George “Ginky” SanSouci’s legend lives on, but his life was more troubled than many may have know.
The best pool players in the world filled the room: legendary New York City shooter Tony Robles was there; champion Jennifer Barretta and perhaps the world’s current best shooter, Mika Immonen. The occasion wasn’t a high-stakes shootout, a prestigious competition or a late-night action game. They were at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on East 115th Street and First Avenue to bid farewell to George Edward SanSouci Jr., whom most knew as “Ginky.”
At just 39 years old, Ginky was known as one of the greatest pool shooters to ever live. On March 8, he was found dead at the apartment of his latest girlfriend in the Rego Park section of Queens. The cause of death is still undetermined, but those closest to him suspect Ginky expired after a long-term addiction to prescription pain medication.
In his life, Ginky was one of the game’s greatest natural talents and most beloved characters. His family says his life-long nickname was derived from the first words he ever uttered: “Ginky.” An enterprising New Yorker and a gambler by trade, he stumbled into pool in his late teens just as the Paul Newman and Tom Cruise film The Color of Money gave the sport a shot in the arm. Before long, Ginky had matured into one of the best pool players of his time.
and mental toughness, Ginky earned a reputation few hustlers ever had. One story has it that Ginkywon $87,000 from one opponent and accepted $80,000, because the remaining sum would have bankrupted the other player.
“People would often lose thousands to him and buy him a drink and hug him afterward,” Edwin Gutkin, whom Ginky mentored until his death, says. “He was just that kind of a guy. He wasn’t a bad loser either.”
Only slightly matched by his thirst for gambling was his desire to compete. He excelled and earned fame at the tournament tables by winning major events like the Derby City 9-Ball Championship, the Camel Pro Billiard Series Ten-Ball Championship and the National Straight Pool tournament. In 1999, Ginky won the Billiards Congress of America Open, playing with a freshly installed metal plate where his neck met his back.
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