He also learned the business by brushing the felt tables, stocking shelves and replacing tips on pool cues. “I got quite an education in pool playing.” “I played straight pool with Dorothy Wise every day, then with Evelyn dal Porto,” Simon went on. A year later he sold the business to big-time pool player Sax dal Porto. Several years later, he bought Redwood City’s Sequoia Billiards from Dorothy Wise, a legendary professional who’s considered by many to be one of the greatest pool player of all time. “In 1977,” Simon continued, “I created an outline of what I thought a pool hall could be and should be, erasing all the negative connotations and making ladies welcome.”Īlmost two decades earlier, Harry Simon moved his family to Novato and bought the Napa-Val fishing resort on the Napa River, near Mare Island, where he rented boats and cabins, and sold beer, bait and gas. It was a challenge, overcoming the viewpoint embraced in movies like “The Hustler” and popularized in “The Music Man” by lovable con artist Harold Hill, who proclaimed, “Oh you’ve got trouble! Right here in River City! With a capital “T” and that rhymes with “P” and that stands for pool!” His introduction came early, as a 5-year-old in Wells, Nevada, where his father, Harry Simon, opened one in the basement of a casino. “Those dark, smoke-filled rooms where ladies weren’t allowed to set foot.” “I’ve spent my life overcoming the negative stereotypes associated with pool halls,” Simon said. To his credit, as evidenced by the soaring popularity of pool halls today, they’ve transformed into a fun and relaxing, family-friendly venue. Lee Simon, proprietor of Buffalo Billiards, has spent decades disproving those old beliefs. Not that long ago they carried a sordid reputation as a male-dominated territory where low-lifes and ne’er-do-wells gathered to loiter, smoke, fight, bet and, of course, shoot pool. The airy, well-lit game room welcomes everyone, regardless of age or skill level, to come in, chalk up a cue stick and play pool.īut life around pool halls hasn’t always been this inviting. If you pass by Buffalo Billiards on an afternoon or evening and you’ll notice the mix of individuals young and old, men and women, novices and experts gathered around the pool tables enjoying one of America’s favorite pastimes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |