Willie Mosconi Used Pool Cue Stick Peter Margo Palmer Custom – COA

“The good player is not the player who makes the tough shot,” says Willie Mosconi. “It’s the guy who makes a lot of easy ones, because he’s placing the cue ball in such a way that he’s making every shot easy.”

Willie Mosconi’s name is synonymous with billiards in the way that Babe Ruth’s is synonymous with baseball, won the world pocket billiards championship 13 times in 15 years from 1941 through 1956, the year he retired from the professional circuit. “There will never be another one like him,” said his wife, Flora. “He reminded me of a ballet dancer going around the table. He was so quick, so smooth. He did everything so effortlessly. No one was more graceful or had more finesse.” 

His most heralded records include a high run of 526 straight balls in exhibition play, set in Springfield, Ill., in 1954; a high grand average of 18.34 in a world tournament in Chicago in 1950, and a best game in which he sank 150 balls in a row in one inning (a perfect game) against a disbelieving Jimmy Moore in Kinston, N.C., in 1956.

Presented is an original custom Peter Margo Palmer Bullet pool cue stick used by Willie Mosconi. The cue was obtained in 1979 at Caesars Palace in Atlantic City by a VP in Oriental Marketing. The Marketing Executive was a fellow billiards player and enjoyed going to Mosconi’s exhibition games. During the exhibitions, they exchanged information and became friends. With a host offer on the proverbial pool table along with an El Dorado Caddy that helped sweeten the deal, Mosconi did the Meet & Greet for the casino along with many private showroom events with Caesars Palace for a year. Once Mosconi was done working for Caesars, they went to dinner and Mosconi presented the stick to the VP in gratitude. The VP noted, it was in a different Imperial case than his usual. Included as provenance with the cue is photos from their time at Caesars together.

The stick is a custom Peter Margo Palmer – Baltimore Bullet which is noted on the butt cap along with Willie Mosconi’s name along the band above it.  Palmer custom cues was started in 1964 in Elizabeth New Jersey. The end also sports a custom inlay before the wrap starts and then the inlay extends in an arrow pattern into the forearm portion.  In custom-made cues you can often find high-quality inlays made of special materials and of high craftsmanship and artistic value. Mainly different, often exotic woods are used, but also other materials like pearls, ivory or imitation shells and metals. Color accent stripes like red, yellow and black in this one are also incorporated.

Overall, the cue stick (59-3/8″ long) shows great use by the legend (Mosconi) with the butt portion having some knicks/scratches/wear to it (as well as the other portions). Note, there are two end portions with one showing more use/wear with more blue chalk residue. This cue presents an unique opportunity to collectors who want a real “run-the- table” weapon or a high end conversation piece. This is all because Mosconi was a gentleman as well as a true billiards player not just a pool guy.