What: 8-ball Tournament
When: Saturday October 17, Time to be determined
Where: Buckland Billiards
Phone: 860-643-6944
Map Link: 1131 Tolland Tpke, Manchester, CT 06042
We will be hosting an 8-ball tournament on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM.
Pool hustlers waiting for the doors to open. Left to right: Phil Spillane, Ed Adams, Donna Wirta.
Buckland Billiards will be opening up especially for our reunion event. Most of the tables at Buckland Billiards are the 7 foot “bar tables” with the coin operated mechanisms removed. They do have 2 tables of the regulation 9 foot length. During normal hours they offer food but may not bring in the staff for our event. We’ll know when we get closer to the event. They are a full service liquor license establishment and I’m sure they will be serving drinks.
Some Serious Manchester History With Pool Halls
Manchester had 4 good pool halls in the 1960s, our high school years. If you played pool during those times the name Larry Lisciotti rang out. He was a Manchester kid who went on to become world champion in 1976. His exploits and adventures as a professional pool player and pool hustler are legendary and well documented.
He was described as “Slim, smooth good looking, confident and a lover of the good life, Larry satisfies the most demanding definition of that cherished persona that lies dormant in the psyche of millions of Americans-the riverboat gambler.” (Pictured above third from left, leaning on the hood of a Rolls Royce.)
Sports Illustrated wrote, “Lisciotti, who has yet to work a day of his life, does not care about games against the big names; any guy he can win a quick $50 from is his favorite opponent.”
In Manchester when Larry Lisciotti walked into the pool hall you could feel everybody get tense. He raised the level of everyone’s game.
He is an inductee of the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame. Read more about The Dugout and Larry Lisciotti in this piece of local history written by Californian and Manchester native Laudizen King. Laudizen King is a pen name and his true identity is a closely guarded secret. Very interesting ->click here<-.
Our 2022 Reunion 8-Ball Tournament
Ed Adams wins again. That’s 2 renions, 2 wins.
Bruce Aceto looking for his next opponent.
Flick, aka Raymond Grezel, lines up a shot.
In our attempt to offer a little bit of life from “back in the day” no matter what you experienced, here is a little something from the grittier side of the street.