Mike Lemongello Interview  About The Horn

Some facts about Richie Hornreich, so much talent but being a degenerate gambler was his downfall (horses, casinos, etc, etc, etc). Could have been a great pba bowler.
1. at the age of 16 finished 10TH in the world invitational in chicago against the best around(carter, weber, etc.)
2. averaged 217, unheard of in those days at bedford bowl.
3. first to average 200 (206) at the toughest alley in the east, bowlmor
4. won the vargo one year, 4 lb. wood, with a 1060 or 1080 for 5.
5. destroyed jim godman, pbahof at central in 1967 after he had just won the firestone.
6 etc, etc, etc

Richie was the best, i'm sure jim godman can vouch for that after he lost to richie, just after he won the firestone. or ask any of the n y superstars what their opinion was .guys like ernie, lemon, johnny, marc or joey. i talked at length with lemons brother pete, a couple of years ago at my condo , where he was giving a concert, and he and his brother agree that it was richie was the best. richie also had the top 2 scores in the vargo, i know one was 1068 for 5 and the other was either few pins more or less than that, and the pins were 5 lb magnesium weighted. i dont recall if anyone had beaten it since or even won more than 2 times
the cane

looking at the web site and it brought back many memiors of how it use to be and is not no more. My pick for one of the great action bowlers of all time would be Richie Hornreich of Brooklyn, u had to be there to watch a bowler without a nerve in his body whenever he needed a strike to win.

Bob Simonelli Sr.

ralph was the smoothest bowler I have ever seen. He was the Fred Astaire of getting to the line. He never ever beat Hornreich. You guys do not remember or were not at central in 1967 to see just how great Richiewas. He beat jim godman the pba hof with about 18 titles including the toc in 1967.he kicked his ass in doubles bowling with ernie against lemon and godman. and destroyed him when godman came back again for singles. in both matches godman averaged close to 240 and could not win. richie had so much talent from 16-21 and threw it away gambling. he's still good, but not even close to what he should have been.

It was the spring of 1967. Forgot how many Richie who was the anchor came up. The scores were super high and bowled on the easiest and highest scoring pair 37 and 38. Godman averaged around 240 and was short. He returned again sometime that year and bowled Richie singles. Again he averaged around 240 and came up short. The horn was that good. Too bad he did not stick to bowling. He had enough talent to be great on tour. What a waste. Another gambling degenerate. It's amazing how we can't remember at times what we did last week, but can remember a match that happened over 35 years ago.

The horn was in Vegas one year in the late sixties on tour and Burton challenged him to a three game total wood for 1g. richie said that he only bet one game at a time and challenged him for 10g. Burton flew the coop.
Daly was a small deuce in the 60s which was tremendous, probably two classes below the best. His doubles partner was Pete Pastor a better bowler and Daly was not a big bettor then.
 

Comments: Being from the East Coast, and growing up around bowling in the 60s and 70s, I saw my share of action matches. And although I didn't get up to New York as much as I wanted, I managed to see Ernie Schlegel, Richie Hornreich, Ralph Engan, Fred Lening, Joey Berardi, Jack Winters, Jimmy McHugh, Iggy Russo and some of the other top action stars in action. Remember the fake heart attack when someone was betting both sides and found they couldn't afford to win the match?... or lose it? It was a great and colorful era...Jim Dressel (editor, Bowlers Journal)

heres my oppinion
hornet lemengello kitter berardi rudy revs. that would be my a list.
these guys were awsome. the only one i really never saw was lemongello. but there were hundreds of great bowlers. perry, schlagel, pappas, snake, engan,val macari, spallone,viale,neumann, killer, johnny meyers ira katz charlie venable joe s, fats and deacon,buffalo,god the list can go on forever.. i only bowled from 73 to81 and than again from 84 to 89 on and off. but had the pleasure of bowling many of these guys. and beating most. so i will put myself in here . but there are still many many more guys who were awsome not from the ny nj area.
cane mentioned cammillari, tom was a charter member of the pba and an awesome bowler with great knowledge of the game. he invented many parts that are still in use by bowling alleys today. funny thing is everyone would pick some one different ... Lou C

I was around the action scene when Richie was in his prime but never had the pleasure of seeing him in any matches.

Even though he was from Brooklyn did he bowl a lot of action there once he came into his own. I saw a lot of action with most of the big names of the time at Colony, Seaview, and Ave M

I didn't catch the horn until the mid seventies, he was real good then but past his prime, I never saw him go up against Jeff even though they were both at Raceway almost every Saturday night.

One night I saw Richie walk off the lanes against Joe Berardi, they were practicing, Joey buried 10 staight with a monster ball, Richie picks up the his ball and says the match is over, It didn't begin yet, I was amazed...

It was the first time I saw Joey, he was very impressive.

Butch bowled Beeber that night upstairs on the corner pair, it was a real grind, I think they ended up splitting about 16 games, the week before Butch took down Les Sager 4 straight at Kenmore, it was the first time I was rhere, 1976, I really liked the atmosphere , it was a throw back to when bowling alleys were bowling alleys.

My favorite places for atmoshere were Paramus, Fitzimmons, Duvall On Flatbush Ave, Bowlmore, Raceway, Parkway Lanes.

At his peak, Richie or Lemon would have beaten Berardi on any condition. You had to see Hornreich at his best which was prior to 1969. berardi at his best in action not even close to Hornreich. Richie beat Godman on more than one occassion at central where the lanes were dry, with Godman averaging in the 240s. Richie in the vargo on oiled lanes with 4 lb wood shot 1080 for 5, iincredible. The great EARL ANTHONY won that tournament one year with a 1020. Richie played anywhere from the gutter to the fourth diamond in the good old days. In those days, he had a very high backswing. Lemon was just as good, no matter what the conditions.
I have not seen anybody here talk about the late Charlie Faino from Philly who was the best around from 1970 through 1976. He supported a family off the action and beat everybody around. Jeff never beat Faino, although they rarely bowled each other. Urethane lanes came into play in 1976 and the full roller that Faino through was not as effective.

Horn was great i saw him bowl when i was 10 or 12 years old . he was awesome. when i was 18 i bowled him a 5 game freeze out and lost before we started . i was in awe of the man. BUT the next day he tried me again and lost 8 straight. and wouldnt quit till he was broke. after that we became friends and yes he can gamble (poorly) but he could still bowl.

Dear guest you are a man who speaks the truth
richie as I said was the best i started watching him in about 69 he was awesome I know many of the old stories and ritchie never bragged but I was privy to those stories. We hung together for a while when i was in my prime. we were close I am godfather to his son.
there were few that could play anywhere on the lanes like him. Lou Capasso

Horn and myself went to Laguardia the 1st time I was bowling a guy named dirt for about 1g agame fornt and back. I win 4 straight and the horn was shooting dicein the back. after that match is when I bowled behrbaum
he beats me the 1st game for 300 i won the next 2 beating him by 30 each game and he quits we win about 4500 that night 3 way split .next morning we go to bridge lanes and look for action but there was none so he takes my to the track. he is broke by the 7th and we play a $50 late double he picks the 1st race i pick the 2nd I know nothing about horses so i pick the horse nicky santagata is riding we hit the double pay about 65 dollars so he now has about 800 we get home around 7 and says lets go to the meadowlands. we do,he goes broke in 3 races!!! that was just richie.
I never knew berardi to gamble outside of bowling and joe and i hung together for a very short while the first year he got married becouse i got married the same time. Joe was so smooth and threw a great ball. He and I closed more than 1 bar in those days.

AT his peak in '67 and '68 richie was the best action bowler around in the country many felt. To me Lemon and him were equal. I mean how much better than Lemon could you have been. They beat up on everybody and any pro that walked into Central. I can tell you that when Horn was around 18, he averaged 218 at Bedford, unheard of in those days. He won the tough Vargo one year, that four pound wood tournament with a incredible score of 1080. he also was the first to average over 200(206) at that dungeon Bowlmor. he was so talented and through it all away with all his gambling. He had the heart of a lion, if he needed a double in the tenth you ran to the bank and he had no problem betting $1g when a $100 bet was nice in those days.

Cane, I’d like to hear your thoughts on these bowlers in their prime, as pure (action bowlers), nothing else, not PBA bowlers.

Iggy Russo
Lemon
Horn
Don Carter
Dick Weber
WRW
Pete Weber
Earl Anthony

In what order would you put them, add anyone of your own if you feel their better (action Bowlers) then any of the above.

i didnt see the pba guys bowl action, but did see the other three i would rate them richie , lemon and iggy in that order. never bowled richie, did compete in tourneys with richie , one at hodges and one at maple,he won both by more than secretariat won the belmont, mikey asked me to bowl one night at colony, but after watching him beat billy picone there the week before i turned him down, as i usually was interested in winning not just playing anyone like a family member of mine , who would bowl anyone with a backers money, i used my own money. and iggy i bowled with at seaview and leader and against him at leader, he was a genious 30 years ahead of his time when it came to bowling, with weights, psychology using his own 4 lb pins if he couldnt beat you on the light wood, also bowling low score or off the wrong foot, but refused to bowl me thta way at seaview, after i just came off shooting 770 in a match
the cane

PARADISE LANES, formerly cross country. Was this the house known as raceway LANES BACK in the 60s and 70s.
Lc, wondering whom you have mopped lately in the matches you referred to above. I remember AVE M bowl back in late sixties, early seventies. Big big action Sunday night. Billy tops, do you remember leader lanes on Coney Island Ave. where Hornriech was king and beat anybody that walked in-Lemon, Schlegel, etc, etc. Believe the shot was the gutter and in those days when they played the gutter, the ball would hang on the half board for awhile. Hornreich was great at this as well as any other shot.

I'm still surprised that you belittled Kidder. You are definitely entitled to your opinion but I hope you are not putting yourself in Kidder's class. Many today consider him the best action bowler ever.That's because they never saw the horn in his day. I have never heard your name ever mentioned. I may have seen you bowl but I can't remember and I have been around this game 40 years. My ratings of the best amateurs and action bowlers I've seen:

1960s-the horn and lemon in a tie, with schlegel next and dewey blair(he could not play inside)
1970s- faino then kidder
1980s until he moved to florida in 87 or 88- hank behrom-kidder only bowled two years-hank rarely bowled bad and won alot of tournaments. he chewed up the horn at colonial, daly won 10g and then proceeded to get robbed in the parking lot for everything. Rudy was still learning to make spares.
1990-no doubt Rudy-the two best were he and neumann but neumann rarely bowled action.
Today-scianna from the island and fagan when he is off the tour. scianna-this guy bets his own cash and i have seem him double the bet, lets say to $600 when he is stuck.
He fears nobody. I've seen him come down games and always walk out a winner. he is one tough mf in the tenth. he clocked robert smith a few years ago.
If you still plan to come back to the game and practice alot and want good action, scianna's the man. guaranteed to travel to maple.
My opinions again.

Great story about the horn. all the money he blew in ac. His first inheritance as told to me by the count, jerry simonelli whom I'm sure you knew. Richie inherited about 700g. The first week he blows 20g in ac. Six months later he tells the count I knew I blew 20g the first week but I never thought I'D blow another 680g in six months. Heard his father knew that the horn would blow it all, so he left him a second inheritance mainly for Richie's son. As for Berardi he now lives in S.I. and sells MRI equipment. I heard he quit the tour ten years ago, because his wife was blowing it all. Recently, I was told by a good source that it was berardi blowing all the money. I knew him in the early seventies when he first came around and then for a couple of years after. those days never a big gambler. A hof with 9 wins. He was the first bowler I saw about 20 years ago, win a summer stop playing inside of 25. That line was unheard of before resin.

The originator of fruit salad did lose to Richie on more than one occassion. How could you forget? You had maybe 6 tour wins in your career. Lemon had that in less than ten years including two majors in one year. You are smarter because you are still here. You were not a degenerate gambler like lemon and richie. And covering all bets please. $100 was a good bet for you in Central. Richie, Lemon and if you remember RC bet a grand many many many times. for my money you were great because I never went home a loser betting on you in Central. it was tough to get a bet on Richie or lemon because they were the best around and always the favorites. Remember when you and richie chopped up godman and lemon at central. Richie was the anchor.
 

lou, if you ask joe s who had the most talent from maple it would be the horn. the best was johnny because of his 15 wins on tour. too bad you are not old enough to have seen horn in his heyday in the 60s. gambling was his downfall, track, cards, ac etc. when you knew him he was half the bowler. some stats on horn, in 1963 or 1964, he he averaged 217 at bedford, unheard of in those days. he was the first to average a deuce at that dungeon bowlmor, 1966, 206. he won the vargo one year on that four pound wood and shot 1060 or 1080. at the age of 16 he finished 10th in the world's invitational against the best in the world. the horn probably does not remember these stats because he never gave a shit. he had a super high backswing in his day and could play anywhere on the lane from the ditch to 25. what a waste of talent. he is a nice guy, never bragged how good he was. alot do not remember.
burton challenged him to a three game total wood in vegas one year when richie toured for awhile for 1g. richie said where he came from, one game at a time. richie put 10g on the table and burton pulled the invisible act. this was from the mouth of horn. how can you not believe him when he's probably stuck 1m in ac.
enuf for now.

It was Hornreich a great action bowler of the sixties. What potential. If not for his degenerate gambling problems, he could have been as good as roth.

The best action bowler ever from Long Island is without a doubt M.L. (Lemon)

The best action bowler ever from Brooklyn is without a doubt R.H. (The Horn)

Who was better, Lemon or Horn?

Which was the greatest action house house of all time?

My top list of action houses in no particular order was:

Central Lanes
Yonkers Bowl
Whitestone Lanes
Deer Park Bowl
Ave M Bowl

These houses were in a league of their own, any other house would have to go on the B list.
 

nobody could beat hornet and capasso 1 nite at laguadia lane besides winning 8 staight in 2 different matches  hornreich beat jusco and capasso beat burgland and dirt, they were unbeatable they also never got another match in that house
 

The horn's downfall was gambling.screwed up his game. otherwise who knows how good he could have been on tour? richie would come to Central sat night just to make money to get back to acqueduct on monday, and lose.richie came to fiesta in the seventies, waiting for Bill's dice game sunday morning. never bowled, except with the broom. and he was tremendous. 170, if anyone out there remembers. anyway to cut to the chase, rudy before he settled down and went on tour, could lose a ton at AC, come back and win a big Lustig tournament and get even. just blocked out AC. Amazing. maybe rudy does have a mind...Just Browsing

regarding , the story about richie, blowing 700g in 6 months, is true but thats not the whole story, since i was told by his accountant ronnie, that he was given the smallest part by dad morris, who left close to 15 mil. richie supposedly was left 4 intervels of 500gs to be spread out every 5 years or so , so that he wouldnt blow it . the 1st blowing was the 1st 500gs with a borrow against the balance being 200gs of the 2nd installment to total 700, so the count was partially right from my hearsay. as to what happened to the balance i dont know , and i would guess you wouldnt find out from richie, or his former accountant ronnie c , since they had split , when i had heard that info close to 20 years ago.
the cane