Mosconi, Willie (William Joseph Mosconi) (mŏskō`nē), 1913–93, U.S. professional billiard player, b. Philadelphia. After a brief period as a child prodigy he did not take up the game again until 1931. He won his first world championship in 1941, and defended it successfully through 1955 in all years except 1943 and 1949. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Mosconi gave numerous exhibitions and helped to popularize the game. He wrote Willie Mosconi on Pocket Billiards (1954).

Mosconi, Willie

in full William Joseph Mosconi

(born June 27, 1913, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.—died Sept. 16, 1993, Haddon Heights, N.J.) U.S. pocket billiards player. The son of a billiards parlor owner, Mosconi began playing professionally in the early 1930s. Known for his accurate rapid-fire shooting, he was world champion 15 times between 1941 and 1957 and once had a run of 526 consecutive balls.

Mosconi, (William Joseph) Willie (1913–93) pocket billiards player; born in Philadelphia. After pocketing $75 in a Depression tournament, he took the first of many world titles in 1941. A tireless promoter of the game, he was technical adviser for the movie The Hustler (1961), and he authored Willie Mosconi on Pockets Billiards (1959).