1. William Joseph Mosconi was an American professional pool player from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
41 Facts About Willie Mosconi
1. 2.
Willie Mosconi is widely considered one of the greatest pool players of all time.
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Willie Mosconi pioneered and regularly employed numerous trick shots, set many records, and helped to popularize pool as a national recreation activity.
4.
Willie Mosconi set the officially-recognized straight pool high world record of 526 consecutive balls in 1954.
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Willie Mosconi's family lived above a pool hall that William's father, Joseph Willie Mosconi, owned.
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Willie Mosconi tried to keep his young son away from the game by hiding the billiard balls, but Willie improvised by practicing with an old broomstick and small potatoes from his mother's kitchen.
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The young Willie Mosconi was a prodigy and his father soon realized that he could use his son's talent to help earn money for their growing family.
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Joseph Mosconi began advertising challenge matches, and though Willie had to stand on a box in order to reach the table, he beat experienced players many years his senior.
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The hall was packed, and though Greenleaf won that match, Willie Mosconi played well enough to draw considerable attention and launch his professional career.
10.
In 1924, at the age of 11, Willie Mosconi was the juvenile straight pool champion and was regularly holding trick shot exhibitions.
11.
Willie Mosconi claimed he never hustled anyone, beating everyone honestly: "I played everyone straight".
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In 1933, Willie Mosconi competed in the Billiard Congress of America World Straight Pool Championship.
13.
Erwin Rudolph won the title and Willie Mosconi came in 5th place.
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Willie Mosconi's performance garnered the attention of the president of Brunswick Corporation who immediately hired the young phenom.
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That same year, Willie Mosconi embarked on a hectic cross-country exhibition tour promoting Brunswick products.
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Willie Mosconi was joined by his idol and then World Champion Ralph Greenleaf, who was at the top of his game.
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Willie Mosconi was sponsored by a hall in New York City called McGirr's.
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Willie Mosconi dominated this series, and ran 125 balls from the five times, being one of the first players to achieve this feat at the time.
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In 1944, Willie Mosconi enlisted in the United States Army, having already spent several years working within the defense industry.
20.
In 1958 Willie Mosconi made a return and won the National Invitational Tournament defeating Jimmy Moore.
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Willie Mosconi retired from tournament play in 1966, after making it to the final of the World Straight Pool Championship but losing to Joe Balsis.
22.
Willie Mosconi remained active in promoting the game and consulted and appeared in several movies dealing with billiards, made game show appearances and wrote many articles on billiards, as well as co-authored some books.
23.
In 1974, Willie Mosconi competed against Rex Williams in a challenge match, where both players competed in snooker and in various pocket billiards games in a 17 day competition, to conclude the winner.
24.
The 60 year old Willie Mosconi won the challenge, winning 7 out of the 18 games in snooker, while dominating in straight pool, nine-ball, eight-ball, one-pocket, and bank pool.
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Willie Mosconi earned $15,000 for winning the challenge match, which was the largest first place prize in cue sports at the time.
26.
Critics have argued that Willie Mosconi's record was made in competition while Schmidt simply set up break shots for himself, and that his video was never released.
27.
Willie Mosconi's job was to teach Newman how to walk, talk, and shoot like a real pool hustler.
28.
Newman had never even picked up a pool cue before filming, but Willie Mosconi's instruction helped to hide Newman's inexperience.
29.
Willie Mosconi had a cameo role as himself, acting as a holder during the first match-up between the film's characters "Fast Eddie" Felson and "Minnesota Fats".
30.
Gleason can be heard saying "Willie Mosconi, hang on to that" when the match commences.
31.
At various points in the extended scene, Willie Mosconi can be seen in the audience watching the match.
32.
Willie Mosconi had a cameo role as himself in George Thorogood's official video for his song "Bad to the Bone".
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February 5,1962: Willie Mosconi was a contestant on the television game show I've Got a Secret.
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May 9,1980: Willie Mosconi played a sportscaster in the film The Baltimore Bullet starring James Coburn and Omar Sharif.
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August 10,1991: Willie Mosconi played his last challenge match, against Jimmy Caras at the Valley Billiards Hall of Fame tribute dinner show.
36.
Willie Mosconi's story was featured in an episode of Mysteries at the Museum.
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In 1968, at the age of 55, Willie Mosconi was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
38.
In 2006, Willie Mosconi was posthumously honored with membership in the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
39.
Shortly before winning his first World Straight Pool Championship in 1941, Willie Mosconi married Ann Harrison, his first wife.
40.
Willie Mosconi died of a heart attack on September 17,1993, at his home in Haddon Heights, New Jersey.
41.
Willie Mosconi is interred at New Saint Marys Cemetery, in Bellmawr, New Jersey.