tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32117609864769414512024-02-18T21:35:12.845-08:00Untold Stories: Minnesota FatsThis is one of a series of pool history blogs hosted by author R.A. Dyer. Check back regularly for the newest interview excerpts, documents and other archival material related to pocket billiards history. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.poolhistory.com">www.poolhistory.com</a> or the main <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/">Untold Stories</a> pool history blog.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-58733862405107183422014-02-24T14:41:00.000-08:002014-02-24T15:30:39.124-08:00A New Limb on the Fats Family Tree<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone — the many better known as <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats</a> —
was the most famous pool hustler in American history. But how much do we really
know about him? Here’s a quick
quiz. But be advised: some of these are trick questions.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Which statements are true?</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The Minnesota Fats character in <i>The Hustler, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">the novel by Walter Tevis, was based on Wanderone.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone was born in 1913.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone was married twice.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone had no children.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone had only one child, the famous rhythm and
blues singer<a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/NOV06Untold.pdf"> Etta James.</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Rudolf Wanderone was a top-notch pool hustler.</span></li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSJ7aoIbHy7rSF3RhL_JkQVylERgFZqM3JwHTMIVC73elSeFabmqpTBwMytZE00joT9yPkokm4Jb8Dl5djDN5nCIlGR99Q451ioinqXaBcJlux4bgR0fP5W_ljVUIQAjFnZ_6jFujWqJc/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-02-24+at+4.14.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSJ7aoIbHy7rSF3RhL_JkQVylERgFZqM3JwHTMIVC73elSeFabmqpTBwMytZE00joT9yPkokm4Jb8Dl5djDN5nCIlGR99Q451ioinqXaBcJlux4bgR0fP5W_ljVUIQAjFnZ_6jFujWqJc/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-02-24+at+4.14.11+PM.png" height="128" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wanderone with daughter, Juanita.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This may come as a surprise, but all of these statements —
with the exception of number 6 — are now in dispute. This, despite what it says in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Wanderone">Wikipedia</a> and even what has been previously reported in my own
books, like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Champ-Mosconi-Minnesota-Rivalry/dp/1592288839/ref=sr_1_1/104-0525202-3198352?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186851528&sr=1-1">The Hustler and the Champ</a> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and
</span><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Days-Minnesota-Lassiter-Americas/dp/1592281044/ref=la_B001JP2G8Y_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393280325&sr=1-2">Hustler Days</a>.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">New information has come to light, information that I’ve
detailed in recent edition of <i><a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/">Billiards Digest</a>.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> We now know that
Wanderone may not have been born
in 1913, that he may have been married three times (not just twice) and that
he had at least one child other than Etta James (and whether <a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/NOV06Untold.pdf">Etta James </a>was
his daughter remains an open question.)</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Here's the Cliff Notes version of what we now know:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Wanderone had a long relationship during the 1930s with a
woman named Lucy Blanche Maria Wood, who gave birth to a daughter named Neva
Juanita. Lucy Blanche died in 1959. Neva Juanita died in 2010. Wanderone was
almost certainly Neva Juanita’s father, and he also may have been married to
Lucy Blanche. This is startling because Wanderone never publicly acknowledged
any wife prior to Evalyn Grass, whom he married in 1941. His second wife (or third, depending on how you count) was Theresa Bell. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Also, the timeline of his relationship with Lucy Blanche puts into doubt his supposed birth year of 1913.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This new information comes to us from
JustinVerhovnik, a hithertofore unknown grandson of Wanderone. Speaking to me
for a January 2014 edition of <i>Billiards Digest, </i><span style="font-style: normal;">Verhovnik</span><i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">said that
the last time he laid eyes on his grandfather might have been in 1980, at about the
time that Fats was divorcing Evelyn Inez.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The story is long and drawn out, but I’ll try to relate more of it in
a future blog post. You can also try to track down that January edition of <i>Billiards
Digest</i>. Freddy Bentivegna likewise has included some detail in</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> his new book, <a href="http://bankingwiththebeard.com/"><i>'Encyclopedia' of Pool Hustlers</i></a><b>.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com"><b>-- R.A. Dyer</b></a></span></div>
R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-80812749861457258222010-11-07T09:28:00.001-08:002014-07-06T15:04:51.390-07:00Inflation-Adjusted Heart<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Lassiter & Fats</i></span>:<span style="font-size: large;"><i> Big Bets in Today's Dollars</i></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><i>9-ball genius Luther Lassiter</i></b></span></td></tr>
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This is what <a href="http://untoldstorieswimpylassiter.blogspot.com/">Luther Lassiter </a>said about Norfolk, Virginia, back in the 1940s: "Greatest pool town that's ever been. You had five or six people there who were really gambling. People had lots of cash, and players from all over the country -- anybody that played for money at all -- came to Norfolk."</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lassiter was a prince among the Norfolk hustlers during his World War II Coast Guard years. During one particularly memorable straight pool match-up Wimpy took $5,000 from a club owner. You can read all about it in <a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_days.html">Hustler Days</a>.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The size of that $5,000 wager -- and the heart Lassiter needed to win it -- got me to thinking. That amount of money is a lot, even today. After all, many of the regional tournaments even now pay less for first place. Shane Van Boening also <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2010/10/van-boening-beats-immonen-in-shoot-out.html">recently won $10,000</a> from Mika Immonen, but it took him three days to do it. But Lassiter won his money during a single game in the 1940s. During those years $5,000 was a king's ransom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nwf_ZzBzZbR0_j8VqFhLsjmy37gVsgg5uYAaK4C8LJBoQpYtdcESvZCef76XeYyidVosULQnzw1MBysEhA0bDFR6x8TjbYFgdZFT81npheP27-DgVK9qJ6QtIUx482ufq8evrXiP8UYz/s320/huster_champ_bookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3nwf_ZzBzZbR0_j8VqFhLsjmy37gVsgg5uYAaK4C8LJBoQpYtdcESvZCef76XeYyidVosULQnzw1MBysEhA0bDFR6x8TjbYFgdZFT81npheP27-DgVK9qJ6QtIUx482ufq8evrXiP8UYz/s200/huster_champ_bookcover.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You can find various inflation calculators on the Internet. Here's a<a href="http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl"> link</a> to one. It's from the government's Bureau of Labor Statistics. So how much is $5,000, wagered in 1946, valued in today's dollars? According to the inflation calculator: <i>$61,000! </i>During a 100-point game of straight pool Lassiter's opponent was within just two balls of taking the cash. That's when Lassiter ran 92 and out. Talk about heart.</div>
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There are other references to historic wagers. For instance, <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats </a>won about $20,000 from Richie Florence and two others in <a href="http://untoldstoriesgeorgejansco.blogspot.com/">Johnston City,</a> back in 1971. You can read about that encounter in <a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_champ.html">The Hustler & the Champ</a>. How much would $20,000 be valued today? More than $117,000, according to the inflation calculator. However, unlike Lassiter's score, it took Fats a couple of weeks to win all that money.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've also came across a reference to a $250 wager between Alfredo De Oro and Charles Otis back in 1916. It was a private bet between the two players before their championship billiards match held in Havana, Cuba. In today's dollars, the wager would have amounted to more than $5,000. De Oro, then considered the greatest player ever, was said to have put up his own money. Otis was staked.</div>
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Have a story about a particularly memorable wager from yesteryear? Send me the details, and we'll plug it into the inflation calculator.</div>
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<a href="mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com"><b>-- R.A. Dyer</b></a></div>
R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-58474339206140779982010-07-07T06:17:00.001-07:002010-07-07T06:17:53.950-07:00Fats in Johnston City<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekyLXFehvvk&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekyLXFehvvk&hl=en_US&fs=1&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><i> </i><br />
<i>Minnesota Fats was a fixture in southern Illinois during the 1960s, which was the heyday of the <a href="http://untoldstoriesgeorgejansco.blogspot.com/">Johnston City</a> tournaments and the pool revival I described in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Days-Minnesota-Lassiter-Americas/dp/1592281044/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2">Hustler Days</a>. </i><i>The famous tournaments were created by <a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/untold_stories/jansco.php">George and Paulie Jansco</a>, who are both members of the <a href="http://www.onepocket.org/JanscoHOF.htm">One Pocket Hall of Fame</a>. I got to thinking about George and Paulie and Fats after </i><i>receiving a letter the other day from Gary Carlson, a former graduate student from Southern Illinois. In it, Gary describes a chance encounter he had with <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats</a>. It was a small encounter, and yet the sort that appears to have taken on added meaning for Gary as he has learned more about Fats. That's because it quietly reflects some of the great qualities of Fats: he loved playing pool, he loved being around people and -- despite his hustler reputation -- there was a certain kindness about him.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Here's Gary's note:</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/dick_kay/images/minnesota_fats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://www.richsamuels.com/nbcmm/dick_kay/images/minnesota_fats.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>From 1966 to 1969, I was a graduate chemistry student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. I used to research my project from time to time during the wee hours and then go to a small hamburger place on the north side of Carbondale where they had 2 or 3 pool tables. I was usually the only one there and after a hamburger, I’d shoot some pool. I was only a fair player. One night (late 1968 – mid 1969), there was a guy sitting at the counter talking to the owner – I paid little attention to them. I had my hamburger, got a cue off the wall and began practicing. </blockquote><blockquote>Before long, the guy at the counter strolled over, watched a bit, and asked if I wanted to play a couple of racks. I said OK and asked if he wanted to bet a dollar a game. He laughed and said “A whole dollar”? I didn’t know if he was mocking me or couldn’t afford a dollar so I said “OK, how about 50 cents then”? He smiled and just said “Let’s play a bit for nothing and we’ll see what happens.” Well, he beat me several games with no trouble, shook my hand and left. The counter man said “Do you know who that was”? I told him I didn’t – and he told me it was Rudolph Wanderone – Minnesota Fats. I just said “Oh”. I had no idea who he was. Later, I saw a picture of him somewhere and realized who he was. Later still, I learned he was living not too far from Carbondale. </blockquote><blockquote>You asked for some remembrances of the man. That was mine. Recently I’ve read about him and from everything I understand, he was a pretty nice fellow. </blockquote><br />
<i>Thanks to Gary. And, like he notes: I'm always looking for memories of the great ones. If you have one, <a href="mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com">send it</a> in. If you'd like to learn more about Johnston City (or see another Johnston City video), check out my separate blog on the topic, which you can find <a href="http://untoldstoriesgeorgejansco.blogspot.com/">here.</a></i><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com"><b>-- R.A. Dyer</b></a>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-60221516423447570732010-04-09T06:56:00.001-07:002010-04-09T07:06:20.607-07:00Childhood home of Minnesota Fats<a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/0908/Fig7_CorwinBW.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 198px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 176px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/0908/Fig7_CorwinBW.jpg" /></a> <a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/54067044/"><img style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; WIDTH: 198px; HEIGHT: 178px; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://static.flickr.com/28/54067044_d2d7b73fd1_m.jpg" width="200" height="263" /></a><br /><div><br /><p>At the upper left is a photograph of the apartment building where Minnesota Fats grew up. It's in upper Manhatten, the neighborhood of Washington Heights. I managed to track down its location and take this photo during a trip to New York City in the summer of 2005. I knocked on the door but nobody was home. I used the research from that trip in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Champ-Mosconi-Minnesota-Rivalry/dp/1592288839/ref=sr_1_1/104-0525202-3198352?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186851528&sr=1-1">The Hustler & The Champ</a>, which also describes Fats' rivalry with Willie Mosconi. Some years later I made contact with one of Fats' nephews,<a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/0908/fats.php"> Doug Corwin</a> (shown at upper right), whose mother Bertha Wanderone lived with Fats at this home. Doug also provided me some really cool childhood photos of Fats, which you can find by clicking through this <a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/0908/fats.php">Untold Stories</a> column.<br /><br /><a href="mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com"><strong>-- R.A. Dyer</strong></a></p></div>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-14625245549051469872010-01-15T06:06:00.001-08:002010-01-15T06:09:58.230-08:00Fats vs. Mosconi: The Great Pool Shoot-Out<embed id=VideoPlayback src=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-3109100860459966589&hl=en&fs=true style=width:400px;height:326px allowFullScreen=true allowScriptAccess=always type=application/x-shockwave-flash> </embed><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.poolhistory.com/graphics/huster_champ_bookcover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 171px;" src="http://www.poolhistory.com/graphics/huster_champ_bookcover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>You read it about it <a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_champ.html">The Hustler & The Champ</a>. Here's the video proof of the most watched pool match in U.S. history. Picture and sound quality is pretty lousy, but it's the only copy out there that I have come across. You can read about the pool match in detail in my book (that's it there to the right). The famous televised pool match was put together by pool promoter Charles Ursitti and the guys from Wide World of Sports.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-31492645949129200832009-12-13T09:15:00.001-08:002009-12-13T09:27:13.531-08:00Billiard Tales and Folklore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0W90lWxGdu_pUiJj2jTzQUNrLVwGihChaMcJWVGAmz5IucfxIAzH5EuTJ3X9B1HsljsZJHUVgVnQOORgEEkCq1JlkYRf7F2Swpo60vqUZ_bzmhhMYhLEFQbfdsp_FafVKnXkylapQz-y/s1600-h/dogs+play+pool.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0W90lWxGdu_pUiJj2jTzQUNrLVwGihChaMcJWVGAmz5IucfxIAzH5EuTJ3X9B1HsljsZJHUVgVnQOORgEEkCq1JlkYRf7F2Swpo60vqUZ_bzmhhMYhLEFQbfdsp_FafVKnXkylapQz-y/s400/dogs+play+pool.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413618189181159090" /></a><span style="font-style:italic;">This is the second of a series of posts written in coordination with other online pool writers. It's part of the Pool Synergy project hosted this month by Samm Diep's <a href="http://www.pooltipjar.com/2009/12/poolsynergy-volume-ii/">pooltipjar.com.<a href="http://"></a></a> Look for more installments in the future.</span><br /><br />Our <a href="http://www.pooltipjar.com/2009/12/">PoolSynergy</a> topic this month is “Billiard Tales.” As part of my contribution I'm giving everyone an assignment. Find a poolroom in your area popular with the old timers and sidle up next to a few of them at the bar. It’s important that you find at least two or three of these guys sitting together. Four is even better. And I’m not talking about the middle-aged guys, I’m talking about the <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> old ones, the guys who have been around the pool halls 30 or 40 years at least.<br /><br />Buy them a beer if you want, or just sit quietly. And then wait. <br /><br />I guarantee you that within the first half hour you’ll start hearing stories of who took whom and for how much, or about the time some shark came to town, or about the big score by the local champ. Some stories will be verifiable, others not so much. I’ve even heard deadly serious <a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/0408/puckett.php">tales of the supernatural.</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bgKzWN4Y5r9lh7_bk7yHOSsJszhwxDxXAstt4B2leruHN-P8I8QcJQQKXvYRlauJfjE3eNLUAv1oDOSrFSvwhRRdwwbdhbB6dzflTBCiiRTV_xBZbN0a2eGnq8nGNNoEQFBc4xxYzIZ-/s1600-h/poolsynergy6.png"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 340px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bgKzWN4Y5r9lh7_bk7yHOSsJszhwxDxXAstt4B2leruHN-P8I8QcJQQKXvYRlauJfjE3eNLUAv1oDOSrFSvwhRRdwwbdhbB6dzflTBCiiRTV_xBZbN0a2eGnq8nGNNoEQFBc4xxYzIZ-/s400/poolsynergy6.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413247551391916418" /></a>To me, the form of these billiard tales is just as interesting as the content. That is, it's not what the stories are about, <span style="font-style:italic;">per se</span>, but <span style="font-style:italic;">how </span>they're communicated. The oral tradition is key. Most of the great old stories never get written down, never appear in newspapers -- and they grow in the telling. These stories pass from older players to younger ones, and as long as the community remains intact -- e.g., as long as the poolroom remains standing and the same men and women continue to frequent it -- the legends remain alive. <br /><br />Now here's a thought. Bear with me, but I think it's true. I believe these boozy recollections have a lot in common with the colorful stories that might get told by village elders around a camp fire. Listen to the old timers and you'll hear tales of heroes and villains and especially tricksters. Oral tradition (according to my quick research on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_tradition">Wikipedia</a>) refers to the "transmission of cultural material through vocal utterance.” The oral traditional also has long been associated with folklore. I would argue that many of the stories told by old-time pool players are part of the <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2009/06/pool-as-folk-lore.html">folkloric tradition</a>, but of an urban sort. <br /><br />Some of my favorite Billiard Tales involve <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats</a>. In them Fats might be razzing an event promoter about the dress code, or cracking wise about the straight-laced "fun players," or gleefully robbing a tournament player during a high-dollar gambling session. These stories typically pits Fats against some symbol of the conservative billiards establishment.<br /><br />As is the case with many trickster stories from folklore, Fats in these stories becomes an amoral and comic figure confronting the hypocrisy of the status quo. The billiards establishment would portray our sport as a clean-cut endeavor where no one ever gambles and where the dress code is strictly enforced. Minnesota Fats would portray it for what it <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> is. As a classic trickster, Fats confronts established authority, lies, and can act in amoral ways. But he also becomes an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Ali-Trickster-Culture-celebrities/dp/0745628710">ironic symbol</a> of truth.<br /><br />I used to live in San Jose, Costa Rica. I remember hearing stories there about a hustler named “<span style="font-style:italic;">Pichitas</span>” -- about how he would send well-dressed businessmen packing, or how he created this great shot from <span style="font-style:italic;">nowhere</span>, or how he became a master of the 5 by 10s. I even remember the <span style="font-style:italic;">Pichitas </span>"origin myth" -- in that stories were told about how he got his name (which, by the way, translates to “Tiny Dicks.”) These stories were told with something approaching reverence and at first I thought they were specific to Latin America. But I later discovered that they could have just as easily been told about <a href="http://untoldstorieswimpylassiter.blogspot.com/">Wimpy Lassiter</a> or <a href="http://untoldstoriesjerseyred.blogspot.com/">Jersey Red</a> or <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2008/02/ujpucket_25.html">U.J. Puckett</a>. In each case, the players are portrayed as heroic or trickster figures, and in each case the stories are passed along directly through word of mouth. I also recognized in each case messages about the "culture" of the pool room, in that they would communicate lessons about such matters as gambling etiquette, attach value to certain sorts of figures and heap ridicule on others, and define the language common to members of the "tribe".<br /><br />And so that brings us back to this month's assignment. Go sidle up to the bar, order a drink, and spend some time listening to the old timers. If you hear something good, remember it, and pass it along. Better yet, send me your stories and I'll post them up on this blog or use them as a fodder for a future <a href="http://www.billiardsdigest.com/new_untold_stories/">Untold Stories</a> column. <br /><br />Some of the best Billiard Tales have never been written down. This puts them at risk for being lost forever. But through the magic of the Internet, we can now share the wisdom of our village elders with the world. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">You can read a bit more about these ideas in <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_champ.html">The Hustler & The Champ</a></span>. If you have your own old time story, send it to me at <br /><a href='mailto:hustlerdays@yahoo.com'><strong>hustlerdays@yahoo.com</strong></a>. </span>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-54928858747394630702009-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:002009-11-16T06:39:35.646-08:00Introducting PoolSynergy: an online collection of pool writing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtAwXe_ee9KSonN6DJSyLB7z9XbStmxmGCDyYbNEwBi-2Ag4tuQUcVcjAtDHce5BCTxEq8B9jcsrKdXK252xpBz8LjUTqHKEPd2nauH8ilTvq_g6mY0s2ds2_WPeEAYyQ9AIH_4zX398j/s1600/Rudy+at+pooltable.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWtAwXe_ee9KSonN6DJSyLB7z9XbStmxmGCDyYbNEwBi-2Ag4tuQUcVcjAtDHce5BCTxEq8B9jcsrKdXK252xpBz8LjUTqHKEPd2nauH8ilTvq_g6mY0s2ds2_WPeEAYyQ9AIH_4zX398j/s400/Rudy+at+pooltable.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404708112783672962" /></a><br />Check out the first edition of <a href="http://www.poolstudent.com/">PoolSynergy</a>, contemplated as a monthly collection of great pool writing from the web. Poolsynergy the brainchild of John Biddle, host of the <a href="http://www.poolstudent.com/">www.poolstudent.com</a> website. This month's theme is "Strategy,” and it features contributions from eight writers, including myself. Here's a brief description of these first contributions, with links to where you can find them.<br /><br />*Samm Diep, well known for her blog The Tip Jar, talks about how she improved her game when she took another look at using the side pockets instead of the corners in her peice <a href="http://www.sammspocket.com/">Corner vs. Side</a>. <br /><br />*Approaching the topic of strategy from a different perspective, Mike Fieldhammer, a BCA Certified Instructor,challenges conventional wisdom in <a href="http://www.billiardcoach.com/home/2009/11/15/play-the-table-not-the-player"> Strategy: Should it Change Based on Your Opponent?</a> Mike’s piece shows you how to gain an advantage at the table and win more often by taking your opponent’s abilities and style into account.<br /><br />*<a href="http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/Osafe.htm">In Offensive Safeties in 8 Ball</a> (works only in IE), Joe Waldron makes clear that safeties aren’t just defensive shots when you have nothing else, but can play a strong offensive role as well. Waldron is the host of <a href="http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/">Pocket Billiards Review</a>, which is always filled with insightful articles about the mental game.<br /><br />*Also about strategy at the table, John Biddle’s article <a href="http://www.poolstudent.com/2009/11/15/thinking-your-way-to-more-pool-victories/">Thinking Your Way to More Pool Victories</a> can help you raise your winning percentage. John is the man behind the PoolSynergy project.<br /><br />*"FastMikie” McCafferty’s wise and insightful post <a href="http://poolshooter.blogspot.com/2009/11/impossible-dream.html">The Impossible Dream</a> talks about the role pool plays in your life strategy. Mike writes at <a href="http://poolshooter.blogspot.com/">Diary of a Pool Shooter</a>, the longest continually running blog about pool.<br /><br />*Gail Glazebrook’s post, <a href="http://gailglazebrook.com/2009/11/15/the-deliberate-attack/">The Deliberate Attack</a>, gets you to think “How will I beat you” and then gives you an approach to follow that works for her. Gail’s blog is <a href="http://gailglazebrook.com/">confessions of g squared.</a><br /><br />*Mark Finkelstein, a BCA Certified Instructor and instruction columnist at the hot new pool website <a href="http://nycgrind.com/">NYC Grind</a>, helps you take an objective look at your game in his piece, <a href="http://nycgrind.com/?p=8291">Assessing Ability … On the Road to Effective Strategy.</a><br /><br />*Melinda, in <a href="http://pooljourney.blogspot.com/2009/11/refocus-early.html">A Strategy to Manage the Mental Side of Your Game,</a> helps us to keep our head in the game from the very beginning and recognize issues that need attention before it’s too late. Melinda, who calls herself a wanna-be pool player, lives and blogs in Texas at <a href="http://pooljourney.blogspot.com/">Pool is a Journey</a>.<br /><br />*I round out this month’s edition with my contribution, <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2009/11/most-people-associated-strategic.html">Minnesota Fats: The Quiet Thrashing.</a> It's a story about several gambling sessions between Fats and Richie Florence, during several weeks in Johnston City back in 1970. That's an old picture of Fats at the top of this post.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-45498630477662021542009-09-12T16:03:00.000-07:002009-09-12T16:04:09.912-07:00An interview with Karen Fox, widow of Minnesota Fats biographer Tom Fox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO5Rf1hRsVtVXL4NihBSWVYjAK5RGLOEm5jags_F5frXMXXQlROv8T2z7kzoImaiS2Fv3MJJnpVQ7pEXlBirhBLygFgznDZIuXukLMFZoCkil8Z8s2NuPuJ-Ggb-z3Anzi-xMxYvWOvPr/s1600-h/bank_shot.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLO5Rf1hRsVtVXL4NihBSWVYjAK5RGLOEm5jags_F5frXMXXQlROv8T2z7kzoImaiS2Fv3MJJnpVQ7pEXlBirhBLygFgznDZIuXukLMFZoCkil8Z8s2NuPuJ-Ggb-z3Anzi-xMxYvWOvPr/s320/bank_shot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380719767285951826" /></a><em>Karen Fox, widow of Tom Fox, attended the first Johnston City tournaments with her writer-husband in 1961. Both Karen and Tom worked at the <span style="font-style:italic;">Evansville Courier and Press</span>, a newspaper published from the hometown of backroom legend Hubert "Daddy Warbucks" Cokes. Tom Fox would later help <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats </a>pen the "<a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/bank_shot.html">The Bankshot and Other Great Robberies,</a>" which was republished by Lyons Press in 2006. <br /><br /> What follows is a partial transcript of various interviews with Karen Fox, the first conducted in August of 2000.</em><br /><br />"Tom was a sports writer at the time, and he was a very good newsman, as well as being a good sports writer. Somebody called at the sports desk at the Evansville Sunday Courier and Press, and told him that this great Evansville Indiana pool player, Hubert Cokes, an oilman, was going to be participating in the tournament. They said that Tom, with his love for characters, should go to Johnston city, and watch Cokes play.<br /><br />And this guy, on the phone, said that Cokes was a heavy money-player.<br /><br />He and I had just started dating, and we had just seen The Hustler a couple of weeks before he got that call. He could not believe that out in the middle of nowhere, in Southern Illinois, were all these incredible pool players. They had this really good tournament room, with good acoustics, and bleachers, in the back. There was a concrete block room where, after the tournament was over, there were heavy-duty gambling. And Tom knew it was a national story.<br /><br />We got to see it first hand. You know, television has a way of sterilizing stuff like that. ... But what we saw was pure, and raw, and real. There was a moment in time, a freeze frame, that we had that privilege to see. Those guys were incredible characters.<br /><br />Oh my god, it was awesome. When tom started going over there, he took a bunch of us the 90 miles from Evansville. It was a drive. I worked at the paper too. We had just met. And he e took a whole load of us over there. He had a station wagon. It was so far, that (eventually ) everybody else stopped going, but I loved it."R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-86550201481016357652009-08-26T06:36:00.001-07:002009-08-26T06:37:11.284-07:00The 1960s Hustlers' Jamboree and George Jansco's Minor League Baseball Stats<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekyLXFehvvk&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ekyLXFehvvk&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X0mOiZkJ1yTLNvqm_0wS3_-zKG87nRPLEBj0wb8MI1DCY4pbaNAaE1B0TsyVuN-sIwbAofUaY5pKPlXiExI1r5IqmW3UIVQdIPvYJJEvyEAZc9pnQQC5XR2LQslWsbgaVwJic_1iNe1q/s1600-h/JanscoBaseball.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 162px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9X0mOiZkJ1yTLNvqm_0wS3_-zKG87nRPLEBj0wb8MI1DCY4pbaNAaE1B0TsyVuN-sIwbAofUaY5pKPlXiExI1r5IqmW3UIVQdIPvYJJEvyEAZc9pnQQC5XR2LQslWsbgaVwJic_1iNe1q/s400/JanscoBaseball.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374258077896016642" /></a>The internet is amazing. Here's a<a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=jansco001geo"> site </a>that references George Jansco's minor league baseball stats back in the 1930s. Notice that the site references George's nickname as "Wimpy" -- which was the same handle used by <a href="http://untoldstorieswimpylassiter.blogspot.com/">Luther Lassiter</a>. Odd. Also looks like George had a career batting average of .291. Not too shabby. <br /><br />For those who don't know, <a href="http://untoldstoriesgeorgejansco.blogspot.com/">George Jansco</a> was the promoter (along with his brother Paulie) behind the Johnston City hustler jamborees during the 1960s. Lassiter dominated the colorful events, which also featured<a href="http://untoldstoriesjerseyred.blogspot.com/"> Jersey Red</a>, Boston Shorty, Ronnie Allen, <a href="http://untoldstoriesharoldworst.blogspot.com/">Harold Worst,</a> Handsome Dan and of course <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/">Minnesota Fats.</a> I've attached a YouTube video at the top of this post that features an interview with Fats at one of the southern Illinois tournaments. That's a picture of George Jansco at the upper right. You can find more historic pool videos <a href="http://untoldstoriesvideos.blogspot.com/">here</a>. (Freddy "The Beard' Bentivegna also has amassed a <a href="http://indexandlinkstobeardstuff.blogspot.com/2009/02/beards-forum-httpbankingwiththebeard.html">cool collection</a> of online videos.) You can read more about George Jansco and his jamborees in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hustler-Days-Minnesota-Lassiter-Americas/dp/1592286461/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0525202-3198352?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186851305&sr=8-1">Hustler Days</a>.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-50947985164991358982009-08-07T06:38:00.001-07:002009-08-07T06:38:51.689-07:00America's Best Ever Pool Player? You Decide<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3_KTs8Io2FIH14tozL0two05hzycrqgQu4ytkmd5u56AE44lB5aMVhdlf-jnpWyGOZjMdiaeezkeMtOSLhpQBRLt7Jsr26QfqRsJJrCCscolzFFJlqY2tWxaD5x5pov5EXHnwI2oMiUS/s1600-h/Johnny+Archer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg3_KTs8Io2FIH14tozL0two05hzycrqgQu4ytkmd5u56AE44lB5aMVhdlf-jnpWyGOZjMdiaeezkeMtOSLhpQBRLt7Jsr26QfqRsJJrCCscolzFFJlqY2tWxaD5x5pov5EXHnwI2oMiUS/s400/Johnny+Archer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366846337021607074" /></a>Who is America's best ever pool player? The poll on the top right of the <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/">pool history blog</a> lists some all-time favorites, including recent <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2009/06/archer-and-fisher-go-to-hall-of-fame.html">Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Archer</a>. I've left Willie Hoppe off the list because he was known as one of the best-ever billiards players, as opposed to one of the best-ever pool players. Neither have I included one of my personal favorites, <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2009/07/very-early-efren-reyes.html">Efren "Bata" Reyes</a>. As he's from the Philippines, I figured I'd save him for a future poll of the greatest international players. I've also tried to get a good mix of players from different eras. (Van Boening vs. Greenleaf?!) Vote early. Vote often. I'll leave the poll up for awhile. Also, if you have a write-in candidate, feel free to comment at the bottom of this post. I'll tally up the write-ins later, along with those listed on the ballot.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-88718305235464291962009-06-03T07:06:00.001-07:002009-06-03T07:07:06.415-07:00Fats, Du Quoin and the G-MenJohn Croessman, the publisher of <a href="http://www.duquoin.com/">The Du Quoin Evening Call</a>, wrote to me a few years back about <a href="http://untoldstoriesminnesotafats.blogspot.com/2007/08/minnesota-fats.html#comments">Minnesota Fats</a>. Du Quoin, as you may recall, was where Fats and his first wife Evelyn called home for many years. This is a small anecdote, but it's colorful and so I figured I'd post it up. Fats had some trouble with the IRS during his later years in Du Quoin -- but he always kept his sense of humor about it.<br /><br />Here's what Mr. Croessman wrote:<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>I was a close friend of Minnesota Fats for many years. When he wasn't playing pool he would collect meat scraps from local butchers and feed dogs all over Du Quoin and Dowell. One of his favorite haunts was a place called Perfection Restaurant and the local KFC. I ran into him in the Kroger store one day and he told me, "You see that man following me? He's IRS. I've got so much money he's following me to make sure that nothing happens to me!"<blockquote></blockquote>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-37166642235131676152009-06-02T06:57:00.000-07:002009-06-02T07:01:21.668-07:00Pool as Folklore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcq9Arhm3dGX9jO8ReaAzkzRxp7KUDFTJyuyl5pmHHXca_RabWgsPp6-uPeAnp12KX5qe_gyTCyVmw0V9RpEwWhV5YiBVh_T5AvPvt3yez3S-WCX7nT-MVrXH-1VtVaqzjl8BemHZBVrM/s1600-h/dogs+play+pool.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcq9Arhm3dGX9jO8ReaAzkzRxp7KUDFTJyuyl5pmHHXca_RabWgsPp6-uPeAnp12KX5qe_gyTCyVmw0V9RpEwWhV5YiBVh_T5AvPvt3yez3S-WCX7nT-MVrXH-1VtVaqzjl8BemHZBVrM/s400/dogs+play+pool.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342728821074359170" /></a>Here's a site worth noting: <a href="http://folkloreofpool.blogspot.com/2009/04/why-pool-lore.html">The Folklore of Pool & Billiards</a>. An undergraduate student named "Wayne" (I wish he would have posted his contact info) has been working on a project for his University of Wyoming American Folklore course. As part of that project, Wayne has created the site and posted some of his work on it. <br /><br />For his project, Wayne observes that:<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote>the dynamic world of billiards is just a densely saturated ground for studying folklore, for numerous reasons. For one, the pool ritual just easily meets all the main criteria necessary in order for it to be considered as folklore. In other words, pool is communal, creative, and relatively subversive (also, it is often deviant and non-institutional in origin). What is more, these universal folkloric characteristics (that one must find to study a folkloric material) are so vividly obvious in pool that they are just very easy to withdraw from this lore.<blockquote></blockquote><br /><br />I see no mention of <a href="http://untoldstoriesbilliardshistory.blogspot.com/2009/05/and-speaking-of-book-anniversaries.html"><span style="font-style:italic;">Hustlers, Beats and Others</span> </a>on the site, which also might be useful. Another good source is Charles Lemert, author of <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Ali-Trickster-Culture-celebrities/dp/0745628710">Muhammad Ali, Trickster in the Cultural of Irony</a></span>. I interviewed Lemert for <a href="http://www.poolhistory.com/books/hustler_champ.html">The Hustler and the Champ<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></a>, and his observations about pool (and Minnesota Fats particularly) definitely would be relevant to Wayne's research project.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-59282830090605706282009-04-24T06:35:00.000-07:002009-04-24T06:53:45.243-07:00White Shoes and a Black Caddy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUWKgjT59o8AW85JZzqmlTpWh3x3-T6i-SB8nlUWMFjhMOI-G8hPYGcmZasjyCWOkdxxqjDVx4CMPDFmsR2badpTBB-YX-qWzG4uze8EG64K367siTL7_2jnOflcsQY4-FlkxyQed4u1Z/s1600-h/Fats+Shoes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUWKgjT59o8AW85JZzqmlTpWh3x3-T6i-SB8nlUWMFjhMOI-G8hPYGcmZasjyCWOkdxxqjDVx4CMPDFmsR2badpTBB-YX-qWzG4uze8EG64K367siTL7_2jnOflcsQY4-FlkxyQed4u1Z/s400/Fats+Shoes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328255425233359762" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7j4nuTw9QmCpOBQfFow8LGx0V00LGZo3u5K81ITisLrrbGJ3oTv9UgN2gRdUv_n6BnuCxj2oytXasgzfR8WM3BUSutZ7fn27DS2wD2hp1jz5ZdMTKjbcRyILXZzUtPCEsRt3WUXlkul1/s1600-h/Fats+Caddy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 113px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7j4nuTw9QmCpOBQfFow8LGx0V00LGZo3u5K81ITisLrrbGJ3oTv9UgN2gRdUv_n6BnuCxj2oytXasgzfR8WM3BUSutZ7fn27DS2wD2hp1jz5ZdMTKjbcRyILXZzUtPCEsRt3WUXlkul1/s400/Fats+Caddy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328255352295288418" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Kentucky resident Ian Joslyn writes:<br /><br /> <blockquote>A few years ago, when I was in high school I was looking around on ebay and found a 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood Limo. I looked at the types of cars all the time because I love the old Cadillacs. The Fleetwood is my favorite. What really caught my eye was the fact that it was advertised as Minnesota Fats' car. This was of interest to me because I love to play pool. I play even more now than I did then. Well I showed it to my parents and said I would really like to have it. Knowing that I would probably never get it I kind of forgot about it. With out my knowledge my mom contacted the owner and bought the car. She went to Nashville Tn, which is a few hours southeast of Paducah KY, where we live, a few month later and picked up the car. They current owner of the car and Minnesota Fats' second wife T-Bell was there to greet her. The took some pictures and she brought the car home. It was given to me the night before my senior prom. I have now owned the car for about 2 years. I thought you might be interested to see the pictures of this car. I also own a pair of Minnesota Fats' shoes from the seventies.</blockquote>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-48606340363933793152009-04-22T16:04:00.000-07:002009-04-22T16:10:51.687-07:00The Player<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR-Nq9zsNadHa2BpZJRSTCkHR67xUli5GMA5F9_ZnOMH5FMrXi87iRK-4897ehon7P6uPJfaOQHvcSSCHN1prLGVpEerYVuWf-aAlBtOPXFdvCEhYDQc0ZwAi_CrsbRiMYKqWqzuE1YCa/s1600-h/FatsPoster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 332px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR-Nq9zsNadHa2BpZJRSTCkHR67xUli5GMA5F9_ZnOMH5FMrXi87iRK-4897ehon7P6uPJfaOQHvcSSCHN1prLGVpEerYVuWf-aAlBtOPXFdvCEhYDQc0ZwAi_CrsbRiMYKqWqzuE1YCa/s400/FatsPoster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327656362107899714" /></a><br />Reader Jeff Stanley has come across this poster of a film "The Player," featuring Minnesota Fats. I have never seen the film myself, and neither has Jeff. He was wondering if anybody out there has a copy.<br /><br />Jeff also has come across eight lobby cards from the film. "I don't know if this is the full set, I hope so," writes Jeff about the lobby cards.<br /><br /> "I have only seen one of the cards for sale before and was amazed when I saw all 8 for sale. To tell the truth, the guy didn't really know what he had. So I grabbed them."R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-41015298597895044942007-10-23T06:30:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:34:25.927-07:00Karen "Shordy" Ramsey remembers Fats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH72PlBi_BPhCr27CAJ1o1gTBNffv6w9Q1KsF3PPcJZDXmFhrHaHg1lt84jtBeE2dl71kdDy1AKnmn8tJkivxqgoT4KR7idW_srj3X5jALHDS24dOb8SCsiONKtfjuvf7HvymYk-Aqr6FR/s1600-h/Me%2520and%2520Minnesota%2520Fats.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH72PlBi_BPhCr27CAJ1o1gTBNffv6w9Q1KsF3PPcJZDXmFhrHaHg1lt84jtBeE2dl71kdDy1AKnmn8tJkivxqgoT4KR7idW_srj3X5jALHDS24dOb8SCsiONKtfjuvf7HvymYk-Aqr6FR/s320/Me%2520and%2520Minnesota%2520Fats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124523233323995938" /></a><br />Karen Ramsey, who used to live behind Fats in Dowell, sent in this photo. She writes that there was a small street and an empty lot in between their homes. She recalls once in the early 1980s hearing a noise and going outside to see what it was. "Fats was doing some kind of hollering," she writes. "He was coming toward my house down the street and I walked over to him and he said that he was looking for his dog." Then he added: "well, not MY dog, but one that I've taken in and I can't find him."<br /><br />Karen, who goes by the nickname Shordy, said she remembers walking with Fats looking for that dog. <br /><br />"I use to live in DuQuoin in my years before that. When I was little I used to see him in the grocery store and he would always give me a dime."R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-65220373355159214822007-10-23T06:24:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:36:52.480-07:00Shordy's uncle and Minnesota Fats<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZqBjZBNKatKs3kj7Sv4MpcllA4DjzDpZWDtinouCkX6Xa9C7MfHYF6vK8N8ITMkytgOVQOBFGpV676TIT0eVx7zX31p2p7xmiTMWCfCJWg2jxY23xrQ2GdlENQmFxI5Kj4e49L9of9kZ/s1600-h/Gene%2520and%2520Minnesota%2520Fats.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZqBjZBNKatKs3kj7Sv4MpcllA4DjzDpZWDtinouCkX6Xa9C7MfHYF6vK8N8ITMkytgOVQOBFGpV676TIT0eVx7zX31p2p7xmiTMWCfCJWg2jxY23xrQ2GdlENQmFxI5Kj4e49L9of9kZ/s320/Gene%2520and%2520Minnesota%2520Fats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124522782352429842" /></a><br />The uncle of Karen "Shordy" Ramsey stands with Fats in the Fatman's driveway with one of his famous Cadillacs. "It had "MF1" on the plates," said ShordyR.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-44847310003397593192007-10-23T06:14:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.371-07:00Karen "Shordy" Ramsey remembers FatsMy sister married a guy also from Dowell, which she's still married to, and I was best friends with his sister Laurie. One night we were riding around & made the turn in front of (Fats') house. He lived on the corner of his block, so we made the stop and turned left, it was at night, and he had the lights on in what a person would think would be a living room, it had a big picture window and his pool table in great view. There he stood in between the pool table & the window...counting his money! We thought it was a hoot.<br />One more thing which was just something everyone in the area was use to seeing, was his big white Cadillac parked in front of the KFC every evening, getting any left over food for his dogs.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-91660005009498283452007-08-20T20:36:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.371-07:00 Another of Fats, in Indianapolis <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/70240394/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/20/70240394_b2c2835821_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/70240394/">Another of Fats, in Indiapolis</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>Kenneth O'Keeffe sent in this photo of Fats at an 1974 Indianapolis bank pool tournament. <br /><br />Credit: Susan Kunz and Kenneth O'Keeffe.</p>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-66729669131148013052007-08-20T20:35:00.001-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.371-07:00 Childhood home of Minnesota Fats<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/54067044/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/28/54067044_d2d7b73fd1_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/54067044/">9-5-2005-13</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This is the apartment building where I believe Minnesota Fats grew up. I found in during a trip to New York City during the summer of 2005. I knocked but nobody was home.</p>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-26678454298133764222007-08-20T20:33:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.372-07:00The childhood home of Minnesota Fats<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/54067042/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/29/54067042_b1c4fbaa6a_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/54067042/">9-5-2005-14</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This is his home, in Washington Heights, New York. I came across it during the summer of 2005.</p>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-61177938417940684432007-08-20T20:32:00.001-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.372-07:00Gary Carlson sends in this great story about Fats. I was about 22 or 23 at the time (1964? 1965?) living in Decatur, IL. My friend, Bob Arthur mentioned there was a pool tournament in a town outside of Carbondale. So we got into his '58 Chevy Impala and away we went. I think we paid maybe $5 (???) to get in and then there was another charge to watch the action in the back room. I recall "Daddy Warbucks" playing someone else a handicap game. Warbucks used his hat as a bridge while the other fellow used a toilet brush from the restroom. They played $100 a game.<br /><br />In 1966 I attended graduate school at Southern Illinois University and went to Johnston City once or twice for the tournament. I also played in a rock band which was hired for one weekend at the Jansco's place.<br /><br />My major was chemistry and I would work sometimes until 1-2am in the lab. Afterwards, I would frequently go to a small pool hall with 3 or 4 tables and good hamburgers. I was usually the only one there. I didn't really know much about the game or it's characters. One night a fat guy at the counter asked if I wanted to play a game since we were the only customers. He'd been laughing with the counter man and already knew I was very much an amateur. I said OK and he asked if I played for money. I said I guessed a buck would be OK. He said "A whole buck?" I said "If that's too much, how about 50 cents?" He laughed and said he'd try to fit it into his budget. He beat me pretty badly for 2 games and I quit a buck down. He bought me a hamburger and left. Later, the counter man told me it was Minnesota Fats and he lived nearby in Dowell, Illinois. It wasn't until some years later that I appreciated who he was.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-91421216655502625882007-08-20T20:30:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.372-07:00Minnesota Fats In Indianapolis<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/70240393/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/35/70240393_bf073eb35d_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/70240393/">Minnesota Fats In Indianapolis</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>Kenneth O'Keeffe, who sent in this excellent photo of Minnesota Fats, writes: "These were taken in 1974 in Indianapolis, Indiana at a bank pool tournament. Fats is playing a man from Cincinnati named Anderson, whom I believe won.<br /><br />Credit: Susan Kunz and Kenneth O'Keeffe.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-42549744039477967122007-08-20T20:28:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.373-07:00Minnesota Fats with friend<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/161232105/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/59/161232105_e8e76dfad2_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/161232105/">Minnesota Fats with friend</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This is a photo of Fats with a friend, John Ogolini I believe, taken probably in Fats' home in DuQuoin.</p>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-82240646732090361772007-08-20T20:27:00.001-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.373-07:00Minnesota Fats<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/19595735/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://photos17.flickr.com/19595735_3e91af1ee0_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/19595735/">MinnesotaFats</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>This is a photo of Ross Parker Simon's dad, left, and the famous Rudolf Wanderone Jr., AKA Minnesota Fats.</p>R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211760986476941451.post-30027639676024004732007-08-20T20:25:00.000-07:002007-10-23T06:30:19.373-07:00Pool exhibition program<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/260610814/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/84/260610814_6a32efd3f0_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/48600084074@N01/260610814/">Pool exhibition program</a> <br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/48600084074@N01/">jakedyer</a>.</span><br clear="all" /><p>Here's a photo from Dale R. LeMieux of a flyer for an exhibition he saw with Minnesota Fats at the Pontiac Silverdome, then home of the Detroit Lions. The event was in the 1970s. Note: the top and side of the paper has Fats' autograph. <br /><br />Dale writes: "The event was called The Billiard Bash and it was a benefit of the TRI-COUNTY EASTER SEAL SOCIETIES. This event featured Minnesota Fats as the one to beat. For a contribution of fifty dollars you were able to play him. I took my father there just to see Minnesota Fats ... (and) we were sitting in the audience watching, (and) I told my father that I was going to go down and talk to Fats. My father encouraged me to do so and said I probably would never get another chance. <br /><br />As he was still standing there alone I went up to him and asked him about the movie THE HUSTLER. (Fats) talked to anyone who would listen. He talked for a while just like he had known me forever and I really enjoyed it because I had always really liked him (one of the few that liked him more than I liked Mosconi). Then as play of another person started he continued to talk to me as the person broke the balls and ran some balls in their game of eightball. <br /><br />Now it was Fats turn to shoot and when he got to the eightball a heckler starts in on Fats telling him he was no good at playing pool and that anyone can beat him. Fats says to the man "I'll tell you what I'll dooo. I'll bet you a thousand dollars that I will bank the eight three in the side." The man said no more and was from then on quiet. Fats then with no hesitation banked the eight three rails into the side pocket. I think he said: "I['ll just send old Elsie home anyway" and then he shot it in."<br /><br /> After the exhibition we were still sitting in our seats when Fats and a few big guys he had around him came back in the room and ... as he was walking by he reached down and tapped me on the shoulder and said to me: "I will see you later Dale." That was the last time I saw Rudolph Wanderone in person. <br /><br />Personal note... I have always disliked the way people (pool players) at least in this area after Fats got older and sicker tell of how they beat him. It also happened in this area with a great player I knew Cornbread Red ( Billy Burge). Now that he is gone it seems that everyone beat him. I know that I never beat him and he was one of the greats, He was colorful and liked to talk as well. I for one will miss both players.R.A. Dyerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18203284748098418423noreply@blogger.com1