Name:
George Herman Balabushka
Claim to Fame:
George Balabushka is the maker of the finest custom
cues ever crafted.
Background:
Named to pool's hall of fame for his woodwork, Balabushka, a master craftsman, poured his life into creating the finest custom cuesticks ever. An original "Bala", many of which have a unique name as does a Stradivarius violin, can fetch incredible prices at auction time. Steve Mizerak refused before his passing more than $10,000 for his beloved cue, "The Dove", a Bala with the bird of peace inset as an insignia near its grip.
Mr. Balabushka, a woodworker who lost a finger in an accident, made a replacement of plastic. His superb craftsmanship meant most of his contemporaries did not know he had lost a real finger!
The little nickel (or stainless steel) rings used in conventional cues today was an early trademark of George Balabushka cues and are generally referred to as "Bushka Rings". Balabushka began his career modifying
house cues off wall racks, adding a
joint, and building them into his own new two-piece designs.
Never Fully Duplicated:
The lengthy list of pros and celebrities waiting for Balabushka's treasures ended when the maestro passed in 1972 in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. A national brand, Adam Cues, since acquired Balabushka's name for a line of sticks.
The originals disappeared with their maker himself, however, since cue making masters painstakingly craft sticks on an individual basis. Aspiring creators need many years to produce the best. Fortunately for the world of pool, Balabushka handed down many trade secrets to his apprentice, Gus Szamboti, who was a top cue maker in his own right, and whose line of cues feature his name.
A Novel (and Movie) Cue:
Moviedom's most famous Balabushka was featured in 1986's smash,
The Color Of Money. Tom Cruise's character, Vincent Lauria, is given a "Bala", (actually a Hollywood prop replica) from Paul Newman's character, Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson.
In one scene, Cruise opens his case to fetch his new toy. A small-town hustler who can't quite see the fabulous cue inside mocks him, asking: "What do you have in there?" Cruise smirks and says, "Doom!"
Interesting fact: The alleged Balabushka used by Tom Cruise in the filming of The Color Of Money, was in fact a copy of an original and was made by Joss.
What They'll Say 100 Years From Now:
No one else was able to make cues as fine.
