Danny DiLiberto obit

Pool Legend Danny DiLiberto Passes Away At 89

 He was not on the list.

To a generation of pool fans, Danny DiLiberto was known primarily for his insightful analysis and clever commentary on pro tournament matches taped and streamed for Accu-Stats Video Productions, mostly teaming with Billy Incardona as one of the sport’s iconic commentator duos.

But DiLiberto, who passed away Feb. 11 in Florida, will be remembered as one of the game’s great all-around champions, a tenacious competitor who won major national titles in four disciplines. DiLiberto was 89, just eight days short of his 90th birthday.

Born in Buffalo, Feb. 19, 1935, DiLiberto excelled in any sport that began with the letter “B.” He reached the AA level of minor league baseball and, fighting for famed trainer Angelo Dundee under the name Danny “Kid” Torriani, was unbeaten in 14 professional fights. He posted 12 wins and two draws, until multiple broken hands ended his career. He was also a proficient bowler, bowling a perfect 300 game when the feat was a rarity.

But it was billiards at which DiLiberto eventually carved out a career that spanned more than 40 years. A New York city and state straight pool champion in the early 1960s, DiLiberto twice finished runner-up in the prestigious Billiard Congress of America U.S. Open — falling to fellow BCA Hall of Famers Joe Balsis in 1968 and Steve Mizerak in 1972.

It was also in ’72 that DiLiberto scored his biggest wins, capturing the straight pool division at the legendary Johnston City World All-Around Championships and then defeating Incardona and Larry “Boston Shorty” Johnson to claim the All-Around title. In 1981, DiLiberto defeated Nick Varner in the BCA National 8-Ball Championship in Las Vegas. Two years later he won the World One-Pocket title and followed that a year later winning the 1984 Classic Cup National 9-Ball Championship.

DiLiberto is a member of four halls of fame. In addition to being inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame in 2011, DiLiberto was inducted into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame (2004), Buffalo Boxing Hall of Fame (2006) and Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame (2017).