Charlie The Ape

In the early sixties, before Charlie moved to Orange County and became a big time gambler and Keith McCready's stake horse among other things, he hung around a bowling alley in Pasadena called Bahama Lanes that had had a pool room in it. He hustled a little pool and cards.

He was called The Ape for a reason. He was a very imposing guy in person. I got him down playing nine ball with $3 on the five and $5 on the nine. I had him stuck a hundred or so when he dogged an almost straight in $$ ball in the side pocket. Charlie played with a house cue. He stuck that cue in his mouth several inches from the tip and pulled it down and broke the end off the cue. Then he tossed the cue down and bit me for $20.

I was happy to give it to him and get out of there. Years later I had dinner with Charlie a couple of weeks before he passed when he bought a Cadillac from a friend of mine. He was on his way to Vegas and he showed us some socks he had on you could hide several thousand dollars in.

He truly was one of pools characters and won and went off or some big scores.

jrhendy said:

In the early sixties, before Charlie moved to Orange County and became a big time gambler and Keith McCready's stake horse among other things, he hung around a bowling alley in Pasadena called Bahama Lanes that had had a pool room in it. He hustled a little pool and cards.

He was called The Ape for a reason. He was a very imposing guy in person. I got him down playing nine ball with $3 on the five and $5 on the nine. I had him stuck a hundred or so when he dogged an almost straight in $$ ball in the side pocket. Charlie played with a house cue. He stuck that cue in his mouth several inches from the tip and pulled it down and broke the end off the cue. Then he tossed the cue down and bit me for $20.

I was happy to give it to him and get out of there. Years later I had dinner with Charlie a couple of weeks before he passed when he bought a Cadillac from a friend of mine. He was on his way to Vegas and he showed us some socks he had on you could hide several thousand dollars in.

He truly was one of pools characters and won and went off or some big scores.

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Reminds me of a story.

Some guys in Kansas City whose names all ended in vowels ran a poker game at their "Social Club." One of the guys who hung out there was named Gerella. He was a big guy and naturally got the nickname Gorilla, which he didn't like a bit.

One day the phone rings while a couple of games are going on and Gerella answers. The caller asks for Mr. Boone. Gerella goes into the card room and asks, "Is there a Boone here?" Nobody responds so he goes back to the phone and says, "No Boone here."

The caller says, "Are you sure?" and Gerella says, "I don't even know a Boone, what's his first name?"

Caller says, "Baaaaaaa-boon!, m***er f***er!," and hangs up.

jrhendy said:

In the early sixties, before Charlie moved to Orange County and became a big time gambler and Keith McCready's stake horse among other things, he hung around a bowling alley in Pasadena called Bahama Lanes that had had a pool room in it. He hustled a little pool and cards.

He was called The Ape for a reason. He was a very imposing guy in person. I got him down playing nine ball with $3 on the five and $5 on the nine. I had him stuck a hundred or so when he dogged an almost straight in $$ ball in the side pocket. Charlie played with a house cue. He stuck that cue in his mouth several inches from the tip and pulled it down and broke the end off the cue. Then he tossed the cue down and bit me for $20.

I was happy to give it to him and get out of there. Years later I had dinner with Charlie a couple of weeks before he passed when he bought a Cadillac from a friend of mine. He was on his way to Vegas and he showed us some socks he had on you could hide several thousand dollars in.

He truly was one of pools characters and won and went off or some big scores.

Click to expand...

Yep, he got his name legitimately, he truly walked and looked prehistoric, and strong, wow, the day we played at Daisy Mae's he shattered a house cue into several pieces by slamming it across the table, and when he dogged an easy nine ball for his case money, he stuck his left hand in the left corner pocket and his right hand in the right corner pocket and literally picked up the whole end of the table and shook it like a rag doll!! He was scary strong, but I never heard of him hurting anyone. I heard he caught two in the back of the head, don't know that to be fact, just what I heard a few years back. Any truth to that?

3 on the 5.....

3 on the 5.....

......and 5 on the nine brings back many merry memories.Thank you sir,cheers,James

jrhendy said:

In the early sixties, before Charlie moved to Orange County and became a big time gambler and Keith McCready's stake horse among other things, he hung around a bowling alley in Pasadena called Bahama Lanes that had had a pool room in it. He hustled a little pool and cards.

He was called The Ape for a reason. He was a very imposing guy in person. I got him down playing nine ball with $3 on the five and $5 on the nine. I had him stuck a hundred or so when he dogged an almost straight in $$ ball in the side pocket. Charlie played with a house cue. He stuck that cue in his mouth several inches from the tip and pulled it down and broke the end off the cue. Then he tossed the cue down and bit me for $20.

I was happy to give it to him and get out of there. Years later I had dinner with Charlie a couple of weeks before he passed when he bought a Cadillac from a friend of mine. He was on his way to Vegas and he showed us some socks he had on you could hide several thousand dollars in.

He truly was one of pools characters and won and went off or some big scores.

Click to expand...

I got em once on the 9 footer playing 8 ball, couple hundred 77-78.

I played Charley a couple of times at the Bahama lanes on Foothill Blvd in Pasadena in the early sixties. Years later I went to an after hours dive where there was always good action. I had a standard game with him getting the seven on the bar box playing nine ball.

There was always good action there with other guys. I would go there about once every couple mounts. I didn't want to wear that spot out by going too often.

Well ,on one of my visits Charlie was there with Flyboy. We made a game with Charlie staking Flyboy playing nine ball at 100 a game.

I was up several games when Charley gets into a $5 game with some young boy next to our table. Of course it was just something for him to do as he was more intent in watching our game.
After him playing a few games with the young boy he misses an easy nine and the young boy says "I'm going to bust this guy". Charley looked at him and said, You're going to bust me at five dollars a game. He then pulls out a hugh roll of hundreds rolled up tight and bounces the roll on the table.

He then walks up to him and slaps him in the face hard enough to knock the boy off his feet. Goes over to him and picks him up by the neck and the back of his pants and throws him on the table and says "shoot, it's your shot"

The poor boy was in tears and could hardly see. He conceded the game and left.

In my game with Jimmy, I had a shot on the seven with the eight and nine tied up. Playing with the big cue ball, the seven could not be made in the side without scratching in the corner. Playing it in the corner I would scratch in the side. One of those shots where you would be looking to play safe. But I was in one of those modes where a safety didn't even cross my mind.

I decided to bank the seven cross corner and put a lot of draw on the cue ball to miss the kiss and then run the cue ball forward three rails to break up the eight and nine. Mind you it was the big cue ball. I put a stroke on the cue ball and made it arc to almost a half circle and then it hit the rail and spun around the table for a perfect break out. Spectators to this day still call it the Godzilla shot. They pulled out after that shot.

I tried to do that shot again but never ever got even close to doing it again. Just one of those things you do when you're in the heat of battle.

I love that story, Frank. Those type of shots stayed etched in your mind, (and your opponents :heh ). Flyboy, as most know, has a long history of betting it up, he was one of the guys responsible for some big action in Baton Rouge, La. in the early 1990's.

A guy came in the poolroom I frequented in Beaumont, TX, one Sunday afternoon. It was very slow, only the barman, the owner, and myself, along with a road man. When I came in, they were on a bar table (the owner whose name is Pat Fox was playing the roadman). The road player was getting the best of Pat, I think they were playing something like $20 game nineball, and the barman had a little side action.

I mentioned to Pat, maybe he ought to switch to the big table to see if that would help, but it was much the same story, and Pat pulled up after losing a couple of hundred.

One thing about the guy I noticed, he never offered anyone any weight, like a lot of players do after they get quit on. Anyway, the guy stayed around town, even playing in a little tournament (he won) before he moved on.

It wasn't until a few weeks had passed that the barman showed me one of the pool mags, and on the cover was, guess who, the road player. It was 'Tracy Joe' Salazar and the article was about him making a comeback and that he had been one of the best bar table players in the country in previous years. We got a laugh about that.

In later years, we saw him selling his cues at a tournament in Louisiana, and we had a laugh telling him that story.

jrhendy said:

In the early sixties, before Charlie moved to Orange County and became a big time gambler and Keith McCready's stake horse among other things, he hung around a bowling alley in Pasadena called Bahama Lanes that had had a pool room in it. He hustled a little pool and cards.

He was called The Ape for a reason. He was a very imposing guy in person. I got him down playing nine ball with $3 on the five and $5 on the nine. I had him stuck a hundred or so when he dogged an almost straight in $$ ball in the side pocket. Charlie played with a house cue. He stuck that cue in his mouth several inches from the tip and pulled it down and broke the end off the cue. Then he tossed the cue down and bit me for $20.

I was happy to give it to him and get out of there. Years later I had dinner with Charlie a couple of weeks before he passed when he bought a Cadillac from a friend of mine. He was on his way to Vegas and he showed us some socks he had on you could hide several thousand dollars in.

He truly was one of pools characters and won and went off or some big scores.

Click to expand...

Charlie the Ape, I spent a few months in Riverside sometime in the 80s played mostly at a place called Big Mamas. I was running with Jerry Hanna AKA Baltimore Jerry a pretty good player and hustler and we were doing ok. Charlie had just had heart surgery and he started coming in every day and of course we played every day and I had my way with him playing 9 ball on a big table even giving him some weight. Then he got me playing one pocket which I had never played actually I had never played much on a big table, I was from Oregon and the action was bar table with the big cue ball. Anyway the one pocket was tough as I could shoot but did not have a clue. A couple months later I am in Orange County and they have a place called the Orange County Sports Arena and Ronnie was the house pro there. I had enough of Southern California there where no big scores and even the suckers were tough but I was broke. So I told Ronnie I could give Charlie the last 3 on a bar table with a big cue ball so Ronnie stakes me for $50 a game and I get Charlie stuck like 12 games and it is getting late and I can feel myself getting weak and it was about closing time and of course Charlie wanted to keep playing and I wanted to get out of town so I told Ronnie to tell the owner not to stay open and so he did and Charlie was hot so I told him I would play the next day and agreed. I gave Ronnie his half and got in my car and headed for Harry P Ques in Seattle where there was 24 hours a day action and big scores. I partnered up with Cole in Seattle but that is a story for another day except to say Cole could play when the bet got high.

Henry said:

Charlie the Ape, I spent a few months in Riverside sometime in the 80s played mostly at a place called Big Mamas. I was running with Jerry Hanna AKA Baltimore Jerry a pretty good player and hustler and we were doing ok. Charlie had just had heart surgery and he started coming in every day and of course we played every day and I had my way with him playing 9 ball on a big table even giving him some weight. Then he got me playing one pocket which I had never played actually I had never played much on a big table, I was from Oregon and the action was bar table with the big cue ball. Anyway the one pocket was tough as I could shoot but did not have a clue. A couple months later I am in Orange County and they have a place called the Orange County Sports Arena and Ronnie was the house pro there. I had enough of Southern California there where no big scores and even the suckers were tough but I was broke. So I told Ronnie I could give Charlie the last 3 on a bar table with a big cue ball so Ronnie stakes me for $50 a game and I get Charlie stuck like 12 games and it is getting late and I can feel myself getting weak and it was about closing time and of course Charlie wanted to keep playing and I wanted to get out of town so I told Ronnie to tell the owner not to stay open and so he did and Charlie was hot so I told him I would play the next day and agreed. I gave Ronnie his half and got in my car and headed for Harry P Ques in Seattle where there was 24 hours a day action and big scores. I partnered up with Cole in Seattle but that is a story for another day except to say Cole could play when the bet got high.

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Orange County Sports Arena was a very unique place. The pool room was built around a bumper car arena set up like a basketball court and they would actually play basketball using the bumper cars. Robin Dodson was also a house pro there.

It didn't last too long, guess pool players didn't care to ride bumper cars in between games.

There was a nice room in Santa Rosa called Star Billiards that was part of a roller skating rink and the walls separating the pool and the skating had large windows where you could watch the skaters. I played in a few tournaments there and it had an exhibition area with raised theatre type seating and great equipment. I think all the tables were Gold Crowns and this room was open quite a while.

When I was traveling with Pucket in th early 60s' we had Charlie on our list.

We went to a bar in San Pedro and Pucket beat him out of all his money, his diamond ring and the title to his Cadillac. Charlie came the next day to redeem both the ring and the car with cash.

We rented a place by the water and Pucket would go out on the fishing barge and bring home lots of fish to cook.

He taught me the best way to fry fish.

Bill S.

Henry said:

Charlie the Ape, I spent a few months in Riverside sometime in the 80s played mostly at a place called Big Mamas. I was running with Jerry Hanna AKA Baltimore Jerry a pretty good player and hustler and we were doing ok. Charlie had just had heart surgery and he started coming in every day and of course we played every day and I had my way with him playing 9 ball on a big table even giving him some weight. Then he got me playing one pocket which I had never played actually I had never played much on a big table, I was from Oregon and the action was bar table with the big cue ball. Anyway the one pocket was tough as I could shoot but did not have a clue. A couple months later I am in Orange County and they have a place called the Orange County Sports Arena and Ronnie was the house pro there. I had enough of Southern California there where no big scores and even the suckers were tough but I was broke. So I told Ronnie I could give Charlie the last 3 on a bar table with a big cue ball so Ronnie stakes me for $50 a game and I get Charlie stuck like 12 games and it is getting late and I can feel myself getting weak and it was about closing time and of course Charlie wanted to keep playing and I wanted to get out of town so I told Ronnie to tell the owner not to stay open and so he did and Charlie was hot so I told him I would play the next day and agreed. I gave Ronnie his half and got in my car and headed for Harry P Ques in Seattle where there was 24 hours a day action and big scores. I partnered up with Cole in Seattle but that is a story for another day except to say Cole could play when the bet got high.

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You got away clean. With charley, the game didn't stop until he said it's over and he could go for days.
When you coming back down to LA Henry?

Charlie was an action guy. He loved pool players and helped many a stranded player in Orange County. Gambling was just entertainment for him and pool was his sport. He did play fair Gin Rummy but just good enough to lose. I did see one event which is worth mentioning for this blog. Charlie was playing at Charlie Milikens room in Norwalk in the mid sixties and there Bakersfield Bob and Charlie got into a woofing match about who was the toughest. Well, they
bet a hundred and wrestled with the first person to hit the floor losing the cash. Bob beat Charlie lickity split. Big Lloyd may have been the referee and for those who didn't know Lloyd, there was no one tougher. They then matched up and played like nothing happened. Charlie was the greatest……

Frank Almanza said:

You got away clean. With charley, the game didn't stop until he said it's over and he could go for days.
When you coming back down to LA Henry?

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In a couple of weeks and hopping we can play, you seem to win every time so far but I like the game and you are great to play with. I will be there the 21st thru the 24th. I will call or text you. I knew I could not get there with Charlie if we played all night. I could only win if I got out every time I got a shot and I just could not keep it up. The one big advantage I had was we were playing shoot out on that heavy cloth and I could roll out to jump shot and make em and Charlie couldn't jump the ball.

jerry matchin said:

Charlie was an action guy. He loved pool players and helped many a stranded player in Orange County. Gambling was just entertainment for him and pool was his sport. He did play fair Gin Rummy but just good enough to lose. I did see one event which is worth mentioning for this blog. Charlie was playing at Charlie Milikens room in Norwalk in the mid sixties and there Bakersfield Bob and Charlie got into a woofing match about who was the toughest. Well, they
bet a hundred and wrestled with the first person to hit the floor losing the cash. Bob beat Charlie lickity split. Big Lloyd may have been the referee and for those who didn't know Lloyd, there was no one tougher. They then matched up and played like nothing happened. Charlie was the greatest……

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Lloyd was 6,10", 275lb ironworker. We grew up in the same town and he, Gary Robinson and I would hit some bars and pool rooms after hours sometimes. We never had a problem getting away with the $$. Lloyd drove Caddy's and we traveled in style.

jerry matchin said:

Charlie was an action guy. He loved pool players and helped many a stranded player in Orange County. Gambling was just entertainment for him and pool was his sport. He did play fair Gin Rummy but just good enough to lose. I did see one event which is worth mentioning for this blog. Charlie was playing at Charlie Milikens room in Norwalk in the mid sixties and there Bakersfield Bob and Charlie got into a woofing match about who was the toughest. Well, they
bet a hundred and wrestled with the first person to hit the floor losing the cash. Bob beat Charlie lickity split. Big Lloyd may have been the referee and for those who didn't know Lloyd, there was no one tougher. They then matched up and played like nothing happened. Charlie was the greatest……

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That was a great story Jerry, Charlie also played Pinochle (three handed) I played with Charlie and Don Perry in the valley in the 70's they both were tough to beat not because they played good pinochle but because they knew how to win. By the way, Charlie was originally from Pittsburgh, that's my home city as well, we had that in common which lessened the intimidation factor he carried..at least with me.:lol

Dr. Bill

Frank Almanza said:

You got away clean. With charley, the game didn't stop until he said it's over and he could go for days.
When you coming back down to LA Henry?

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I remember when Rabbit from 4th & Main had Charlie stuck good on a bar table at Hard Times, Costa Mesa. Charlie made him stay up over two days before he finally quit.

I sweated a bit, went home and came back 2 days later and they were still playing. Charlie would fall asleep standing up, leaning on his cue and somebody would have to poke him to wake him up.

Rabbit made a nice score and got the $$. If he would have quit, there would have been a problem.

Billy, I did not know that Charlie was from Pittsburg. I know his youngest son, Charles Jr, who lives in Santa Barbara and owns a T-Shirt factory. He is always pressing me for stories about his dad. I can only say that Charlie was OK for me to gamble with as I never had a problem. One thing about Charlie, he would never quit you winners. He was a pretty fair Gin player as well and when I see you, I can tell you about the time he doubled down on blackjack in Las Vegas. That is a good story but cannot be told on line.

Anybody remember Don Percy, from Daisy Mae's in Southern California? Just curious if he's still with us? He used to play medium speed nine ball on the bar table and had a hell-of- a- right hand. We were playing a match in 69 and this guy kept sharking Percy, not on purpose, but getting in his line of sight and refusing to stop doing it. So Percy finally gets fed up with it and goes over to the guy and says something to him and the guy takes a swing at Percy. Well Percy hits the guy with a right cross and it looked like he killed the guy, his head snapped back and you could tell he was out before he hit the floor. Percy just turned around and ran out the rest of the rack like nothing had happened. Meanwhile the guy hasn't moved, not a twitch, not a moan, nothing, and nobody says or does anything to check the guy out, he's just a lump of meat on the floor. Charlie, who was good friends with Percy, finally goes over and picks the guy up sets him in a chair and leans him against the wall. In a few minutes the guy comes out of it, gets up and walks out of the joint, never said a word, and neither did Percy.

Jeff sparks said:

Anybody remember Don Percy, from Daisy Mae's in Southern California? Just curious if he's still with us? He used to play medium speed nine ball on the bar table and had a hell-of- a- right hand. We were playing a match in 69 and this guy kept sharking Percy, not on purpose, but getting in his line of sight and refusing to stop doing it. So Percy finally gets fed up with it and goes over to the guy and says something to him and the guy takes a swing at Percy. Well Percy hits the guy with a right cross and it looked like he killed the guy, his head snapped back and you could tell he was out before he hit the floor. Percy just turned around and ran out the rest of the rack like nothing had happened. Meanwhile the guy hasn't moved, not a twitch, not a moan, nothing, and nobody says or does anything to check the guy out, he's just a lump of meat on the floor. Charlie, who was good friends with Percy, finally goes over and picks the guy up sets him in a chair and leans him against the wall. In a few minutes the guy comes out of it, gets up and walks out of the joint, never said a word, and neither did Percy.

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Don passed away about four or five years ago. I'm on my way out and when I return I might write something about Don. It probably wouldn't be nice.

Frank Almanza said:

Don passed away about four or five years ago. I'm on my way out and when I return I might write something about Don. It probably wouldn't be nice.

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There were a few guys down there that could play a little and would fight in a heartbeat. Hillbilly Dale was the worst of them IMO. Dale would finish with a little kicking and stomping. Percy found that out the hard way.

Dale was staking Tony Banks in some one pocket and I was winners $5/600 and could tell this was the last game and air barrel. Dale was getting all worked up and started mumbling 'This looks like a dump to me' and I knew I was going to have a problem. I gave Dale $150 and told him to get us a little something to party with. By the time he got back I was down the road and it probably saved me from getting tushed and him taking the $$ back and maybe a beating.

Like most all night joints with action, Hard Times Costa Mesa got a little rough at times. I wised up and pretty much stayed out of there after that and stayed closer to home.