One Pocket Ghost
Verified Member
Thanks, Artie. Which Toby are you telling us about - and what is his name?
Bill....his name is Toby Flaherty.
- Ghost
Thanks, Artie. Which Toby are you telling us about - and what is his name?
Keone,
Was jimmy Caan a good player? Of the actors you know who shoot pool, who would you say are the best?
Jimmy looked more good playing that actual playing. But he did like to bet it up. Thing I learned about Jimmy is that he is a pro and understand what its like to deal with pressure. I was working with him on Alien Nation and he was fussing about kinda hemming and hawing during rehearsal but when the director said action he was first rate especially on his close up. Man he really shined through and was 100% focused on what he was doing.
He really taught me something.
When I worked with him on Honeymoon in Vegas he was like the capo de tutti capo. He just took over the set and did his thing.
Of the actors Id probably have to say Jerry Orbach was pretty good. Great guy too. Peter Falk was pretty good too in his days. But those guys loved 14.1,
Not too many actors I know have the patience for one hole.
I wish someone here would sort out the Tobys for us. I'm aware that a player named Toby Sweet was often in action - mostly in the east and south? I've also heard stories about another Toby in Vegas, who had a number of epic battles with Jack Cooney, but I don't know his name. Were there any others?
I spent several months in 1967, and several months in 1969 living in L.A. and hanging out at Ye Billiard Den...It was a great poolroom, with a ton of action, good looking women, and celebrities there...I had the time of my life and could tell a lot of wild stories...
And I had it made because I met a beautiful girl who lived in the gardener's cottage of a mansion, 1 block from the poolroom at 915 Kings Road, and I moved in with her...doesn't get any better than that - living with a gorgeous girl, just 1 block from a great poolroom.
PS, Here's a pic of me back then standing in the living room of that gardener's cottage ----->
They had a bar in Chicago they called Whisky a go go. It was a younger crowed. A lot of those people would go on American Band Stand. With Dick Clark.
Luke, do you remember a tavern on the Strip, just east and across the street from the Whisky A-GoGo, I think on the corner of Alta Loma Rd? They had 2-3 bar boxes, and the one in front had continuous small action. It was a gold mine for me because there were only a few good players. But there was one guy I had trouble with... Your historical picture puts me in mind of him.
The band I was in played The Bitter End a few times on Sta Monica Blvd. It was a good sized rock palace, but connected to it in the same building was a good tavern with several bar boxes. After coming from the big track, it was hard to lose on the bar boxes. Good times.
I went to Ye Billiard Den a number of times in those days, and I may have seen you, but the place was over my head financially. The beer was too expensive, and I couldn't afford the stakes most of them played for.
I played mostly at Mr. Pockets on 6th St., the Musician's Union, and Celebrity Billiards (Tugwell hung out there). But my main room was Chopsticks Billiards on Victory in the Valley-- home of Hollywood Jack. Then when I gave up pool and snooker for 3C, I hung out exclusively at Tiff Payne's North Hyd Billiards.
A lot of celebrities were pool devotees in those days. Even Fred Astaire used to attend the World Inviationals at the Elks in McArthur Park. He had one of the pros (maybe Pete Margo?) come up to his house in Beverly Hills to give him lessons. Naturally Astaire was as stylish on the green baize as he was on the dance floor...
~Doc
does it still fit??......:heh
Luke, do you remember a tavern on the Strip, just east and across the street from the Whisky A-GoGo, I think on the corner of Alta Loma Rd? They had 2-3 bar boxes, and the one in front had continuous small action. It was a gold mine for me because there were only a few good players. But there was one guy I had trouble with... Your historical picture puts me in mind of him.
I went to Ye Billiard Den a number of times in those days, and I may have seen you
~Doc
This would probably be Rudy -- a Stardust photo courtesy Mark Griffin.Yeah Irvs was right next to the Raincheck room. Diliberto used to take his breaks there. A lot of deals went down there. I remember Winston. Another black guy that used to hang out there was JJ. He did all the video tapes in the early years of the matches. He now works for Ernie at Gina cue as security.
I remember when Cecil Tugwell got out of the army he used to play on the back table. He was the sweetest kid. Then he got into drugs and just turned into a different animal. One of the most talented guys I ever seen.
You remember Black Rudy? He was always flush and liked to bet high.Lenny Moore also had a lot of heart. Some real tough characters.
Yeah Irvs was right next to the Raincheck room. Diliberto used to take his breaks there. A lot of deals went down there. I remember Winston. Another black guy that used to hang out there was JJ. He did all the video tapes in the early years of the matches. He now works for Ernie at Gina cue as security.
I remember when Cecil Tugwell got out of the army he used to play on the back table. He was the sweetest kid. Then he got into drugs and just turned into a different animal. One of the most talented guys I ever seen.
You remember Black Rudy? He was always flush and liked to bet high. Lenny Moore also had a lot of heart. Some real tough characters.
Anyone remember the ring game at the Back Room in LA.
Everyone in the area played. No one was bared.
Bill S.
Who knows what Martin Scorsese movie, that Lenny Moore's character, was NOT portrayed in such a flattering light?
Artie and Keone, PLEASE don't give it up too quickly, I know you guys have the answer!
True story, Lenny Moore was a cool guy and triple smart back in the day, I knew Lenny well. Later in his life he worked for Artie in Las Vegas "moving money" a term used for betting on sports for other people. He was portrayed by the great actor James Woods a "pimp" going by the name of Lester Diamond. Ginger McKenna , portrayed by the beautiful actress Sharon Stone was Lester Diamonds call girl, and then married to Sam "Ace" Rothstein, who was portrayed by the great Robert De Niro. This movie was well written and a true account of how things actually went down in Las Vegas in the 70's starting in 1973. Rothstein was hired by the mob to run their operation at the Star Dust Hotel in Vegas he was a sports mastermind who eventually fell for Ginger McKenna and then marries her and then the "roller coaster" ride starts.
I remember this time in Las Vegas well and this movie depicts those times accurately, if you missed it get it and watch it.
Bill Incardona
Ghost I didn't know you hung out there. I was living there from 1967 to 1971.
I lived on Hayvenhurst right behind the Starwood nite club. I had the graveyard shift at the Book Circus up the street. I played Richard Pryor straight pool one night there and watched every hustler known to man pass through.
Hawaiian Brian, Pancho, Richie Ambrose, Crazy Bruce, Brooklyn Butch, Dalton Leong, Marvin Henderson, Freddy, Little Franky, Hollywood Jack, Lenny Moore, Cuban Joe, Bernie Schwartz, Jerry the Greek and his dog King, Cripple Shorty, etc. etc. I played every nite with an old black man Mr Murray who loved one pocket and he was teaching me the game for $2 a game. I finally beat him and he stopped playing me.
I was lucky because Brooklyn Butch took a liking to me, and told me to let him know if anybody ever gave me any trouble...one of the reasons he liked me was because I was from back east and I was Italian...even though it was 1969, Butch was still sporting that 50's Italian wiseguy look, short slick hair, black dress pants always, etc...and the funny thing was, he was always on my case to cut off my long, well past my shoulders, hair - he would constantly say to me "Get a fukkin' haircut will ya, a good lookin' young Italian guy should not be havin' that fukkin hippie-'fanook' hair" (only my fellow paisan's on here will know what fanook means........Butch was a character.
- Ghost