Pool Legend Minnesota Fats, Portrayed In Film, Is Dead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Minnesota Fats, the boastful billiard wizard who could shoot pool with either hand, stuffed $100 bills in his chest pocket and was portrayed in the movie "The Hustler," died today of congestive heart failure. Tomorrow is his birthday.

"He was the world's greatest," his wife, Theresa Bell Wanderone, said in announcing his death.

"Now he's finally in heaven shooting it out again with (Willie) Mosconi. He always said, `St. Peter, rack 'em up.' "

His age was a matter of dispute. Associates said he was born Jan. 19, 1900, but a 1966 biography, "Bank Shot," listed his date of birth as Jan. 19, 1913.

His real name was Rudolf Wanderone Jr., and he was portrayed by Jackie Gleason in the 1961 movie that starred Paul Newman. He was born in New York City and played pool all his life in various parts of the country.

Mr. Wanderone, who once weighed 245 pounds, was known earlier in his pool days as New York Fats, but became known as Minnesota Fats because of Gleason's character in the movie.

He also was nicknamed "Fatty," "triple smart," "dean of the green," "the sultan of stroke" and "bank shot bandit."

Mr. Wanderone suffered a heart attack in 1992.

The same year, he married Theresa Ward Bell. A previous marriage ended in divorce.

Until the early 1990s, he played pool occasionally at The Hermitage, a plush Nashville hotel where he lived and often was seen feeding the birds outside. He also made cameo appearances in country-music videos.

In the 1980s, some of his matches were seen on ESPN. In the late 1960s, he had a TV show "Celebrity Billiards," which showed him playing pool with movie stars.

"Nobody in the world can beat me if I play for money," he said in 1988. "Nobody living will play me at cards or pool."

Survivors include two stepchildren. No funeral was planned.