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More About The Beard
Hi,
I'm Freddy "The Beard" Bentivegna,
After a fifty year stretch as a professional
pool player, I was recently inducted into the Bank Pool
Legends Hall of Fame. However, I wasn't just a banker. I was also
a top-notch OnePocket player. I played mostly for
money, hardly any tournaments, and was well known and regarded all
around the pool world. In my day, I feared no one, and played for
more money then
you can believe. I played in high class joints, and I played in the
scariest, most dangerous pool halls on the South and West side
of Chicago. Playing
in those horrible joints for big money is one of the reasons I earned
the respect I have today. In those days I was a predator hunting
down every
champion and top player that ever lived. I didn't just stick to Chicago,
I hustled all around the country and didn't bar anybody from playing.
Well, maybe one or two people (Gotta be a little modest).
In 1980
I opened up
my own joint, the North Shore Billiard Club. The
North Shore Billiard Club was a place of magic. Players came from
all corners of the earth to play each other, and to play
me and the other Chicago representative,
One
Pocket Hall of Famer, Artie Bodendorfer.
My second Bank Pool book, The GosPool According
to the Beard,
is now available. There is also a new DVD, BANKS
THAT DON'T GO— BUT
DO! Shirts,
posters and
other items are up for sale. Some of the stuff has the famous old, "North
Shore" logo on it. I thought it appropriate. We also carry
autographed trophy Cue Balls and autographed ball sets. The Cue
Balls come with
a enclosed plastic trophy case.
We have the Hammerhead line of inlaid cue sticks that are cheap,
look great, and play like those overpriced models. Honest to
God, these cues play terrific!
Keep your eyes open for an upcoming, new bank DVD BANKING
WITH THE BEARD that will cover the material in the book, later this
year (Fall
2008).
Take your time, look around,
and if you don't see something you like, feel free to email
me about other pool memorabilia I just may have lying around.
Freddy "The Beard" Bentivegna
Bank on, brother!
Email me at: bankingwiththebeard@comcast.net
Who the hell did the Beard ever beat?
Some guys brag about all the great players they have tangled with and quite often it turns out to be wishful thinking. But I am going to list as many players that I can remember that I played for money and beat at least once in a complete pool session. As you will see, it is a formidable collection. Here they are in alphabetical order:
John Abruzzo
Robert (Houseman in TCOM) Agins
Ronnie Fast Eddie Allen
Richie from the Bronx Ambrose
Donnie Anderson
Paul Iowa Baker
Mike Bandy
John (Capitol Billiards Detroit, The Rack) Barline
Jaffar Patch Eye, Henry Chapman Basheer
Floyd Baxter
Eddie Detroit Whitey Beauchene
Black Iceman from LA
Artie Smartie Artie Bodendorfer
Ray Booth
Louis Little Hand Bramlett
Rusty Brandymeyer
Jerry Breisath
Jack Jersey Red,The Red Raider Breit
ToughTony Brewer
Paul Doc Brienza 
Brooklyn Charlie
Melvin Strawberry Brooks
James Youngblood Brown
George Brunt
Jew Paul Brusloff
Jerry Buffalo Jerry
Billy Cornbread Red Burge
Eddie The Hat Burton
Hound Dog Calhoun
California Shorty
Marcel Camp
Mexican champion Cannella
Mike Carella
Vince Pancho Carelli
Port Chester Mickey Carpinello
Jeff Carter
Gene The Glove Catrone
Johnny Lefty, Cannonball Chapman
Charlie the Ape
Top Mexican 9 baller, Chi Chi
Clyde Childress
Chubby Chino, Chicago Chino
James the sniper Christopher
(Capitol Billiards, Detroit ) Cletus
New York Harry Cohen
Hubert Daddy Warbucks Cokes
Black Nate Colbert
Tony Banks Coleman
Benny Goose Conway
Richard Bucktooth Cook
Steve Cookie Monster Cook
Frisco Jack Cooney
Warren Monk Costanza
Wade Billy Johnson Crane
Crazy Frank from Buffalo
Diamond Bill Cress
Okie Sam, Crotzer
Surfer Rod Curry
Alphonso Fonzi Daniels
Shannon, The Cannon, Daulton
Baltimore Buddy Dennis
Danny Buffalo Kid Di Liberto
Hippie Cole Dickson
Johnny Dollar
Don Waterdog Edwards
Vernon Eliot
Johnny Velvet Foghorn Ervolino
Louie (Allingers Philly) Esposito
Jamie Red Rifle Farrell
Don Preacher Feeney
Tony Fargo Ferguson
Richie Florence
Milborn Gar Frazier
Petey Fusco
Jimmy The Philly Flash Fusco
Berle Gabbard
Mike Shoes Gambony
Rich Geiler
Chris Gentile
Michael Geese Gerace
Joe Cognoscenti Gold
Isaac Little Miami Gonzales
Roger The Rocket Griffis
Mike Babyface Gulyassy
John Drew Hagar
Cecil Rifleman, Buddy Hall
Tommy Staten Island, Doc Halliday
Country Calvin Hargrove
Bud Harris
Toupee Jay Helfert
Marvin Pittsburg Flash Henderson
Norman Hitch Hitchcock
Truman Hogue
Allen Young Hoppe Hopkins
Little David, The Giant Killer Howard
Norman The Jockey Howard
One-Eyed Tony Howard
Larry Iceman Hubbart
Bobby Hunter
Bill Cardone, Pittsburgh Billy Incardona
Red Jew Town Red
Vince Allingers in Philly, Joe DiMaggio
Larry Boston Shorty Johnson
Chicago Paul Jones
Charlie left handed from Ky. Jones
Charles Low Down Dirty Preacher Red Jones
Handsome Danny Jones
Jumpin' Sammy Jones
Cliff Spotmaster Joyner
Martin Omaha Fats Kaiman
Tom Karabatsos
Champagne Eddie Kelly
Eddie White Cannonball Kienowski
Scott Kitto
Fat Glen Knowles
Roy Kilroy Kosmolski
Tommy The Sailor Kramer
Bill Lawson
Robert Cotton LeBlanc
Spanish Mike LeBron
Leon Ledford
Ardell Blackie LeSeur
Peter Rabbit Linhard
Larry Oil Can Lisciotti
Long Beach
Rudolfo Boy Sampson Luat
Chris MacDonald
Florida Bob Maidhoff
Hippie Jimmy Marino
Marco The Snake Marquez
Mike Tennessee Tarzan Massey
Jimmy Pretty Boy Floyd Mataya
Grady Professor Mathews
Eddie from Milwaukee Matthews
Ronnie The Hat, Bald Eagle Mayes
California John Mc Cue
Henry Lotsapoppa McCloud
Harry the Horse McConnell
Don McCoy
Keith Earthquake, Ether McCready
Edward Chris McGeahan
John Henry McHenry
Danny Medina
Howard The Coward Meechum
Eugene Clem Metz
George Michaels
Bill Mielke
Al Racine Al Miller
Johnny Popcorn Miller
Steve Miz Mizerak
Charles Country Monroe
Willie Munson
Johnny Sugar Shack Novak
Elihu Alley-Oop O'Rear
Jerry the Actor Orbach
Bob Black Bart, Bob Ogburn
Jose Amang, Little Giant Parica
George Pawalski
Bruce One Pocket Ghost Perri
Gary Pinkowski
Cadillac Dave Piona
Iron Joe Procita
Utley UJ Puckett
Hippie Jimmy Reid
King James Rempe
Kenny Romburg Remus
Efren Bata, The Magician Reyes
Skippy Dallas, Tx Le Cue Riggs
Chuey Rivera
St. Louis Louie Roberts
Joe Rocha
Frank Bananas Rodriguiz
Glen Piggy Banks Rogers
Bernard Bunny, Pots and Pans Rogoff
Little Al Romero
Don Rose
Isadore Pony Rosen
Charles Rosie Rosenblatt
Kokomo Joe Ross
Joe Philly Ross
Bill Memphis Rousey
Leonard Bugs Rucker
Ike Runnels
Seattle Joe, Tracy Joe Salazar
Freddy Salem
Bernie The Hawk Schwartz
Denny Searcy
Freddy New Orleans Sessions
Harry Poochie Sexton
Mike Captain Hook Sigel
David Sizemore
Johnny Boy Skinner
Richard Rocketman Slupik
Steve Lizard Smith
Joe The Grinder/ The Back Solomon
Gary Spaeth
Joey Cincinnati Kid Spaeth
Jimmy Flyboy Spears
Tom Spencer
Vernon Brier Spivey
Tex Jean Sonny Springer
Pittsburgh John Stapoli
Frank Sailor Stellman
Greg Big Train Stevens
Bill Stigall
Earl The Pearl Strickland
Billy Joss West Stroud
Jay Swanee Swanson
Larry Swartz
Three- finger Ronnie Sypher
Keith Young Squirrel Thompson
Rodney Babe Thompson
Dallas Joey Torma
Seattle Sam, Fat Sam Trivett
Cecil The Left Duke Tugwell
Cuban Joe Valdez
Nick Varner
Mexican Johnny Vasquez
Philadelphia Joey Veasey
George Stardust Lounge Chicago Walker
Sterling Buttermilk Ward
(Capitol Billiards Detroit, The Rack) Watson
Dick Weaver
One-eyed Jesse Webb
Wendell Weir
Billy Weir
Junior Weldon
Al Werline
Dallas West
Jimmy The Kid Wetch
Edgar Shake and Bake White
Alton Babyface Whitlow
Robert Rags Woods
Dave Yeager
John Red Shoes Zaksas
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