Jerry I'm sure I saw you around in those days. We probably wouldn't recognize each other after 50 years! Do you remember a joint out in N. Hyd on Topanga Cyn Blvd. called Big Momma's? This was in '69-'70. A guy named "Coke" owned it, and for awhile Ronnie had a piece of it. Coke had large nostrils, which was perfect for his nickname.... I heard a year or two ago that Coke is still alive, and doing well in real estate!
Anyway all the top players would gather there starting in January leading up to the World Invitationals at the Elks in February. Coke use to black out the windows and allow the regulars to swing all night, with the booze and drugs humming. I saw some of the greatest one-pocket of my life in that joint: Ronnie giving 4 no-count to some very good players; action with Eddie Kelly, Florence, etc. Wild times.
~Doc
Doc, I hung out at 6th and Western, Mr. Pockets. And we probably did run into each other from time to time. Coke is still alive and you have to zipper up your pockets even to this day. I played him quite a bit back then as he was mainly a snooker player. I don't know if you remember Celebrity Billiards upstairs in Hollywood where there was also quite a lot of action. A young player named Mike Massey came into town with hair down to the crack in his you know what and BBQued everyone he played. But back then he did drugs so much that he couldn't keep any money in his pocket. I remember one night when I ventured out to Orange County to an all night bar called Daisy Mae's where I ran into a young player named Jeff Sparks. Back then it was 5 ahead for $50 and we flipped a coin and he ran the set out on me. Boy could that guy play. I wonder what happened to him......Oh yeah I ran into him in Houston for the One Pocket event last month and he still plays good enough to run the set out again. Now he's hitting home runs on our wwyd's.
Keep in touch....