Introduction

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
Your track reference reminds me of an acquaintance of mine in the 70s. He made good money on his job as a Yellow Cab dispatcher, and besides that got a lot of kickbacks from drivers he had deals with, but he was always broke. He was addicted to the ponies.

Once he and I and a friend were going to Omaha from Kansas City and we stopped at a restaurant somehwere in southern Nebraska. When we were checking out, Ralph noticed a sign by the register that said: $5 Charge For Returned Checks.

Ralphs asked the cashier, "You mean if I give you a check you charge me five bucks if it comes back?"

"Yep," said the unsuspecting cashier.

Ralph says "Damn. You can't beat a deal like that. Give me fifty," and pulled out his checkbook.

LOL. Classic line/story.

Being so close to the Meadowlands, a lot of the boys in the pool room are pretty into the ponies. Not me. I have friends who are involved, go, etc., so for me it's just a night out kind of thing.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
Mel and I had some great matches. It was past his prime but he played pretty darn good. We became pool friends and called him several times to see how things were going. I still have his number. RIP

By the way, how'd you play him? Just curious.

When I played him the few times, again, exclusively for fun or to pass some time, we played even.

In his prime, when he was seriously playing, if he wanted to play me, I would not have played him even. Not ever.

I saw him play another guy, Bruce, even, and while they were posturing over this and that, and money, I think it was more ego and pride at stake. The two were good friends, so neither was going to hustle or try and hurt the other. Mel was very competitive, intense. Bruce was a lot more easy going. But back in the day, Bruce was a top player (straight pool). It was a pleasure to watch the two of them. Watching Mel in his prime, play either Bruce or Spanky, was a pleasure. He also played one or two other guys -- Little Mike, who died at a young age of a heart attack, and another guy named Bobby. It was a pleasure watching them play as well.
 

NH Steve

Administrator
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
12,281
From
New Hampshire
One pocket does seem to be very popular in NJ, at a certain level of course. I am not sure if it's more popular here than other places. In most of the higher-end places (where better players play) it seems like one pocket is the game of choice and pretty popular.

Mel used to venture to CT quite a bit, when he was playing seriously. When he was in his prime, he was a pleasure to watch. Back then, I remember Mel going to a one pocket tournament in CT -- for the life of me I don't remember where it was. I found out at the last minute. Mel didn't tell anyone he was entering/going. I found out at the last minute from another excellent player named Bill (H.) for those of you who might know him. So, I jump in the car with a friend and we catch the last action of the tournament. Mel won and beat two champion level players -- Jimmy Fusco, and for the life of me I just can't remember who the other one was. When we got there Hopkins was there but had gotten eliminated. I don't remember if Mel beat him or not, but a few weeks later Hopkins and Mel hooked up and went at it a bit.

Was the Lucky guy you knew named Jimmy? There was a guy back in the 80's and 90's named Jimmy who used to hang around Lodi. People called him Lucky although if you ever saw him at the track he was the unluckiest guy you'd ever see, LOL. Don't mean to laugh at the guy. Nice guy, just a real compulsive gambler. He loved the track. I thought he moved up to New England somewhere, and Rockingham or Suffolk Downs would make sense, LOL.
I never heard a name for him other than Lucky. He had long hair, but was not a hippy type of guy, and I believe he worked with the horses.
 

jtompilot

Verified Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
5,797
From
New Orleans
By the way, how'd you play him? Just curious.

When I played him the few times, again, exclusively for fun or to pass some time, we played even.

In his prime, when he was seriously playing, if he wanted to play me, I would not have played him even. Not ever.

I saw him play another guy, Bruce, even, and while they were posturing over this and that, and money, I think it was more ego and pride at stake. The two were good friends, so neither was going to hustle or try and hurt the other. Mel was very competitive, intense. Bruce was a lot more easy going. But back in the day, Bruce was a top player (straight pool). It was a pleasure to watch the two of them. Watching Mel in his prime, play either Bruce or Spanky, was a pleasure. He also played one or two other guys -- Little Mike, who died at a young age of a heart attack, and another guy named Bobby. It was a pleasure watching them play as well.

It was around six years ago maybe more. You know how time flys.
I always played Mel even and usually lost. One time when I was on top of my game I beat him. When I brought the ball up to pay the time I could hear the rail birds whispering "he beat Mel he beat Mel"
I would never have been close to Mel in his prime.

Last time I was in Jersey I went to Clifton and played the owner on that 3 7/8 Brunswick. I also went to Castle and played the tall counter guy.
 

FastEddieF.

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
878
Thank you. No, we probably haven't played. I play a lot but I don't play a lot of people, LOL. When did you play Mel? I knew Mel for more years than I'd like to admit (referring to my own age, not Mel). I liked Mel. We had a mutual respect for each other that was the basis for us being friends.

Back in the day, Mel was a top player, but that was before life takes a turn so to speak. Even after he had his own place, and life turned, Mel could still play better than anyone in Lodi with the exception of maybe one or two guys, but those two or three would never play each other for real money. By then though he was a shadow of his old self, both as a player and with his health.

He had cancer for many years before it really got bad.
A real nice guy who loved onepocket.

I met Mel at the first Hopkins event about 20 years ago.We talked for about 2 hours, he told me he played a lot of partner games of onepocket.
 

FastEddieF.

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
878
NJ shooter,sit back and have fun.If you need a Doctor ,we have the best Dr Bill and charges very little for his knowledge. I hope you are 70 or over because there's a ONEPOCKET TOURNAMENT in October for us old guys. You'll enjoy the wwyd threads and you can learn from the best. Tom W. and Hacker will give you different views and then the Dr. will clear it up. Thanks for getting involved. FastEddieF.
 

Bobbytworails

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2015
Messages
121
Spanky is a very nice guy. Good player and a very good defensive player. Plays out of Cue Ball now in Toms River. I first met him in the early 70's in The Four Seasons (Steve's Mizerak's Room) in Metuchin. Goose McDowell was Steve's partner. Before that Goose was partners in a room in south Jersey on Rte 130 and was partners with Jerry Hunt and Tony Marinelli. Tony once lost 100 games at $100 per game playing 9 ball in the thirties, I
d say a through ticket:)))
 

Bobbytworails

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2015
Messages
121
When you talk about Mel, are you talking about the Mel that had the room upstairs in Hightstown NJ for a while.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
Spanky is a very nice guy. Good player and a very good defensive player. Plays out of Cue Ball now in Toms River. I first met him in the early 70's in The Four Seasons (Steve's Mizerak's Room) in Metuchin. Goose McDowell was Steve's partner. Before that Goose was partners in a room in south Jersey on Rte 130 and was partners with Jerry Hunt and Tony Marinelli. Tony once lost 100 games at $100 per game playing 9 ball in the thirties, I
d say a through ticket:)))

Yes, agreed, Spanky is a very nice guy. When he was at his best, he was an excellent player. I think his biggest problem was that he couldn't get good games. Everyone who was in his league was kind of scared of him, because he was really nice, and no one ever really saw how good he was, so they always thought he was even better than they thought. Might not make a lot of sense. Anyway, he had a lot of trouble getting games and with his style of play he couldn't stay in peak form for any extended period of time.

Yes, he used to play way back when at the Miz's room. There were some guys from Philly he used to play regularly. Back then he was getting games more often. I think he started to run out of steam and lost interest in the late 90's. By then he was working at Family Billiards in Bergenfield. That lasted a bit. I think he ended up playing a lot of poker and he moved to South Jersey. Maybe close to AC. I don't remember. But I do know he's now playing out of Toms River. I haven't seen him in many years.

He was not your typical pool room guy. He was nice, polite, treated people with respect, and was a likeable guy. I always liked Spanky.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
It was around six years ago maybe more. You know how time flys.
I always played Mel even and usually lost. One time when I was on top of my game I beat him. When I brought the ball up to pay the time I could hear the rail birds whispering "he beat Mel he beat Mel"
I would never have been close to Mel in his prime.

Last time I was in Jersey I went to Clifton and played the owner on that 3 7/8 Brunswick. I also went to Castle and played the tall counter guy.

As I said, I liked Mel, and it was sad to see his life go down a not so good path. Beating Mel, even past his prime, was no easy feat, LOL. Truth.

I don't really know the owner of Clifton well. I don't know how fast he can run, but he can run, LOL. The tall counter guy at Castle -- younger guy? If it's who I am thinking of, he can play. Not bad coming out of the gate, but ain't as strong finishing the race. LOL.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
A real nice guy who loved onepocket.

I met Mel at the first Hopkins event about 20 years ago.We talked for about 2 hours, he told me he played a lot of partner games of onepocket.

Mel and Hopkins went back a long way. They tangled with each other many times. I remember Mel beating him for about 25k and the next month Hopkins came back and beat Mel for about 40k. Mel was intense, if he was OK if you know what I mean. Mel loved the game until it got too hard for him to get games. He straightened out his act a bit, maybe in the late 90's, and that was when he won that tournament in CT. The NJ guys who went had been watching him, they knew he was really sharp and in peak form, and while Mel didn't tell anyone he was entering the tournament, when the NJ guys who were there saw him show up, they knew they had a chance to make a lot of money. It was really the Mel of old and it was a pleasure to watch.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
When you talk about Mel, are you talking about the Mel that had the room upstairs in Hightstown NJ for a while.

Yes, was it Hightstown? I went there with a couple of the guys when he opened it, and then went back for a tournament he had there. It was great -- all the top players from NJ and Philly were there. Don't even ask me who won! LOL. Kind of sad how my memory has gone. I remember Fusco got far. Might have won it. To me, I absolutely, completely and thoroughly enjoyed watching those guys play. The skill and competitiveness was at a high, and the money games -- well, they stepped it up! LOL.

The room never really made it unfortunately.
 

beatle

Verified Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2009
Messages
3,572
is the spanky the one that looked like spanky from our gang when he was younger and was chubby. there are two of them in that area.

long time back there were some good players named steve vallandrie, johnny caruso,joey franco, crazy bruce who moved to california, tommy halliday(staten island)he is dead now, any of those you know? they would all be over 70 now.
except spanky.
 

NJshooter

Verified Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2015
Messages
56
is the spanky the one that looked like spanky from our gang when he was younger and was chubby. there are two of them in that area.

long time back there were some good players named steve vallandrie, johnny caruso,joey franco, crazy bruce who moved to california, tommy halliday(staten island)he is dead now, any of those you know? they would all be over 70 now.
except spanky.

Yes, that's Spanky, hence the nickname, LOL. I knew Steve, saw him play many times. I did not know Johnny or Joey, but I know of them (I think, if we are talking about the same guys). Did one of them play a lot of 9-ball?

We must know each other...who's this?

We must, who are you? I am not a regular there any longer. I just knew all the usual characters and regulars, and really just go to play with one or two friends.
 
Top