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

(A poster on one of the internet pool forums remarked that he had never heard of me in all in 22 years in the pool world. This was my reply to that shut-in.)

Re my anonymity -- at least to you-- A archeologist friend of mine just returned from a trip to Tibet. While in the mountains, in an old temple, he discovered the monks had a game room and an old Russian snooker table. He was amazed at how well they played the game, and when they found out he was from Chicago, the best playing monk of the bunch asked him, "Hey, how's The Beard shooting?"

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