![]() I played Kim Davenport some $5 nine ball. That is when I met an "Up and coming player out of Modesto, California." Yeah. California Billiards was just off El Camino Real, is this right. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He's a huge loss to the community and I personally will miss him. I hadn't talked to him since I moved from the bay area a few years ago, something I now regret. I didn't know him in his younger days but I watched him play often and he clearly was a world class player. He introduced me to McCumber and Pat at Accustats, which I considered a great compliment. My wife would come with me to his room and read books while I banged balls around and he signed a copy of his book Playing Off The Rail to her. He started some things like the Railbird Project that was aimed at schools and boys and girls clubs. He loved pool and was passionate about getting kids more exposure to it. He was a character, but I found him to be an intelligent and compassionate person. I didn't know him long but spent quite a bit of time with him as I was also helping him with a couple of projects he had going. I met Tony about 6 or 7 years ago when he was in Fairfield, CA. I just got word last night about Tony from a mutual friend. He was angry as the character had a drug addiction, any one who knew Tony knew he didn’t do drugs or drink. He was very angry that there was a character in there named “tenderloin Tony “ which was Annigoni’s nick name. ![]() One conversation, I’ll share is regarding the movie “shooting gallery “starring Freddie Prinze jr. We last spoke in late too mid March he called me to tell me he spoke to bucktooth and thanked me for always being a friend and listening to him. I reached out to mutual friends in Northern California and was told the details. He always had his phone next to him and pencil behind his ear. The reality set in late that night as he never answered. When I first heard what happened to Tony I was in denial, called his phone a dozen or more times. ![]() He was always looking to open a room somewhere. He tried to get kids involved, many times I called him and he would be at a youth center helping kids play pool. His really loved billiards and wanted it to grow. We became friends, We stood friends over the years.
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