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POOL WARS

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Chapter One

The modern era of Pool began with the release of the movie The Hustler in 1961. This classic film by Robert Rossen starred Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott and Piper Laurie in the lead roles. It triggered a reaction among young men all across the country, who decided to pick up a cue and emulate Paul Newman's character, "Fast Eddie", and become pool players.

This influx of new players and fresh blood brought life back to a game that had been in the doldrums throughout the 50's. Pool had enjoyed remarkable popularity in the 1920's, with dozens of large palatial poolrooms to be found in cities across America. The Depression closed many of them, with a small resurgence during the Second World War. Following the war years, there was a gradual slide in poolroom business, and tournaments became almost nonexistent.

Then came The Hustler, and new modern rooms began popping up everywhere. This was a Godsend to existing players, whose livelihood depended on finding opponents to gamble with and win money from. The 60's became a time of relative prosperity for them, and new tournaments began to appear affording them another opportunity to make money.

The first of these was the aptly named Hustler's Tournament, put on by the Jansco Brothers in the Southern Illinois hamlet of Johnston City. What began as an exclusively One Pocket event in 1961 quickly evolved into an All Around tournament in 1962 featuring One Pocket, 9-Ball and Straight Pool. It lasted three weeks and attracted every self respecting pool player and hustler in the country.

Emerging on a parallel path was a close friend of the Janscos, a man known in pool circles as "New York Fats". He now resided nearby in the even smaller village of Dowell, Illinois. He had met and married a local beauty queen, and they set up a homestead, from which he branched out across the Little Egypt area of Southern Illinois in gambling forays.

THE MINNESOTA FATS SAGA

The Hustler was a great novel written by Walter Tevis in 1959. It told the story of aspiring pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson and his monumental match with "Minnesota Fats". The characters were based on fictitious pool players, created by the fertile imagination of Tevis. He had traveled around Ohio and Kentucky visiting the "action" pool rooms, and getting a taste of the hustler's life style. Then he made up his story.

Not so, said Rudolf Wanderone Jr. from New York City. I am the real Minnesota Fats, and he proudly proclaimed this news at a drive-in movie theater outside Johnston City, Illinois, which was featuring The Hustler. The year was 1961 and the theater was owned by Fat's buddy, George Jansco. Local media types thought this might make an interesting story, so they gave this boastful "fat man" some press. One thing led to another and pretty soon the national media picked up the story. It didn't hurt that the movie was a huge box office success.

Fats was helped by his sheer girth, and the fact that Willie Mosconi got on the band wagon and denied Wanderone's claims. Mosconi said that this fat man was actually New York Fats, not Minnesota Fats. If anything, these denials helped Wanderone establish some credibility as a hustler of some renown. The crafty Fats picked up on this and pressed his claims. He threatened to sue Tevis and 20th Century Fox who released the film. This led to counter claims by Tevis, and abject denials that he had ever met this New York Fats character. All these claims and counter claims were duly covered by the national media.

It finally had to be settled in court. The court battle made front page news across the nation for several weeks in 1962. In the end Tevis' version was concurred with by the court, but like it or not, New York Fats was reborn as Minnesota Fats. Wanderone continued to use that name the rest of his life, and capitalized on his celebrity in every way possible. Tevis went to his death bed claiming there was no such character in real life, but it made little difference to Fats' adoring public.

JOHNSTON CITY AND THE STARDUST

These were a series of memorable tournaments put on by George and Paulie Jansco from 1961 to 1972. The first Johnston City tournament in 1961 was strictly a One Pocket affair, with a small field of select players. It was won by Johnny Vevis, and the self proclaimed Minnesota Fats finished second. In the ensuing years it was played as an "All Around" event with One Pocket, Nine Ball and Straight Pool divisions. Due to the success of these tourneys, the Janscos were encouraged to start a similar event, held at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas. This tournament ran from 1965 through 1973.

George Jansco was a man of great influence in his neck of the woods. Following his demise in 1971, his less well connected brother Paulie tried to continue the tradition, but was met with one setback after another. The final straw was when Federal agents raided the 1972 tournament, and arrested all the players for gambling. The Stardust tourney continued for one more year, before it too was cancelled forever. Both these tournaments, and their coverage by ABC's Wide World Of Sports, had fueled a resurgence in tournament pool.

By the 1970's professional pool players had several major tournaments they could compete in each year. Surrounding each of these events was some healthy "back room" action, where the real money changed hands. Before I go any further, let me share with you a list I compiled long ago chronicling the winners of these memorable tournaments.

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

There were many memorable moments that took place during my various expeditions to the "Wonderland" of Pool, circa 1960's. Some of them I reminisced about in my short lived column for the National Billiard News, entitled Diary Of A Pool Hustler. I will give these columns an 'encore' appearance here, and throw in one about the Dayton tournament for good measure.

This first one appeared in the National Billiard News in 1974. Please remember, I wrote these over thirty years ago. Errors and typos remain intact.

"Never Never Land"

When I was a young man courting the pool table way back in 1963, I talked a few of my friends into taking a trip to Johnston City. Johnston City, Illinois was that magnet of a small town that hosted the annual Hustler's Pool Tournament. I had heard of what was happening there and I didn't want to miss a thing. When we got on the road I wouldn't let them stop to eat. I was in a hurry, no doubt about it a pool freak heading for Mecca.

In ten hours we were there. But where.... the middle of nowhere, Illinois. It took a genuine pool room detective just to find the place. A small building just outside the town limits under a neon sign spelling out Jansco's Show Bar. We pulled into a sardine type parking lot, packed with cars from all over ... at least thirty different states.... and the shudder of expectation of what was happening took over my entire being. At this point my memories are rather blurry, but there are indelibles imprinted on my mind and I can still see the crowds of people, hear the noise and feel the excitement.

We all crammed into the tournament room and tried to get a glimpse of the four top players doing battle on the two tables set side by side. I don't remember who played but it was the time of the Knoxville Bear,...