Tony Ellin

Tony Ellin (July 19, 1965 – June 14, 2000 ) was a top-ranked American professional pool player nicknamed "Hurricane," who specialized in the game of nine-ball. Born in New Jersey, Ellin resided in Ladson, South Carolina, near Charleston, and was a touring professional player in the 1990s. He was survived by wife Shelby, and daughter Ashley Annette who was just 3 years old at the time of his death. Later that year a Tony Ellin memorial tournament was held at Brass Tap and Billiards in Raleigh, North Carolina, with receipts to benefit the Ashley Ellin Scholarship Fund, which was formed to benefit Ellin's daughter after his death.

Ellin was well known for his powerhouse and, according to Ellin, that earned him his nickname: "My strength is my break. The guys on tour call me "Hurricane Tony" after Hugo, because of the powerful breaks I have." At the tournament where the interview was conducted, Ellin pocketed six balls on the break at the beginning of one game, proving the point.

Rankings and wins Ellin was the U.S.'s Professional Billiard Tour's (PBT) 4th ranked player as of 1993, and had made several appearances on ESPN in climbing to that spot. That year Ellin came in second at the U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship, losing to Earl "the Pearl" Strickland in the final.

By 1994 Ellin was ranked third on the PBT and had won the 1994 Sand Regency XIX tournament in Reno, Nevada, and the Joblin Open, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He placed second in the Bay State Shootout in Worcester, and the Dallas Open, and had come in third in the U.S. Open, just shy of his performance the year prior.

He had many third-place finishes as well, including at the Sands Regency XXII, at the Legends of 9-Ball in June, 1996, at the Sands Regency XXV in 1997, and at Chalker's San Francisco 9-Ball Classic in June, 1995.

He was ranked 21st on the Camel Pro Billiard Series as of 1999 and 51st the year of his death.

Titles 1989 Michigan 9-Ball Open 1991 Akron 9-Ball Open 1992 South Carolina 9-Ball Open 1992 Akron 9-Ball Open 1994 Spring Fling 9-Ball Open 1994 Sands Regency 9-Ball Open 1994 George Joblin Memorial 9-Ball