Larry Lisciotti was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 professional pool

Pocket billiards

Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards or pool billiards , is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the , into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. Popular versions include eight-ball and nine-ball...

 player and notable road hustler

Hustling

Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling with the hustler, as a form of confidence trick...

, nicknamed "the Prince of Pool".

Early days

Lisciotti had eaten up the local before he graduated from high school, but as soon as he obtained a high school diploma, he hit the road. He remembered it as the best time of his life, as there were times when he spent only US$

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

6 on a motel room, but won thousands of dollars in a local tavern.

As a road player in the early 1970s in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, Lisciotti was playing nine-ball with an unknown entity for $15,000 for six- (meaning one player had to score six games ahead, instead of a to six) in order to win the money. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a black, shiny object pointing directly at his head as he was getting ready to shoot the nine-ball in the pocket. He missed the shot, as the bullet flew over his head. It happened five more times, each time Lisciotti was getting ready to shoot a game-winning shot. After missing six consecutive nine-ball shots in a row, Lisciotti had had enough and said, "If he's going to kill me, let him!" He fired the last nine-ball in the pocket with authority, but thankfully only heard a clicking sound as the gunman ran out of bullets.

Professional career

Lisciotti defeated Rich Riggie in a 14.1 challenge match at Gold Crown Billiards in New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

 in 1971. Behind by 150 , Lisciotti rallied with a of 113 to win the match, 1000–908, before a packed house of spectators.

In 1976, at the Challenge of Champions, Tom Jennings

Tom Jennings

Tom Jennings is a Los Angeles-based artist and technician. He is the creator of FidoNet, the first message and file networking system for BBSes...

, who was named the World Champion of the annual US Open Pocket Billiard Championship, held by the Billiard Congress of America

Billiard Congress of America

Billiard Congress of America is a governing body for cue sports in North America , the regional member organization of the World Pool-Billiard Association...

, agreed to battle it out with Lisciotti for the top spot. The two players played straight pool

Straight Pool

Straight pool, also called 14.1 continuous or simply 14.1, is a pocket billiards game, and was the common sport of championship competition until overtaken by faster-playing games like nine-ball...

, 1,000-point catch-up at 200 points per block for five nights. The last night, Lisciotti made a 125-ball run to bring his score to 999, one point away from victory. Tension in the air, Jennings made a 57 ball run trying to catch Lisciotti, but undercut a break ball, allowing Lisciotti to pocket one ball for the win.

The September 1976 issue of Hustler Magazine profiled Lisciotti's life as a professional player and gambler. The article was written by Jay Levin, entitled, "Larry Lisciotti, Pool Hustler".

Titles

• 1976 World Open Pocket Billiard Championship Challenge of Champions
• 1980 Professional Pool Players Association Nine-ball Championship, (Atlantic City, New Jersey
  Atlantic City, New Jersey
  Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
  
  )

Filmography

Billiards: The Basics and the Best, Key Media Aspen Studio, featuring Larry Lisciotti, Mike Sigel

Mike Sigel

Mike Sigel is an American professional pool player.Sigel has won over 102 major pool tournaments, including 3 US Open Nine-ball Championship tournaments and 5 world pocket billiard championship titles...

, Jimmy Mataya

Jimmy Mataya

Jimmy Mataya is an American professional pool player, nicknamed "Pretty Boy Floyd".In 1982, Jimmy Mataya, 31, wed Ewa Svensson, 17, of Sweden , forming pool's first "power couple". Their daughter Nikki was born in 1985, but they later divorced.Mataya enjoys other games of stake...

, and Jim Rempe.

External links

• "Roadrunners Rediscovered!", Pool & Billiard Magazine, October 2006.