Where is the Beeper

[Renaissance Man]

Does the Beeper still bowl action, does he still beep.

Does anyone have any good Beeper stories.

[bowler130]

I can't tell you where the Beeper is, but I do remember him. Back in the early 80's when I was a high school senior, I pinchased at Elmsford Lanes in Westchester County, which became an arcade around 1988.

There was a time when the action guys were tossed from Homefield in Yonkers (I think BCA took them over and wanted them out, not sure) and the action moved up to Elmsford. Usually it would start on weeknights when the leagues ended. Often times I would hang around and chase, or just watch.

Beeper was always one of the bowlers. I just remember that he would try to freak out opponents with the beeping, or by dropping pencils in back of them when they were on the approach, etc. It was pretty funny. Quite a character. I also remember that instead of adjusting right and left, he would adjust forward and backward, sometimes sliding down to the heads to compensate for a dry lane. This used to get us riled because we also had to oil the lanes, and its terrible for them when you do that, as it wears out the boards and cuts grooves in them.

I chased with a guy who had Tourette's syndrome, who everyone used to call "Bop" because of the noises he would make. But no one would ever notice him when The Beeper was around. He sounded like an air raid siren. You would think aliens were invading or something.

I never bowled action. Just a middle class kid who bowled junior leagues and in college. But, I sure got a big kick out of the action guys.

[old dog]

That was great, what other guys do you remember bowling action there.

[VNL1]

Jeff "Beeper" Klein is still around. He can sometimes be found at Homefield on Saturdays.

And yes, he still "beeps"

The assemblyman from my district is named Jeff Klein - no relation as far as I know.

[TonyTantillo]

I have not been around the action since the early 1980'2 but I knew Jeff and even backed him a few times. I met him first at Steele Lanes on Webster Ave and 204th street in the Bronx. He was standing next to an old fashioned pinball machine which I thought was beeping but it turned out to be Jeff. He was tremendously talented but was alway's broke due to his sports gambling. Many times I backed him at the pot games on Monday nights at Deer Park Lanes and we alway's did very well. He some of his best bowling at Pel-Park in the Bronx and at Harness Lanes. One great match was Beeper vs a guy named Starr - I forget his first name. Not only were they stringing strikes but they were trying to out do each other running the strikes out some times going 4 to six lanes in both directions. On weekends he would go from Kegler tournament to kegler tournament winning several until he lost all his handicap and then he one at least one scratch. There are many more Jeff stories but one of the funniest as I look back is one afternoon when I arrived at Harness lanes Beeper grabbed me because a lefty Kenny way below his class wanted to bowl him and he needed backing. Kenny also was a marathon bowler who would only bet $50 a game but would go 6 to 8 down. I was all for it and the match started Beeper won the first and was way ahead in the second game when a shylock he owed money to came in. He started to yell at Jeff for gambling while he owed him money Jeff got nervouse and started to beep so fast he could not talk. I gave the guy the $20 Vig to get him to leave which he did but Beeper was done losing the lead the game and two more before he quit. His gambling really hurt the tremendous bowling ability he had.

[Renaissance Man]

That must of been Larry Starr, a very good bowler, Lou C can tell you more about him. Keep the stories coming.

[bowler130]

I decided to revisit the site to see if anyone had responded to this Beeper thread.

I love it. This is some funny stuff. Thanks for the reminder of Beeper's actual name. I knew it was Jeff, but couldn't remember the last name.

The story about beeping until someone paid his Vigorish to the bookie, or whoever he owed "shka-role" to, had me roaring. Being Sicilian, I can imagine that scene in my head.

And I had forgotten about his level of talent. Many times the talent level of these guys is forgotten because they become consumed by the gambling. I used to marvel at the strings these guys would put together, and, in my youthful innocence would ask questions like "why don't they join the PBA?"

Well, I think we know. I remember a bowler named Mike Gaito (hope I'm spelling it correctly) who I thought was great. I believe he bowled action. I used to think to myself how great of a player this guy was, and I think he drove a bread truck or something. Nothing wrong in that; its honorable work. But I think these guys realized they could make more money doing the action thing. And they were right.

There's just no good promotion in the game. But I'll tell you, I get really steamed when I turn on the television and see "The Poker World Series." This is more interesting than bowling? Come on. I love poker, but please.

There ought to be an action bowling show. I bet people would watch. Can you imagine the Beeper on TV? The viewing public would think there was something wrong with the cable box!

Christ, they put everything on TV now, why not action?

Peace, guys. Hope I read some more good stuff on this thread. Its a pleasure sharing stories with you.

[TonyTantillo]

Glad you enjoyed the stories. Beeper was quite a character - I left out the way he would drive. He would rest his long right leg on the hump in the middle of the front floor (pre-front wheel drive). He would rest his elbow on his knee and his head on his hand. He would then use his left foot on the gas peddle and to break. It was interesting. Also at times he would owe everyone money. He owed me money a few times but I have to say he always tried to pay his debts. Once when he owed me money he showed up with a black colonial double bag filled with left handed wrist bands (Iam a lefty), towels and accessories and asked if I would take the merchandise instead of the $100. He was very good at Pel Park in the Bronx and could have bowled many top notch bowlers there but was pretty shrewd at not getting himself over classed. There was a guy who was great at Fiesta Frank Defillipo (Flip) who got himself classed so high that he was either out of action or above his head in many other houses.

Mike Gaito had several streaks where he was pretty good. He alway's bowled well at Homefield and when he was hot would bowl a lot of action but he was pretty careful who he bowled in other houses. I think he is another example of gambling keeping him out of action. If I remember he was a horse bettor and would be at Yonkers Raceway quite often.

[SENIOR CITIZEN]

The beeper was ok but nothing special. Mike Gaito could throw alot of strikes but was not a good spare shooter, especially the ten pin.

[bowler130]

I would never get in the car with anyone who operated both pedals with his left foot. What if the car had a clutch, then what?

I like how he tried to pay you $100 in wristbands. I remember an action match once where a guy wanted to pay off $50 with an LT48 (shows you how long ago it was) and the other guy wouldn't take it. When the debtor asked why the guy said "Because Con Edison won't take it." Classic.

Did The Beeper have any sort of profession or job outside of bowling and gambling? People used to say he was actually a pretty bright guy.

I decided to look around this site and found a good Beeper story in another area. If you go to this link:

www.actionbowlers.com/F-Sto-2.html

Then scroll down until you see "The Beeper Vs. The Snake" by a guy named Lenny D. It mentions some of the same stuff I said about Beeper sliding all the way down the lanes. Pretty funny.

According to the story, Beeper bowled off the wrong foot, which explains his scary driving habits.

[TonyTantillo]

I think Jeff started to work for a bookmaker . Other than that and trying to grind out a living from bowling and sports betting I don't believe he had a profession. I think throughout the seventy's he still lived with his parents in the Bronx near the old Pel-Park Lanes.

[TonyTantillo]

I think Jeff started to work for a bookmaker in the late 70's. I guess on the phones the customers might have thought the beep was normal. Other than that and trying to grind out a living from bowling and sports betting I don't believe he had a profession. I think throughout the seventy's he still lived with his parents in the Bronx near the old Pel-Park Lanes. He definately did bowl off the wrong foot.