Untold Stories: In Search of the Real Rudolf Wanderone

Fats' "Celebrity Billiards" brought cue games and stars like Milton Berle to the masses.

I took a subway to Washington Heights, where I took pictures. As you can see, Fats' old home was a multi-story tenement building with what looks to be an apartment downstairs. I rang the bell, but nobody came to the door. I also strolled over to two nearby Roman Catholic churches, hoping to find some records of a baptism for little Fatty. I struck out on that count, but I'll keep looking.

Here are a few more tidbits I found scrounging around the New York Public Library. According to the American Family Immigration History Center, which I accessed at the library, a passenger by the name of Rosa Wanderone arrived in the United States in 1909, on the 607-foot King Alexander, a vessel that then flew under the German flag. According to the ship manifest, it arrived on July 25. Obtained from ellisisland.org, the manifest shows that Rosa paid her own passage, was in possession of $50, and previously had visited the United States.

But here's something strange: The ship manifest said Rosa planned to visit "Rudolf Wanderon" in the United States, but it lists Wanderon as her brother, not as her husband. Again, I'm not sure what to make of this. Perhaps it was a lie she told in order to sidestep some problem with immigration. Rosa's height was listed as 5'10'', her complexion fair, her hair blonde and her eyes blue. Also, she apparently wasn't an anarchist. They asked that sort of thing back then.

Fats, in his autobiography, said he was playing serious pool since at least the 1920s, and references an exhibition match with former national champion Cowboy Weston in the middle of the decade. The exhibition was held in Heights Recreation, a poolroom in his neighborhood, in conjunction with some sort of parade and celebration for an automobile association. That's a tough one. I looked through various newspapers, and didn't come up with anything. However, The New York Times, in 1925, has several lengthy articles about a jubilee celebration of the creation of the automobile. In its reports, the Times referenced various exhibitions and celebrations throughout the city. Perhaps Fats' shoot-out with Weston was held in conjunction with that automobile celebration or at a later one.

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