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Action
Dec 21, 2006 19:37:44 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike on Dec 21, 2006 19:37:44 GMT -5
I agree with PS. The biggest action house in the Bronx, and probably anywhere ever, was Gus Post in the sixties. Heavy action all night long, and all the top shooters, Ralph Engan, Lemon, Ernie Schlegel, Frank Medici, Harry the Horse, Howie Palefski, Joel Meyers, and others I can't even remember. They were the greatest action bowlers ever. And the house was packed all night. They came from all over the city to watch and to bowl. You had to wait on line at the food counter at three AM.
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Dec 22, 2006 3:11:30 GMT -5
Post by lenny on Dec 22, 2006 3:11:30 GMT -5
1962 spadaro vs the ox
It was a cold rainey friday night and i had just worked late in wall street and being able to change clothes like i usually did , i go staight to the bowling alley at sid gordons, where a match between louie spadaro of brooklyn was going to bowl freddie the ox arbolino from long island for some big bucks. well i come marching into the bowling alley with a fedora, trenchcoat and a suit and tie and looked like the son of frank sinatra, if youcan picture , my picture shown in the photos of me 37 years ago with a fedora , and a trench coat. well i was known to most bowlers in that house and sat down to keep score for the big match. well there must have been about , 200 to 300 people in the back ready to wager on the game , and it is now close to 2am. they start handing me money and i am putting down the names on a piece of paper and the amounts of the wager. i put the oxes money in my inside right trench coat and louies money on the inside left pocket. the amount of the wager is exactly 2500, for the first game each , a total of 5000, im holding, when the match is ready to begin. all of a sudden i get a tap on my left shoulder and two guys also dressed in a trenchcoat take out their, wallet and flash a badge of somesort. i say "what was that " and again a badge is flashed real quick. i turn around , and now notice there is nobody in the back, and the 300 people there a minute ago seemed to have vanished. now its me and these two detectives. one of them says lets have it . i said what. they said you know the piece of paper you put in your pocket. ( with my name on top 30bucks) on the ox. i said you mean this , and proceeded to show them the piece of paper, as louie and the ox looked on. they asked what the names and amounts were and i told them money wagered on thwe game, and the people who were in the back just a short time before. they were surprised that there was gambling , and said to stop or ill bring you down town. now i was kinda hoping they did cause i had 5 gs, but when i asked , if they could continue , they said yes, but not with the las vegas , type crowd. so louie and freddie, decided no match, i gave them their money back. and now was headed out the side door with plenty of cash on me. when i open the door, there are 300 guys looking to collect their bet. i take out my sheet scratch out the names as i return the monies and it came out right to the penney, but one hell of an exciting evening and one i never forgot. if anyone sees freddie at falcaros or louie in new jersey, ask them if they remember that incident.( lennyd )…………………………………………………………………………………………..
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Action
Dec 22, 2006 10:42:37 GMT -5
Post by Caveman Lenny on Dec 22, 2006 10:42:37 GMT -5
Junior,
You were terrible when you bowled in the P.B.A. nationals a few years ago. You were averaging 174 for the tournament. Your request to bowl me would be a joke! First of all, you have no money to back yourself, Judge has to always bail you out. The money I would want to shoot action against you can't afford! You have never won anything in regards to bowling, ETC, and never will. At least I have won something od significance, which is the state championship and a couple of regional tournaments. You bowl action with all these ridiculous spots, shots, ETC. Wanna bowl me on a neutral house. Lets bowl in the Playdrome, 4 game freezeout for $7,500. I want your money, not judge or anyone else that will give you a handout. I have my cash and my balls! Yeah, I'm calling you out once and for all!
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Dec 24, 2006 4:30:06 GMT -5
Post by Zoo Master on Dec 24, 2006 4:30:06 GMT -5
1 st time i bowled richie hornreich he had just come back from vegas and haddent bowled in a few years. came to maple and challenged the house so me being a big shot bowl him. i lost that match before we ever threw a ball. and i was at that time twice the bowler he was. but he still won. he mentally beat me before the match. he taunted me in front of all the maple bowlers. luckily for me he gave me a rematch saturday afternoon. and i beat him 8 straight. that was the day we became friends. and he became the teacher and me the student. like joe s was to him.
unfortunatly being a thick headed 18 yr old , i would forget my teachers lessons and end up bowling someone like behrbohm or burgland or kitter in an actyion rich bowling alley and never get an easy match in that house again. hornet was the best, when i was growing up i spent time at bay ridge and all the great stories were about hornet.
i was lucky i got to bowl around the real greats of the game. Petraglia, joe's, hornreich,roth, etc. Lou Capasso...
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Action
Dec 24, 2006 16:09:05 GMT -5
Post by the old guy on Dec 24, 2006 16:09:05 GMT -5
It sounds like you would of loved the action scene in the NY area starting in the late fifties. The sixties were unreal, literally many hundreds of 190 plus action bowlers constantly in head to head and doubles matches. The cream of the crop 205 average and up were also plentiful and the matches were for big $$$ against each other as well as some of the biggest name PBA pros of the day.
It was like being a kid in a (all for free candy store)I remember walking into one of many different houses about 1am finding 10 or more matches going on at the same time with hundreds of people watching and betting on the side. I myself bowled in many of those matches and it was the best time of my life...
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Dec 25, 2006 15:08:52 GMT -5
Post by morpheus on Dec 25, 2006 15:08:52 GMT -5
morpheus Posted: 12/25/2006 10:52 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As many have said, there aren't many action players anymore, but growing up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area during the 80's and 90's, I was fortunate enough to see some great players. Gary Dickinson, Del Ballard, Norm Duke, Chris Warren, Randy Johnson, Bob McGregor, Randy Fuller, John Fine, Brad Davidson Jr., Joel Gardner, Tony Westlake, Joe Vito, David Ozio, Steve Carson, and Butch Calvert were some of the best during that period.
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acfla
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Action
Dec 27, 2006 16:44:12 GMT -5
Post by acfla on Dec 27, 2006 16:44:12 GMT -5
just to let everybody know freddie the ox passed away a few years back . great site grew up with freddie in falcaros iam younger but seen it all for the last 30 years. tons of action at falcaros woodmere green acres dice games in woodmere youll never see that kind of action again . if thers anybody from falcaros action email me at gatlin523@yahoo.com
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Action
Dec 27, 2006 21:01:18 GMT -5
Post by Zoo Master on Dec 27, 2006 21:01:18 GMT -5
just to let everybody know freddie the ox passed away a few years back . great site grew up with freddie in falcaros iam younger but seen it all for the last 30 years. tons of action at falcaros woodmere green acres dice games in woodmere youll never see that kind of action again . if thers anybody from falcaros action email me at gatlin523@yahoo.com Welcome, I remember seeing freddie bowl Stoop and Lemon on the 4lb logs at Ave M Brooklyn in the 60s Would love to hear some of your action stories, I'd like to add them to my action stories section on the actionbowlers.com website... Thanks
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Dec 28, 2006 2:47:24 GMT -5
Post by JK on Dec 28, 2006 2:47:24 GMT -5
I would have to say that the biggest success story of a guy who was just a hustler has to be Ernie Schlegel. He really never worked except here and there for a bowling alley and only so he could practice for free. He's come a long way from his modest beginnings as a janitor's son. Most of the other action bums that I knew had legitimate jobs during the day and went to the action on the weekends, like myself. It's a great subject Butch lets see if anyone else can come up with some names and how they have succeded. JK...
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Dec 28, 2006 3:01:07 GMT -5
Post by ExDeg on Dec 28, 2006 3:01:07 GMT -5
Some facts about Richie Hornreich, so much talent but being a degenerate gambler was his downfall(horses, casinos, etc, etc, etc). Could have been a great pba bowler. 1. at the age of 16 finished 10TH in the world invitational in chicago against the best around(carter, weber, etc.) 2. averaged 217, unheard of in those days at bedford bowl. 3. first to average 200(206) at the toughest alley in the east, bowlmor 4. won the vargo one year, 4 lb. wood, with a 1060 or 1080 for 5. 5. destroyed jim godman, pbahof at central in 1967 after he had just won the firestone. 6 etc, etc, etc ExDegenerate...
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Action
Dec 28, 2006 3:14:18 GMT -5
Post by Big G on Dec 28, 2006 3:14:18 GMT -5
Butch bowled Beeber that night upstairs on the corner pair, it was a real grind, I think they ended up splitting about 16 games, the week before Butch took down Les Sager 4 straight at Kenmore, it was the first time I was rhere, 1976, I really liked the atmosphere , it was a throw back to when bowling alleys were bowling alleys.
My favorite places for atmoshere were Paramus, Fitzimmons, Duvall On Flatbush Ave, Bowlmore, Raceway, Parkway Lanes.
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Dec 29, 2006 2:48:41 GMT -5
Post by Vinny on Dec 29, 2006 2:48:41 GMT -5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hey Lou, Now you are really bringing back the memories. My first trip to Paramus was with paul Polito as a 17 year old kid, just really learning to bowl. As a lefty, Roger Gardner told me I threw the ball like a righty, with a lot of turn, I reminded him of Mike McGrath.
That first time to Paramus was more than I could have imagined. I did not know who to watch first. Roth, Petraglia, Ralph Engan, Bob Perry ( who later became a friend, and introduce me to Mark Roth for the first time)etc.. For a kid who's dream it was to become a professional bowler, this was paradise.
The fellow who stood out the most to me at that time was Teata Semiz. His smooth timing and fluid swing produced devastating results at Paramus. After every Monday nite session at Paramus, I would rethink everything I saw that nite, then apply it to my practice sessions. After that first time I was determined to improve my game and get into that league.
That happened after I had a really good year 1979-80, however only bowling in one league. But in that league I shot 2 sanctioned 300's, had 22 700 series, 8 of which were over 750, and averaged 217.
I remember my first nite bowling at Paramus, I was very nervous as well I should be, my opponent was John Petraglia. By the time my nerves subsided, Iwas down 2 games. But in the thrid game I showed John a little something. I made it very close after 9 frames covering a washout. John finished with 255, Lou I wasn't going down, I struck out in the 10th for 257 to win my point. What a first nite at Paramus, not only to bowl in the league, but to stay right with a top pro for the evening was truly something special.
You were talking about bowling the ledge, that was something I learned in a hurry. I was recruited to bowl for one of the top teams at Lyons Lanes in Irvington, NJ on Sunday Morning. It was a true gutter shot from both sides. When I first went there to practice, I didn't throw 5 balls before I was approached by several bowlers for an action match.
I will continue later, the macaroni is ready. Keep the memories coming Lou, by the way how did the bowling go today, most important, I hope it was fun... Vinny
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Action
Dec 30, 2006 16:22:45 GMT -5
Post by Still around on Dec 30, 2006 16:22:45 GMT -5
Was there action at fiesta in the bronx if anyone knows?
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Lefty Mike from the Bronx
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Action
Dec 31, 2006 9:00:25 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike from the Bronx on Dec 31, 2006 9:00:25 GMT -5
Never much action at Fiesta. Plenty at Tremont, plenty at Van Nest, and at Capri. Biggest action house in the Bronx was Gun Post in the sixties. The greatest action and the greatest action bowlers ever - Ralph Engan, Mike Lemon, Harry the Horse - who was a guy who was not only a super action bowler but knew more about bowling than the next fifty guys put together - Hank Burroughs, Ernie Schegel, Howie Palefski, and a lot of others I can't remember. The biggest action houses that were near the Bronx were Inwood, right across the bridge in Washington Heights, that was Ernie's house, and Homefield just little north of the Bronx in Westchester. Homefield is probably the oldest action house anywhere, goes back a long way.
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Action
Jan 2, 2007 19:51:32 GMT -5
Post by Zoo Master on Jan 2, 2007 19:51:32 GMT -5
Where is Pete Mylenki?
« Thread started on: Jan 21st, 2002, 10:31am »
Pete bowled a lot of action in late 60's and early 70's. He would bowl anybody.
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mylo was fearless,the only bowler who made lemon not bowl when the pair was picked from the pill box. also watched him win 100,000 at the craps table i missed the 2nd time he did it
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Action
Jan 3, 2007 11:15:51 GMT -5
Post by pappy on Jan 3, 2007 11:15:51 GMT -5
Berardi did better in the pro's but Ernie is by far the better action bowler. Joey bowled some action but not a lot. He joined the pro's at a very young age. Remember there is quite a bit of oil on the pro tour and Ernie never threw a lot of ball so it was much tougher for him to carry. There aren't many guys around who are as accurate as Ernie and if he could carry like some of the others he would have been SUPER TOUGH on tour. I'm ready DEGEN...................just let me know when.
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Action
Jan 8, 2007 17:40:50 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike on Jan 8, 2007 17:40:50 GMT -5
I was an action bowler in the sixities. The ten best action bowlers from that era were (in no special order) :
Ralph Engan Mike Lemongello Howie Palefski Hank Burroughs Ernie Schlegel Harry The Horse Dewey Blair Howie Harris Psycho Dave Frank Medici
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Lefty Mike from the Bronx
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Action
Jan 8, 2007 17:44:43 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike from the Bronx on Jan 8, 2007 17:44:43 GMT -5
I meant the ten best sixties action bowlers from the Bronx and surrounding areas like Westchester and upper Manhattan where Ernie was from.
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Action
Jan 8, 2007 23:53:04 GMT -5
Post by JP on Jan 8, 2007 23:53:04 GMT -5
Good list, I presume you left the horn off because you don't consider him from that area?
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Action
Jan 9, 2007 16:09:06 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike on Jan 9, 2007 16:09:06 GMT -5
I only heard about the Horn from this web site. I don't think he bowled in the Bronx in the sixties, definitely not up to the mid sixties, but I walked away from it all just around that time, so maybe I missed him. Still, I get the impression that he was more from the seventies.
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Action
Jan 9, 2007 17:13:08 GMT -5
Post by JP on Jan 9, 2007 17:13:08 GMT -5
Richie was in his prime pre 70s Here's one of the posts about him AT his peak in '67 and '68 richie was the best action bowler around in the country many felt. To me Lemon and him were equal. I mean how much better than Lemon could you have been. They beat up on everybody and any pro that walked into Central. I can tell you that when Horn was around 18, he averaged 218 at Bedford, unheard of in those days. He won the tough Vargo one year, that four pound wood tournament with a incredible score of 1080. he also was the first to average over 200(206) at that dungeon Bowlmor. he was so talented and through it all away with all his gambling. He had the heart of a lion, if he needed a double in the tenth you ran to the bank and he had no problem betting $1g when a $100 bet was nice in those days. www.actionbowlers.com/act%20-%20richie%20hornreich.htm
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Action
Jan 9, 2007 18:32:12 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike on Jan 9, 2007 18:32:12 GMT -5
Yes, I must have just missed him if he bowled in the late sixties at Central, because up until about 1963 I bowled against all the top action bowlers in the Bronx, especially at Gun Post, where all the biggest action was, and I never heard of him, so he must have come along just about when the action moved to Central, which was after I got respectable and gave it all up.
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Lefty Mike from the Bronx
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Action
Jan 12, 2007 0:05:19 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike from the Bronx on Jan 12, 2007 0:05:19 GMT -5
Correction to my list of top ten Bronx action bowlers from the sixties. I wrote Howie Harris, who is actually a PBA bowler. I meant his brother Lou Harris, who bowled at Tremont and other Bronx houses in the sixties.
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relic
New Member
help me
Posts: 27
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Action
Jan 12, 2007 4:19:53 GMT -5
Post by relic on Jan 12, 2007 4:19:53 GMT -5
I never saw Lou Harris bowl but I've heard he was pretty good.
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Action
Jan 20, 2007 1:16:58 GMT -5
Post by Zoo Master on Jan 20, 2007 1:16:58 GMT -5
The best action bowler ever from Long Island is without a doubt M.L. (Lemon)
The best action bowler ever from Brooklyn is without a doubt R.H. (The Horn)
Who was better, Lemon or Horn?
Which was the greatest action house house of all time?
My top list of action houses in no particular order was:
Central Lanes Yonkers Bowl Whitestone Lanes Deer Park Bowl Ave M Bowl
These houses were in a league of their own, any other house would have to go on the B list.
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Lefty Mike from the Bronx
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Action
Jan 20, 2007 1:41:11 GMT -5
Post by Lefty Mike from the Bronx on Jan 20, 2007 1:41:11 GMT -5
No way! You left off one of the greatest action houses of all time - Gun Post in the Bronx. Just read some of the posts on this web site by the bowlers who used to bowl there and remember what it was like. Action all night, every lane, and ALL the great shooters - Lemon, Ralph, Ernie, Medici, Harry the Horse, Howie Palefski, Pyscho Dave, Joel Meyers - all of them on your list of nominees for the action bowlers HOF. And all for big bucks. You just had to be there to really know what it was like, but ask anybody who was there in the sixties. I was, and I can tell you that those other houses you list may have been great, but there is no way that any house was a bigger or greater action house than Gun Post in the sixties.
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Action
Jan 20, 2007 14:05:17 GMT -5
Post by Bronx old timer on Jan 20, 2007 14:05:17 GMT -5
Lefty Mike is right. I think Gun Post in the sixties was the greatest action house anywhere ever. Non-stop action, all night long, all the top bowlers, they came from everywhere to bowl, watch, and bet. I've never seen anything like it since.
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Action
Jan 20, 2007 16:29:06 GMT -5
Post by Brooklyn Guy on Jan 20, 2007 16:29:06 GMT -5
I never had the pleasure of visiting or bowling action at Gun Post, sure wish I did, at it's peak how many days/nights a week was the big time action there and for how many years did it last?
The King Of Action: Count Gengler
AMONG THE MANY BOWLING polls that have been taken over the years was a 1970 survey in which a group of 48 veteran bowling writers were asked by the ABC to select an All-America bowling team from the pre-1950 era.
The first nine men named were Hank Marino, Jimmy Smith, Ned Day, Joe Wilman, Andy Varipapa, Jimmy Blouin, Joe Norris, Junie McMahon, and Buddy Bomar, in that order. That was no great surprise because all of them had previously been elected to the ABC Hall of Fame.
The 10th man was John "Count" Gengler, a selection that raised many eyebrows. His name can't be found in the record books because he did very little formal competitive bowling. Gengler didn't participate in leagues, tournaments, or organized matches. He shunned notice and hid from headlines. During his heyday in the 1920s and before, it was in his interest not to be well known. You see, Gengler was a bowling hustler.
By the time Gengler died in 1957 at age 80, the tales of his prowess were legendary. He quietly toured the country, enticing bowlers into big-money matches with his non-threatening onestep delivery. It has been said that he once rolled a 300 game in the dark and was one of the most accurate bowlers in history.
His feats were acknowledged by contemporary bowlers--and, obviously, by bowling journalists as well. Today he's still considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time, despite his lack of official standings and statistics.
John Gengler gained notoriety as the best bowling hustler of all time but few knew his first name--he was almost exclusively known as "Count" Gengler. He got that tag because he dressed so well and was a man of impeccable manners--great assets for luring lesser bowlers into big-money games.
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Action
Jan 20, 2007 16:34:49 GMT -5
Post by Zoo Master on Jan 20, 2007 16:34:49 GMT -5
No way! You left off one of the greatest action houses of all time - Gun Post in the Bronx. Just read some of the posts on this web site by the bowlers who used to bowl there and remember what it was like. Action all night, every lane, and ALL the great shooters - Lemon, Ralph, Ernie, Medici, Harry the Horse, Howie Palefski, Pyscho Dave, Joel Meyers - all of them on your list of nominees for the action bowlers HOF. And all for big bucks. You just had to be there to really know what it was like, but ask anybody who was there in the sixties. I was, and I can tell you that those other houses you list may have been great, but there is no way that any house was a bigger or greater action house than Gun Post in the sixties. Sorry, your right, my error. I also was never there but sure wish I was, It sounds like Gun Post might be the #1 of all times but that's still being debated. Central of course is always mentioned as #1, Ave M Brooklyn, and Falcaro's also have a lot of supporters. The more stories about Gun Post the better...
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Action
Jan 21, 2007 9:43:19 GMT -5
Post by Kenny Goodman on Jan 21, 2007 9:43:19 GMT -5
As any Bronx action bowler from those days could tell you, Central never had anything even close to the action at Gun Post. It was only when Gun Post was raided by the cops that the action moved to Central, and even then it never quite had the kind of unbelievable action that there used to be at Gun Post.
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