking a chance of getting beaten in a short set and having his reputation tarnished. When Weanie Beanie, wanting to stake him, begged Wimpy to come to Grand Rapids and play Harold Worst nineball for 5k, Wimpy refused. He went on an exhibition tour instead. He was certainly not afraid of Worst, but he didnt want to give anybody a cheap shot at his title. Plus Wimpy knew that Worst had just dismantled his old road partner, Don Willis playing nineball. Not getting beat in public was pretty much the same reason Fats would only play to a selected audience in Johnston City. To see Fats play Ronnie or Richie Florence you had to be invited.
In all the years I spent at Johnston City, and I was there every year but the first, I only know of Wimpy gambling one time. The hustlers trapped him into giving Ronnie Allen the seven ball. Ronnie had a good game but he never got to shoot, Wimpy poured racks on him, and Ronnie had to quit. The other champion who I never seen gamble down there was Eddie Taylor. He played in a few ring nineball games but was quickly barred out. The main reason those two never played is nobody really wanted to play with them. There was plenty other action so the players just left those two alone. Wimpy would play if forced, but the bet would have to be a minimum of 10k, so the players usually looked for greener pastures. Example: when Incardona was rated the top nineball player in the country, he asked Wimpy (in front of me) for the eight ball. Wimpy didnt want anyone taking any cheap shots at him so his offer was to play 20 games ahead for 10 or 20k. He offered Cardone a four game head start to the 20 ahead. Billy declined.
That's the real history of those years, my friend.
the Beard