The Washington times., 1933-04-19
JIMMY CARAS.
REGARDSD.C..
HOME TOWN !
By GNO SINH

Jimmy CaraS, youthful pocKet
billiard sensation. who faces
Andrew Ponzi, of Philadelphia, in
q 250-point match at Lewis and
Krauss parIors today, has a great
big warm spot for washington
In his heart. This afternoons
match starts at 2:30. The night
block at 8.
It was here, when only eleven
years of age, that he made his
public debut as a billiardist back
in 1921. At that time he was
Sopping up education at the Cook
School, in Mt. Pleasant, and after
school hours, rushed through his
home work to get time to practice
at his beloved pastime.
Again in 1925 the young Greek
American spent year at Central
High School, served a Washing
ton Times route, and played in
numerous exhibitions and tourna-
ments around town, taking the
measure of the cream of local
ivory experts.
His father, Spiros, used to
operate billiard parlor on E
Street, between Ninth and Tenth
Streets northwest, and Jimmy
lived with his aunt, Mrs. Anna
Lambros, at 2424 Fourteenth st.
a. w.
Washington Home Town
So for him, a much-traveled
young man, washington with its
pleasant boyhood memories, is
more his home town than Scran-
ton, Pa, where he was born on
December II, 1910. And Wash
angtonians can regard him as
S1ocal boy who made good"
Jimmy began his billiard career
ut the tender age of S, playing
with his younger brother, Gus, on
o miniature table given to him
by an admirer. He soon grew tired
of the toy equipment. and with
the aid of a soap-box, manipula-
ting man-Sized cue-StickS in his
fathers billiard rooms at Scran-
ton, Pa, he displayed extraordi-
nary natural ability at coaxing
the ivory spheres to do his bid
ding.
After his first public exhibition
here. his father removed to Chi
cago in 1922, where Jimmy
amazed the patrons in his faith
er'S establishment with his Prov
eSs. He was so proficient that
promoter offered to take him on
q tour of the country. but his
father refused to let him go, in
Gisting that he complete his edu-
cation first. In 1923 he defeated
several widely known players, in
cluding Pasquale Natalie, for many
years a worlds title contender. In
1924 he won the Chicago city
crown.
Second D. G. Visit
The next year he made his sec
Ond visit to the National Capital,
only to move to Wilmington, Del,
after less than year stay. There,
In January, 1926, he impressed
himself indelibly on Ralph Green
leafs mind when only 16 years
Of age, and even younger in ap-
pearance, he beat the champion
In an impromptu exhibition, run
ming 13 balls to win, 100 to 81.
Since then he has been climbing
rapidly to the top of the ladder.
.Greenleaf recently predicted that
he will be the next worlds pocket
billiard champion.
He gained international fame
aast December when he finished
second to Greenleaf in the worlds
championship tournament, at New
York, defeating Erwin Rudolph
and Andrew Ponzi in a play-off Of
q three-way tie for second honors.
Jimmy takes his billiard career
seriously. He does not drink,
smoke or chew and he gets nine
hours sleep every night. He is
also a dutiful son, supporting his
family on his earnings. Heredity
had nothing to do with Jimmy's
mastery of the cue, for his father,
though an operator Of billiard
rooms all his life, was never much
OF player. His brother, Gus, is
only a fair performer.
CaraS and Ponzi are old rivals.
They have met many times and
know each others bag of tricks.
Both are spectacular players, with
Q penchant for long runs and
breath taking shots.