The Washington times., 1934-01-12
BY GINO SINH

Monday.
BY GINO SINH
The dreadful secret is out!
Oliver Paul Pacini, twice No. l
ranking duckpin-popper of the
U. S., is a reformed trombone
player.
Ollie, when lad, played the
trombone as a member Of the
italian Social Club 40-piece BIZ
cycle band, of Sault st. Marie,
Ontario, Canada, for several
years.
Ollie has lived and laboured
under three flags, the Italian tri-
color, the maple-leaf of Canada
and the Stars and Stripes.
He has been a jack-of all
trades. In Canada he worked
for three years in his uncle's
bakery. In Washington, he fol-
lowed his fathers trade, orna-
mental plastering for a while,
became a bell-hop, a grocery clerk,
a taxi driver, an assistant mana
ger of a valet shop and this year,
manager of the Temple bowling
alleys.
Pacini was born in Diecimo,
(Which is less than 10 miles from
the birthplace of the Writer)
near Lucca, in Tuscany, Italy, on
August 20, 1897. He attended
the towns grammar school and
"ginnasio" which corresponds to
the American high school. He was
also instructed by the parish
priest, and sang in the choir.
Joins Bike Pand
When 13 he was called to Can
ada by his uncle, where he Joined
the bicycle band, being the young
est member in it. The band was
awarded second prize at a Fourth
of July celebration in Sault St.
Marie, Michigan, just across the
Canadian border, Ollie recalls.
He came to washington a. 16,
and his interrupted education was
completed by private tutors.
He played sandlot baseball as a
centerfielder with Gibraltars and
st. Joseph, when they won city
championships a decade ago and
was also a halfback on the York
A. c. eleven which won the 145-
pound title back in 1920.
He mastered two Italian games,
"tiro ala forma" (cheese-rolling)
and boccie, the latter the Italian
adnptation of bowling. Pacini at
tributes his later excellence at duck
pins to the lessons he learned in
these two sports, particularly
boccie. Boccie, where the stress is
on control, gave him his accuracy
and balance as we'll as ability to
make the rubberoid spheres do his
bidding.
Ollie bowled his first duckpin
game in the Brunswick alleys,
long since torn down, in 1917.
Two years later he Joined the
Knights of Pythias League.
Attracts Notice
He was regarded as a fairly
tough man to beat in open compe-
tition but it wasn't until 1927
that he attracted wide attention.
Practically unknown, Ollie jumped
into the headlines when he smash
ed out a 646 set in the opening
block of the w. C. D. A. 15-game
sweepstakes, the predecessor of
the Howard Campbell Stakes.
But he failed to back it up in the
next two sets and Arthur Logan
won.
He began the climb to his pres
ent eminence two years later in
sensational style, when he chalked
up a 432 set in the second N. D.
P. B. C. tournament in Richmond.
He placed fourth in the all-events.
A few days later he came back
with a 434 set and 180 game in
the Recreation League.
The next year he had an aver
age of 119 in this circuit, and had
correSpondingly fine averages in
the defunct Athletic League and
the Petworth suburban loop, help
ing his teams win the pennantS
in both cases. Coupled with his
fine special event showing he was
placed sixth on the w. c. D. A.
ranking list.
During the 1930-31 season he
was ranked second to Henry
Hiser in the District and third
nationally, his record showing he
had the best all-around average
of any bowler in this section.
In 1882 he again had the
best all-around record, averaging
over 12O for $50 games rolled in
all type of competition including
winning the first Washington
Times Dixie Sweepstakes, and
he was rewarded with the No. l
ranking nationally as well as
locally.
Again Placed First
He was again rated No. l in
the U. S. and city last year on
the general excellence OF his
bowling, having better than a
12O average in four leagues. He
distinguished himself last year
with a 480 set in the National
Capital League, the second high
est on record.
He has finished near the top
in many events, twice placing
second in the N. D. B. C. all
events, once second in U. S.
Stakes, won the italian Sweep
stakes three times, including this
year, and with Red Megaw cap
tured the Atlantic Coast Doubles
crown in 1882.