California One Pocket Story

mr3cushion

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jay helfert said:
This isn't Dale (the Beatle) from Baltimore is it? He was a good player who hung around Ye Billiard Den for a year or two. I found out later he was AWOL from the Army. We just called him The Beatle and he played pretty salty 9-Ball, until Jimmy Marino showed up and busted him.

That is Winston in the photo above, a pretty sharp hustler. The guy in the middle looks a lot like Jimmy Marino. That is exactly how he looked back then - long stringy black hair and blue denim all the way. He snuck around L.A. real good back in the 60's. Jimmy would lay low in Venice Beach for months (getting high naturally), and then show up somewhere and bust someone. The only guy who ever got the best of Jimmy was Richie Florence, but he beat everyone back then for the cash.

The girl looks familiar, one of the Den's regulars. A lot of young hippy chicks hung out in there. I was too into pool to have time for them though (with a couple of exceptions of course). The Ghost and I must have met in there, because I was there so much. We might have played back then. I played anyone and everyone who wasn't an established champion. I know it's bragging, but I beat a million guys who came into the place. The Ghost might have been one of them.

P.S. I ate at Irv's at least 3-4 times a week.


Jay; I hate to burst Jimmy Marino fans bubble, but, back in the late 60's I snuck up on him and busted him for about $1,200.00 playing 3C billiards in Frisco at the Palace along with Homero Valdespino, he was the best 3C player in the Bay area back then everyone in the room bet on him. When Jimmy found out I beat Homero he was a little hot he got trapped, but a friend and I laid it down perfect.

Bill Smith "Mr3Cushion"
 

SJDinPHX

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One Pocket Ghost said:
back in the day, I was way better looking than SVB...he could give me the orange crush playing 9ball, but trust me, back then I coulda gave him at least the 5 and the breaks when it came to scoring with the ladies...:)


- Ghost

Ghostmonster,

Braggadocio has reared it's ugly head again...Is that all you Chi-guys can do ?....Boast about your pool conquests, and your equally astonishing success [sic] with the ladies ? Don't you know, drugged out hippie chicks, and runaway 16 year old hillbillies,...should NOT count.:rolleyes:

First of all, I would say you and SVB, are a toss-up at best, in the looks dept. (sorry SVB) Obviously, no contest in pool skills... :D

And secondly, let me just say this...The trio of RA, RF, and SJD...could have given ANYBODY from Chicago, AT LEAST 8 to 3 and the break, back in OUR carousing days..We used to "hypnotize" 'em (or BS 'em) off their feet,...literally..:p (only Califonia cuties needed to apply)

PS..The only pool player's who came close to us in those days, were Cardone and Kelly...and maybe Mataya...:eek:

PPS..By the way, where is Beardmonster ? I see he's posting on AZB these days...action too tough here ???
 
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Guest

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One Pocket Ghost said:
Well, I went through all of my old pics and I'm mad :mad: because I can't find one of my favorite pics...it's the only one I have that was taken inside Ye Billiard Den, and it was of me playing 'Brooklyn Butch' 9ball - in the pic, I'm shooting and because I'm not missing often enough to suit Butch, he's giving me his famous tush-hog glare :eek: - I didn't really have to worry though, because luckily, Butch liked me...:)...

Anyway, here's a couple of pics for now...one pic is of me standing inside my 'pad' behind the mansion, just around the corner from the Billiard Den....the other pic is taken at the one and only Irv's burgers, straight across the street from the Billiard Den - Irv's is an L.A. landmark - best burgers in L.A. and it's still there....sitting on the stools are three regulars from the Billiard Den...

The brother on the left with the afro played and hustled pretty good - his name was Winston...I forget the guy in the middle's name...and the girl was the daughter of an L.A. movie producer and her name was Amy.


- Ghost

Ghosty, thanks for sharing the very cool hippie pic. Quite handsome !!
 

One Pocket Ghost

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SJDinPHX said:
Ghostmonster,

And secondly, let me just say this...The trio of RA, RF, and SJD...could have given ANYBODY from Chicago, AT LEAST 8 to 3 and the break, back in OUR carousing days..We used to "hypnotize" 'em (or BS 'em) off their feet,...literally..:p (only Califonia cuties needed to apply)


Papie.....Trust me, and you can take this to the bank, back in the day, you would have been thrilled to death if you could have just had some of my castoffs...:eek:...:D....:cool:


- Ghosty

PS, Read Clare's post, #43 - I think I'll take her opinion of my looks back in the day, instead of your opinion...:rolleyes:
 
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Cowboy Dennis

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SJDinPHX said:
Ghostmonster,
And secondly, let me just say this...The trio of RA, RF, and SJD...could have given ANYBODY from Chicago, AT LEAST 8 to 3 and the break, back in OUR carousing days..We used to "hypnotize" 'em (or BS 'em) off their feet,...literally..:p (only Califonia cuties needed to apply)


I see the "shit blizzard" came early today.
 

SJDinPHX

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Gosh Dang it Clare !!!

Gosh Dang it Clare !!!

One Pocket Ghost said:
Papie.....Trust me, and you can take this to the bank, you would have been dead by now,... if you had, had ANY of my disease infested, drug addled, OD'd, hippie chick's...Thank God for penicllin, or I'd be long gone..:eek:


- Ghosty

PS, Read Clare's post, #43 - I think I'll take her opinion of my looks back in the day, instead of your opinion...

Clarebaby, Now you have done it...Don't you know, being flattering to Chi-guy's just sends them through the roof with excitment (99% of the flattery they get is self-inflicted).;)

Apparently Clare has not seen my pic, on pg 32, of SMAS, (E.R. typo,... it was taken in '77, not '57)...heh,heh..:D


PS..Ghrost, I doubt if your first-stringer's, could have met my very high standards back then...(they had to be female, and breathing)...let alone the ones who dumped you...:eek:
 
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SJDinPHX

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Cowboy Dennis said:
I see the "shit blizzard" came early today.

Hey Bar Rag Breath,...Ghost hi-jacked John's fine 1P thread...And for your smart-ass remark...you are back on ignore AGAIN...How you like 'em apples ??? :p :p :p

PS maybe you should have invested in a "s**t blower"...heh,heh.:eek:
 
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Wayne

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jrhendy said:
It was "Harry The Horse" Mc Connell. He beat me playing golf in El Monte sometime in the 60's. You were liable to run into him anywhere and he played all games just a tick below the very good ones.

I have just returned from a vacation in my motorhome to the Mendocino Coast. Had to leave my motorhome in Gualala and have to head back tomorrow with the garage guys van to pick up the motorhome. I will be looking to play when I get back. Heading to Phoenix on the 21st and will stop by Los Angeles on the way back.

Bringing lots of $$ so boys get ready! Heard someone in Santa Monica wants to give me 9/7 so I'm bringing extra barrels in case I go off too much in Arizona.

Hi John: Who is it in Santa Monica that wants to give you 9/7? I know I never told anyone that so the only person it could be is Rich Grenier. Let me know when you are coming and we can match up or I will let Phil know when you will be here and you can play him again. Wayne
 

jrhendy

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Placerville, CA
Wayne said:
Hi John: Who is it in Santa Monica that wants to give you 9/7? I know I never told anyone that so the only person it could be is Rich Grenier. Let me know when you are coming and we can match up or I will let Phil know when you will be here and you can play him again. Wayne

I am going to be in Phoenix the weekend of April 24/25 & should be back in LA Monday the 26th & would like to play either you or Phil or both if my $$ lasts.

As far as playing Rich, I am zero for 15 games against him trying to play even a few years back, but would have to play some 9/7.

Looking forward to seeing you guys. Santa Monica is a great place to play. John
 

SJDinPHX

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Clare said:
I know. I did it again. What is wrong with me? Now that I'm older, one hippie looks pretty much the same as the next. Maybe I need some glasses. LOL. My favorite pic of Jimmy is NOT a hippie pic. In fact, I have a pic of Jimmy when he was about 19 or 20 years old. He is, in that picture, the most handsome man I have ever seen. I always told him that he should have NEVER gone out to California. I understand that's where the pool action was at the time, but it tainted him. (JMHO). I have always believed that going out to California was the biggest mistake Jimmy ever made. He never, ever should have gone out West. Just sayin. (I got no problem with his Detroit stint, but the Cali thing just doesn't sit well with me).

Clare,

In all seriousness, I truely understand where you are coming from. Not trying to bring back any bad mems, but maybe thats where you guys strongly disagreed with each other... I surely don't know that, but I know I had a similar situaton.

California (and the whole West)...is a much different life style for a gambler...Its like going to Vegas...Everything is more about fun, and enjoying life... Money, (at times) can have very little meaning....Some guy's easily accepted that, some didn't...Most of us thrived on it.

The sucker,-to hardcore scuff ratio, was/IS, a whole lot different than it ever was in New York, or Chicago or Detroit. Back east, it was dog eat dog...Whereas people "gambled" out here in the west... and they still do.

I really think Jimmy accepted that change in life style, He did as good or better out here, than he did back east. (most of the time)

Personal problems aside...I would bet he enjoyed California as much as he did any other time in his life...I wish you could get him to weigh in on that....Times were really good then.

Edit; I probably should have PM'd this, but its too late now. Hope you understand, I mean only good thoughts for you.
 
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SJDinPHX

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Cowboy Dennis said:
I guess you don't know how to delete a post yet eh? It works well when nobody has quoted it yet.

Now that some "nosy" person has quoted it, I guess its too late huh ? Clarebaby will understand..;)
 

SJDinPHX

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Cowboy Dennis said:
I can delete mine too, bonehead. See how it's no longer there, except for your quoted post.

Oh well, let her read it someday...it is from the heart...Bonerhead !!!
 
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