The Willie Mosconi Story 1952. From 16mm mp film. Best player in his time, this film shows Willie in his prime. A few trick shots only, no real game, but it is the mighty Mosconi. Ponzi died 2 yrs before this film was made.
Пікірлер: 116
@marksjohn2687 Жыл бұрын
During WWII in the South Pacific, my father was one of the best pool players in his command. He was in the Army Air Corps, but they shuttled him out to a Navy destroyer or cruiser, and he took his turn against Willie Mosconi, who was on a USO morale tour.. .Mosconi, my father always said, graciously allowed him the break. My father sunk a few balls, and then he did not sink a ball. Mr. Mosconi then ran three tables in a row, all with trick shots. He patted my future father on the shoulder and told him he had played well. That was classy, and it has always stuck with me. My father taught me a trick shot or two, which I showed off while in college in the early 1970s. Writing this has brought tears to my eyes. john
@TheAvenstar4 жыл бұрын
For 20 years (1959- 1979) I played in thesame pool hall every day. Never missed. They opened at 8:00 a.m. everyday including Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, and I never missed being there. It was sort of like a sacred gathering place (believe it or not). Every activity started and ended at "the hall." This was the biggest hall east of the Mississippi at the time with 3 billiards tables, 2 snooker tables, 3 regulation 5X10 big tops, and 27 regulation 4 1/2 X 9's. The owner accepted credit and everyone was on the arm all the time! The place was packed from morning til closing at 2:00 a.m. The ONLY DAY in my life I couldn't make it there because I was sick was THE day Willie Mosconi chose to drop in and pose for pictures. It kills me to this day ...
@Entropy1064 жыл бұрын
1959-1979 u played in years with the best music. Doowop-disco
@rickvassell83494 жыл бұрын
Oregon billiards?
@DANTHETUBEMAN2 жыл бұрын
All the other days where more important, the days YOU got to play.
@dukebmxrider Жыл бұрын
i was the house husler at a local pool hall back in the south of philipines. played there everyday. the day efren reyes was in town being choufered around by one of the pool managers in the circuit and brought him to my pool room, i wasnt there.
@charlieb308 Жыл бұрын
I got to see and play Mike Sigel in Rochester a lot, so amazing at straight pool
@Bob950513 жыл бұрын
Willie Mosconi's first World Championship was in an 8-player multiple round-robin league format. Each player played each other player 32 times from Nov. 1940 to May 1941. Yes, each player played 224 games. I suppose the idea was that with that many matches, there would be a lot of exposure and a lot of tickets sold. The event ended with Mosconi winning 176 and losing 48. In second place was Ponzi at 144 wins and 80 losses. That year was the only time such a long season was played, although double round robins were occasionally played for the Championship Tournament. With that particular setup, it is possible that for the last several matches against Ponzi, Willie already had a lock on the championship. In that context, the 5-cushion shot is entirely reasonable, since by that point the goal was to entertain the audience.
@patriciajrs462 ай бұрын
I think it's funny that instead of holding his cigarette she puts it out!! Ha, ha. Thanks for this story about one of the best pool players in history.
@timothymosconi38483 жыл бұрын
Willie was my great uncle
@nobodyaskedbut4 жыл бұрын
Mosconi was the greatest of all-time. At his peak, he defeated 6 world champions in winning the 9 player round-robin world title without losing a match. His world record of 526 consecutive straight pool made shots is one of sports greatest feats. In all, he won an all-time record 15 world championships.
@DANTHETUBEMAN2 жыл бұрын
Don Willis was the greatest so far, Mosconi, Rae's, and O'Sullivan have to fight it out for 🥈 place.
@DANTHETUBEMAN Жыл бұрын
@@jackwoods535 today we are still getting perfect games out or Ronnie O'Sullivan, it's amazing to see.
@robertdavis4386 Жыл бұрын
Mosconi didn`t run 526 consecutive balls. It was Luther Lassiter!
@dougoverhoff7568 Жыл бұрын
@@robertdavis4386 That would be news to Wimpy.
@jamestrads497 Жыл бұрын
Efren reyes would smoke him prime vs prime.
@SC-cd4hb Жыл бұрын
I watched willie put on an exhibition in a small poolhall in Costa Mesa, CA in 1963, I was 14. By age 18 I was good enough to hustle and play for money.
@allgood67603 жыл бұрын
The point of contact does not change on the object ball that is what I learnt from Mr Mosconi.. I love watching these old vids.. thanks from NZ 👍🇳🇿
@DANTHETUBEMAN2 жыл бұрын
With side English it does. :)
@augustinecerronejr79682 жыл бұрын
When I was a teenager I used to go to Mosconi's on Oregon Ave in South Philly to shoot pool. We rented balls and tables by the hour. Big tables and spaced apart perfectly. Willie Mosconi is the best
@digitalbookworm56783 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for posting this. 👍
@ericmaldonado13733 жыл бұрын
Willie my hero, I would it loved to see Willie against Efren, that would it had been the greatest match ever. R.I.P. Willie 👏
@CarlCramer883 жыл бұрын
Efren would roll him.
@deannataylor2862 жыл бұрын
Efren would spank his ass and send him home crying
@lkw3695 Жыл бұрын
With all respect to willie. Efren would smoke him. Just different eras of pool
@heginschristianstrong7707 Жыл бұрын
@@lkw3695 In all games I think Efren wins, but not straight pool.
@lkw3695 Жыл бұрын
@@heginschristianstrong7707 it would be a battle for sure!
@gkvogt Жыл бұрын
His biography "Willie's Game" is a great read with an unexpected final scene.
@fredsavage4925 Жыл бұрын
"That 8 ball looked 3 times as big as the pocket." Willie's acid kicked in.
@9Ballr5 жыл бұрын
Efren had his "Z" shot and Willie had his five cushion kick!
@unclequack54455 жыл бұрын
I was thinking if Willie was making 5 cushion kick shots to win tournaments he may have been able to compete with Mr. Reyes after all.
@WillieDines15 жыл бұрын
@@unclequack5445 The 5 rail kick was just a trickshot Willie had set up with the actor of Andrew Ponzi for the movie reel. I'm pretty sure that Willie most likely ran 100+ balls in his challenge match and out for his 1st world title win.
@artartful8544 жыл бұрын
Go watch current bank pool players and you will see 3 and 4 rail shots called and made.
@JosephNordenbrockartistraction3 жыл бұрын
The announcer in Efren's case had no idea what poor little Efren could possibly do with a another ball to avoid on the table. Efren did 5 rail banks before coffee.
@artartful8544 жыл бұрын
What holds back Willie's rep as a great all round pocket billiards player, is that straight pool is the only game he played. Almost all of the other greats of his time, played 9 ball, one pocket and bank pool and won both on the road and in tournaments. Willie didn't. He took a salary from Brunswick and was the straight-laced anti-hustler...never gambling.
@artartful8544 жыл бұрын
@@jackwoods535 Other pool pros has similar jobs and in fact Fats was vp of two different table makers. Crane was a spokesman and successful salesman of Cadillacs.
@TimothyJesser3 жыл бұрын
9-ball and one pocket were prominent in the 40’s and 50’s? That doesn’t sound right. I’m going to look that up...
@artartful8543 жыл бұрын
Oh 9 ball and 1 pocket were the gamblers games. The list of big time 9 ball & 1 pock, tourm. was short, Mosconi wins even shorter. Greenleaf and Worst were better all around players.
@DANTHETUBEMAN2 жыл бұрын
@@artartful854 Don Willis probably beat all off them at some time
@Jaybird165 Жыл бұрын
Worst beat Willis bad when they met in I think Ohio! Willis was awesome but Worst had he not died of brain cancer at 37 would have gone on to be the undisputed greatest all around player ever!
@bobkries65473 жыл бұрын
In 1954 I saw mosconni play a guy from the neighborhood of Albany park at jules pool room in Chicago. Billy broke and willie ran 350 balls and won the match.
@franzlindleyerfe43926 ай бұрын
And now Ladies and Gentlemen, "THE MOSCONI CUP!"
@miksUSA7773 жыл бұрын
Efren Reyes also started as a kid , that's why he became a Genius, unparalleled in this sport
@knightingalesaid5 жыл бұрын
Awesome!
@RichardsWorld11 ай бұрын
Looks like little Willie was left handed, and older Willie was right handed 😀
@seanshay6573 Жыл бұрын
great clip
@S1L3NTG4M3R3 жыл бұрын
A Ture Legend of the game...
@easyhermoza5 жыл бұрын
gold!!!!!
@Ardee12 жыл бұрын
I knew I loved him for some other reasons originally from Philadelphia
@bobby33x973 жыл бұрын
I believe Mosconi had a run of ten World Titles in a row!
@danielwebster5748Ай бұрын
Almost out the only two matches you can see of Willie mosconi is on him losing to Jimmy caras. What they don't show you but you can look in the history books Willie mosconi has defeated Jimmy so many times it's hard to count them. Although mosconi counted Ralph Greenleaf as the goat he was no slouch with the pool cue as a matter of fact mosconi was one of the best of all times. Ralph Greenleaf had suffered greatly toward the end and it probably added to his early death of at the age of 50. So with him losing the several people including moscone toward the end of his life he certainly was not the wizard he used to be. Ralph Greenleaf is immortal he will be remembered for all times and no one should ever forget the wizard mosconi. The day he sunk 526 balls he didn't miss after that he simply had to give up because he was straight up wore out. So he said the world record went home and didn't even miss. That world record held for about 50 years.
@wombra83145 жыл бұрын
👋🏻🎱👄🎱🤚🏻 two potato corner pocket 😯👉 🥔🥔🥔 lmfao that was crazy cute. oranges would probably roll a little more true....aramith grows a great set! 😂😂😂
@Cryptone283 жыл бұрын
Getting fresh oranges in Philly in 1923 probably wasn't the easiest task, and mom would most likely kick his ass if he did lol
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
baltimore bullet acting kills this
@level2billiards3 жыл бұрын
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@HoosierRooster Жыл бұрын
Mosconi went to Rockford Illinois for an exhibition to play Charlie Cacipaglia on two different occasions & was soundly beat both times by Charlie....he told people he would come back bur refused to play Charlie again...I not only was told this by Charlie himself, but was verified by his daughter & the original newspaper articles that were framed hanging on the wall of State & Madison Billiards in Rockford in 1979 .
@kingsports11132 жыл бұрын
💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯 a kid genius
@zanethind Жыл бұрын
I never knew it was called pocket billiards either. What's that cleaner on his hands did he use?
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
😂😂lmao this is awesome 👋🏻🎱👄🎱🤚🏻
@joerobertson7887 Жыл бұрын
Those pockets must be 5" wide - like shooting into trash cans.
@rickyrasputin78753 жыл бұрын
This seems to be a sorry rendition of factual events. Willie was great. The story didn't mention the depression which led him to excel. A stroke denied him competing for titles. He held or shared title for 15 yrs. He holds 14.1 (straight pool) record high run of 526 balls; official record, 8' table. He set many competition, high avg runs. You can see him playing a gambler in music video hit, "Bad to the Bone." not shown playing, handsome in white hair. In very fine Paul Newman movie, "The Hustler" (Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott) he racked balls, tutored Paul off camera. (IMO: Color of Money sequel movie, w/Tom Cruz, was dull) NOTE: 'The Hustler' was so well made, folks loved the romance, on this fictional story, notwithstanding the pool, portions.
@sjang8164 жыл бұрын
didn't mosconi even as a kid look at pool as just a means to support his family? I'm sure he loved the game but I read he looked at it more as just a job. extremely gifted at his job though. maybe the best ever
@markgalura2891 Жыл бұрын
those tables look mad slow
@charlie32145 жыл бұрын
This is Venom Trick shots back in the 1950's
@thejrodshow76794 жыл бұрын
Minus the spray he uses ya haha
@seanmcguire79744 жыл бұрын
Good bye now🙋♂️🖐🎱
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
Sean McGuire 🙋🏻♀️~ pop was boiling tho! 😳😳😳
@martinranalli8572 Жыл бұрын
Was Mosconi the greatest ever and how many titles did he win in total?🎱
@zanethind Жыл бұрын
They called pool players cueman? Wow! I never knew that
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
*licks the old girdle* D: 😳~ 👋🏻👁👅👁🤚🏻
@davev50315 жыл бұрын
Most of the video is not true if you read Willies book about his life story. He did push potatoes around the table and his father did not want him playing pool until he saw his amazing ability at 7 years of age able to run 40 balls or so standing on a crate. He was being trained to be a dancer like some his famous relatives were but he hated that.
@michaelstebbins28705 жыл бұрын
Yea on a crate to.
@WillieDines15 жыл бұрын
@@michaelstebbins2870 yep and he started shooting pool on a saturday when he would be waiting for his uncle to pick him up from the dancing classes, there was a pool table in the place where the dancing lessons were held and Willie started learning to play to the point where he would regularly run a rack of balls. It was Willie's uncle that first noticed how good Willie played at a young age because it was on a Saturday afternoon that Willie's and his uncle showed up earlier than usual for the dance classes and whilst waiting around, Willie's uncle challenged Willie to a few games. His uncle broke and Willie ran the table and his uncle said, "Lets see if you can do that again".... and next game, Willie ran out the table and it was Willie's Uncle that convinced his brother Joseph Mosconi to give Willie a chance at shooting Pool and when Joseph saw how good Willie could play, he gave full support and encouragement to his son, even to the point of having Willie playing exhibitions at the age of 7 years old.
@adamsteele61484 жыл бұрын
His father banned him from playing pool but his uncle played with him behind his father's back.
@MIKIEEYEZ19754 жыл бұрын
I know for a fact he ran 80 balls at age 8!
@michaeltrumph1215 жыл бұрын
Is any of this true ?
@beefonweckeastside33235 жыл бұрын
Absolutely true to a fact
@michaeltrumph1215 жыл бұрын
@@beefonweckeastside3323 I'm talking about the 5 cushion kick. Did he really win his first world title with such a shot ?!??
@beefonweckeastside33235 жыл бұрын
@@michaeltrumph121 you know I don't know the the truth of that matter I'll do some research and see what I can find my one thought is that to risk a Championship on a 5 cushion shot is so pretty Ball Z
@seanmcguire79744 жыл бұрын
@Justin Bryson their def of a documentary had a different meaning in this case. It's more of a reenactment with alot of embellishment
@EM12S12 жыл бұрын
1:45 sheesh 😬
@clockworkstaffing95858 ай бұрын
So somehow he became right handed as he got older? Lol.
@tonypanzarella93872 жыл бұрын
"Proficiency at pool indicates a youth misspent." Or does it?
@dw44813 жыл бұрын
They had a pool hall but he used potatoes. I call BS on that one.
@kilppa4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, I kinda doubt this story. :D
@XGRIMYONEX Жыл бұрын
Why would you tell the guy something like that during a game .Smfh. Wait till after or you gonna jam him up
@acedrumminman5 жыл бұрын
Goodbye now! Hahahahaha...
@wombra83145 жыл бұрын
Cara Vaggio ikr 😂😂😂😂🙋🏻♀️
@pantarei83823 жыл бұрын
This seems a little to well scripted.. too bad because willy was a very down to earth guy
@joshrowe6343 жыл бұрын
Not a true account of events. My great grandfather was there.
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
6:31 mmfff ..... no wonder the gossip spread like an old girdle??? (u get the pleasures from reclicking the timestamp D: )
@peteWxM1970 Жыл бұрын
Pool is an easy game to play.on any given day one good amateur could beat any so called world champion.snooker on the other hand is a lot more skill levels involved.the greatest ever is RONNIE OSULLIVAN. Watch his fastest ever 147 break in 5 minutes 36 seconds.he is the greatest cueman ever.Don’t get me wrong pool is exciting and quicker but it’s child’s play comparatively to snooker.just my humble opinion 😅
@Bam72t399 ай бұрын
If your playing slop yes sure but there is no flukes allowed in pool. You have to call your pockets in most pool games.
@justmusic81663 жыл бұрын
Watch out, he will leave you standing in your underpants!!!
@wombra83144 жыл бұрын
6:16 that old gal is cyber bullying me in 2020 😞😞😞
@BladeRunner-td8be4 жыл бұрын
That 5 rail shot probably never happened. For one thing there was an easy safe shot by gently shooting the cue ball into the 8 and letting the 8 ball hit the side rail after contact. At that point Andrew would be in the same predicament as Willie and a safety battle would most like ensue until one player opened up the table for a shot on either ball. Offensively, shooting the cue ball into the end rail with medium to hard top spin forces it to jump over the obstructing ball and that way of shooting it is much easier than the 5 rail kick shot and the chances of making the shot are much greater. Very cool to see Willie and Andrew Ponzi in this cornball, ersatz, "documentary".
@user-wv5uf1kg8u4 жыл бұрын
YEA RITE, IDIOT
@glynnhudson72983 жыл бұрын
did anyone notice that the actor for Willie as a child was left handed...ofcourse Willie was a righty
@Hithere-ek4qt Жыл бұрын
Yes, Willie was great, but Efren Reyes was even better.
@robdetuinman2 Жыл бұрын
Lol no
@notphilivey4 жыл бұрын
Totally fake. Mosconi would never sight himself out on a game ball.
@garytravis25344 жыл бұрын
missed lol
@jamesdevrees86634 жыл бұрын
This high run was 526. What's yours?
@justinbryson17793 жыл бұрын
I am sorry, but this was so ridiculously stupid, and there is no way that any of this is what really happened. Get real. It is hilarious if the public thought any of this was true.
@markhuff87592 жыл бұрын
Willie was great but not as good as as Efren Reyes