Danny DiLiberto (born February 19, 1935 in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

retired professional

pool Pool may refer to: Water pool * Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming * Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings * Tide pool, a rocky pool ...

player, nicknamed "Buffalo Danny". A veteran player from the Johnston City era, a teacher, an author, and previously working as a commentator for Accu-Stats, DiLiberto is an active member of the pocket billiards community. He was elected into the

One Pocket One-pocket is a pool game. Unlike other games played on a pool table where any can be used to score , only one pocket for each player is used in this game. The object of the game is to score points. A point is made when a player pockets any objec ...

Hall of Fame in 2004 for his "outstanding contribution to the legacy of the game of

one pocket One-pocket is a pool game. Unlike other games played on a pool table where any can be used to score , only one pocket for each player is used in this game. The object of the game is to score points. A point is made when a player pockets any objec ...

Early boxing days

Before DiLiberto became interested in pocket billiards, he was a professional boxer from 1957-1959 with a 14-0-1 record, with 12 knockouts, until he was forced into retirement after breaking his hands four times.

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

's trainer

Angelo Dundee Angelo is an Italian masculine given name and surname meaning "angel", or "messenger". People People with the given name *Angelo Accattino (born 1966), Italian prelate of the Catholic Church *Angelo Acciaioli (bishop) (1298–1357), Italian Rom ...

remarked that “Danny was a heck of a fighter”, “Whoever I put in front of him he knocked out. If it weren’t for his brittle hands he would have been a champion." In 2006, he was inducted into Buffalo's Ring 44 Boxing Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the sport. He is also known for having rolled a perfect game in bowling.

Professional career

The 1981 BCA National Eight-Ball Championship was a memorable victory for DiLiberto when he faced

Nick Varner Nick Varner (born May 15, 1948, in Owensboro, Kentucky) is an American pool player who was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame in 1992. Varner is a world champion and has won back to back U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships, in ...

in the finals. Running out the deciding match was most appropriate for DiLiberto in what was until then a neck-and-neck race to 7 for the win. DiLiberto was a member of the

International Pool Tour The International Pool Tour was a professional sports tour created in 2005 by Kevin Trudeau and hosted by Rebecca Grant. It aimed to elevate pool to the level of other modern sports. Closely modeled on the PGA Tour, the IPT offered the largest pri ...

. A book was written by pool journalist Jerry Forsyth about Danny DiLiberto entitled "Road Player, the Danny DiLiberto Story"."Road Player, The Danny DiLiberto Story"
''Amazon.com''. Retrieved 5 June 2008. On October 20, 2011, DiLiberto was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place alongside the 36th annual US Open 9-Ball Championships. DiLiberto had won major tournaments in four different divisions of professional pocket billiards: straight pool, one pocket, 8 ball, and 9 ball. From 1989 to 2020 DiLiberto was as a commentator for Accu-Stats Video Productions.

Career titles & achievements

* 1961 New York City Straight Pool Championship * 1962 New York State Straight Pool Championship * 1965 Florida State Straight Pool Championship * 1968 Florida State Straight Pool Championship * 1969 U.S. Masters Straight Pool Championship * 1972 Johnston City Straight Pool Championship * 1972 Johnston City All-Around Championship * 1972 Ohio State Straight Pool Championship * 1981 BCA National 8-Ball Tournament * 1982 Busch Open 9-ball Championship * 1983 One Pocket All-Around Championship * 1984 Classic Cup IV 9-Ball * 1985 Austin One Pocket Championship * 1985 Eastern States Straight Pool Tournament * 1985 World Mixed Doubles Nine Ball Tournament * 1989 Western States Nine Ball Tournament * 1996 Senior Tour Nine Ball Tournament * 1997 French National Nine Ball Tournament * 1998 French National Nine Ball Tournament * 2004

Hall of Fame * 2006 Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame * 2011

Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame This is the list of people inducted into the Billiard Congress of America's hall of fame to honour outstanding people who, through their competitive skills and dedication, have enriched the sport and industry. Two categories have been established in ...

* 2012

Straight Pool Straight pool, which is also called 14.1 continuous and 14.1 rack, is a cue sport in which two competing players attempt to as many billiard balls as possible without playing a . The game was the primary version of pool played in professional ...

Hall of Fame * 2017 Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diliberto, Danny American pool players Living people Sportspeople from Buffalo, New York 1935 births