Create Your Pool Room and Dining Room - In the SAME Room!

               Are you limited in space within your house to the point of making you choose between a dining room and a recreation room?  

               Then how would you like to have both rooms in the same room, and in the same space in that room?  In other words, two rooms for the price of one.  (Well, sort of, we'll explain in just a moment.)

               Or do you have enough space within your home and you just like the idea of having two unique rooms in one?  

               Well either way, if you thought you'd have to call a contractor and spend five to six figures to get that done - think again!  You don't have to knock a single wall down or do renovating of any kind because that wish can be fulfilled quite easily here at Loria!  That's right - two rooms in one!

               If you like a relaxing form of recreation and you like to dine, look no further.  Those two very important activities can be beautifully facilitated in one room!  At Loria, we have a solution that is available in many different looks.  We have supplied the tri-state area with the right pool table for the home (and pool hall) since 1912.  That legacy has been taken one step further in recent years with the advent of the "dining conversion top".  Our complete line of pool tables with matching dining tops make it easy for our customers to make their dining room into a pool room (and back again) within just a few minutes.

"The Reno" with matching dining top

               These tops are made specially to fit the tables for which they are designed - in finishes to match - making these "two-in-one" pieces of furniture a welcome centerpiece to any dining room/pool room.  Since the tops fit together in three pieces, they're easy to remove.  So after the pleasure of a fine meal, there's only minimal time and effort required for two people to remove the dining top for the pleasure of a fine game of 8-ball (or 9-ball, or straight pool...you get the idea!).

"The Barnstable", also available with a matching dining top

               So if you're looking for a way to have dinner and then relax and disconnect from the sometimes crazy world of tech, and take advantage of one of the most interesting games ever invented, please take a look at our complete selection of these "two-in-one" pool/dining tables (and accessories) on our website.  For a closer look at these tables, please visit our showroom in Yonkers, New York.

We're Baaack!!! (Actually We've Been Back For A While.) So THANK YOU!

                Well, it's been one of those years - and it's not over yet, is it?  A global pandemic, social distancing, political unrest - I wonder what these waning weeks of 2020 still have in store for us(!).  Hopefully, this "new normal" that many are prone to talk about is anything but.  Though wearing a sanitary mask and social distancing is probably a good idea anyway in safeguarding against airborne viruses (whether there's a pandemic or not), I think I speak for many when I say that a vaccine can't arrive soon enough so we can have the same bulwark against Covid 19 that we already have against influenza, tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria, diphtheria (well, you get the idea!) and then we can get back to social closeness, large family gatherings, indoor restaurants, music concerts, sold-out sporting events, etc.  

               With all the major upheaval throughout the world caused by the pandemic, and the absolute tailspin effect it's had on so many industries and national economies, it's good to know (and to be grateful for the fact) that we're still here, still working and still serving the people that make it possible for us to work in the first place...our customers.  

               Although we had to temporarily close our doors during the initial lockdown, we gradually (and cautiously) got back to business with our customers, at first via website sales and e-mail sales.  Eventually, we were able to physically open the doors of our store to the general public with, of course, the requirement of wearing masks and socially distancing.

               There have been so many companies in the world that have been effected in such a profoundly negative way, I am amazed at the fact that even though we had every risk of being pulled by that same negative undertow, our customers remained loyal and resourceful, and showed us that 'recognition' and 'recreation' (specifically for the home) are two things that are, in many ways, right up there with food and water.  Although being cooped up in quarantine for several months can do a number on our personalities and not being able to gather in mass numbers puts the kibosh on any formal presentation ceremonies, our customers have refused to give up.  

               Our pool-table customers have taken advantage of being home more often than ever before that they have kept us busy beyond our wildest expectations.  Perhaps in some small way, we have contributed to keeping families "sane at home":)  Meanwhile, our awards customers have rightfully decided that, even though in-person presentations and award banquets are just not going to happen this year, the people that have earned their 'recognition of excellence' still deserve to receive that 'recognition of excellence' - in whatever it is at which they excelled.  It made perfect sense to us, and thank goodness it made perfect sense to our customers!

               So even though we have been temporarily slowed by a worldwide catastrophe, we can now say with full confidence that "we're baaack"!  But actually we've been back for a while now, and that was only made possible by the kind of loyalty from customers that, in effect, said to us that they want us back.  And for that, we say to all of our customers who have kept us going this year a massive and heartfelt, "THANK YOU!!!".

What Does Independence Day, the First Moon Landing and Loria Have In Common?

"Washington Crossing the Delaware"
by George Caleb Bingham

             Last month, we marked two very significant events in the history of the United States of America.  One was our July 4th Independence Day celebration, which annually reminds us of the very first day in our nation's history.  This year we celebrate the 243rd anniversary of that all-important day.  The reverberations at the forming of this new nation were cataclysmic throughout the European world and beyond.

               The other significant event was the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by the Apollo 8 astronauts on July 20, 1969.  This milestone of truly epic proportions captivated the world at the time because it was, as Neil Armstrong so famously said, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.".

The first lunar landing in human history,
by the U.S. astronauts of Apollo 8 (July 1969).

               Back on earth, we at Loria share at least one important quality with both of these world-changing events in human history.  We may not have effected any sea change in the political landscape of this planet.  We may not be a nationally recognized household name or be anything that even remotely resembles a global phenomenon.  But we do have one thing in common with our nation's founding and the first moon landing - the spirit of independence.  

               I refer to the fact that Loria has always been an independent company, family-owned and operated since our founding in 1912.  The company founder, Verniere Loria, was a southern Italian immigrant who came here with virtually nothing to seek a better life for himself and his family - something tens of millions of people have done before and since then.  This ties into one of the main reasons why this nation was founded as well - to create a society where individual aspirations and achievements can be the building blocks of a prosperous and free society.  It would not be used as a the tool of serfdom, ruled unilaterally by a monarchy of unchecked power, but as a place that the Declaration of Independence so poignantly identifies as a place of, "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.".  We would no more return to foreign colonial rule, but become the exact antithesis of that - a constitutional republic.  

The founder of V. Loria & Sons, Verniere Loria,
second from right (circa 1920s).

               Over the course of the next two centuries following the American Revolution (and the politically seismic effects it had on the West), the U.S. would go through many horrific battles and threats to this grand experiment.  Nonetheless, it would survive even the greatest threat to its existence (The Civil War) and thrive, by continuing to attract people of all backgrounds in search of a better life and the freedom to work for it.  In the process, it would also attract the greatest talent the world had to offer, which would ultimately culminate in what only the astronomers of the ancient world could dream about - putting a human being on the surface of the moon.  This meant travelling upward and outward into space - approximately 250,000 miles from the surface of the Earth.  

               It takes a certain faith, wisdom, courage and consummate "can do" attitude, in conjunction with certain God-given abilities to break away from the greatest empire in the world (at the time) and form a new nation as it does to develop and deploy the right technology and personnel to send people to the moon.  It takes these attributes to embark on a mission to create a way to for a man to travel to and from outer space and land on the moon safely.  It also takes these attributes working together in harmony to leave the country of your birth and family upbringing, and go to a completely foreign land that holds the promise of fulfilling such a life and livelihood.  All three of the aforementioned achievements, though varying in scale, have much of the same principles in common, which is embodied in what we call the "spirit of independence".  

               From a socio-economic perspective, it was the independently owned & operated businesses that became the economic foundation of this nation at its founding, initially culminating in the Industrial Revolution of the mid & late 1800s, and evolving into the all encompassing technological world in which we live now.  Even though our company here in Yonkers carries products and services that are more of a traditional nature than all the tech that dominates society today, we at Loria (like all companies these days) have still benefited from the massive breakthroughs in the tech world, including the constant use of e-mail communications and the  creation of our custom-made, e-commerce website.

               Now even though we extol the virtues of American independence and the great nation we subsequently became by way of unfettered freedom (as we should), there is still a 'dependence' of sorts that is required for any of these achievements to get off the ground and continue - dependence on those who make it possible.  

               The American Revolutionary War for independence from Great Britain was still 'dependent' on the immeasurable courage and sacrifice of the lowly soldiers who were willing to risk their very lives to see this fight successfully fulfilled.  NASA's map to the moon was dependent on the gifts and talents of those who were willing to sacrifice most of their waking hours to put those gifts and talents to work in the the most concentrated and rigorous ways possible.  

V. Loria & Sons, on the corner of Bowery and
Kenmare Street, on the Lower East Side of
Manhattan (circa 1970s).

Loria Corporation, though infinitely smaller in scale to the Revolution and the moon landing, was still dependent on the courage and sacrifice of one Italian immigrant willing to take the risk of starting a new business in a foreign land.  Even so, suffice it to say that none of this would continue for another moment for us here at Loria if we did not acknowledge the fact that we are always dependent upon our customers.  Ultimately, the spirit of independence has to be tempered with genuine gratitude in order to truly appreciate the blessing that independence brings.

~ Roger V. Loria, Jr.

The Best Selection in 'Soccer for the Hands' - Better Known as "Foosball"!

               Did you ever wonder how a recreational game best described as "table soccer" got the name "foosball"?
Not only that, but how did it get here?

               Well, the answer to the first question is pretty easy.  The word "foosball" is a corrupted spelling (and pronunciation) of the German word for football, which is "fussball".  In the United States of course, we know this as "soccer".  However, the four European countries involved (more or less) with the advent of foosball don't even include Germany.  They're England, Spain, and France (by way of the Belgium).  

               This makes the answer to the second question a bit more nebulous and a lot more difficult to ascertain.   Although no one is really sure which individual (or group of individuals) actually invented the game of table soccer (a.k.a. foosball), there is evidence to indicate that the game was initially developed in Spain as early as the 1890s.  It would go through several developmental stages before becoming the table game that we know today.

               It was Harold Searles Thornton of England who initially saw the business potential for the new game when he was issued the first patent on the game in 1923.  But, in effect, he was only patenting an idea at the time because he was not personally responsible for making the concept into a physical product.  

               According to a prominent Belgian newspaper, French inventor (and highly successful automotive engineer) Lucien Rosengart is credited with creating and designing the first actual foosball table in the early 1930s.

Lucien Rosengart

  But since there is no other historical corroboration for that claim anywhere else but in that single news article in the early 1930s, it's not an adequate amount of information to make the claim unequivocal.  Therefore, the definitive answer to that question remains a mystery.  

               Nonetheless, it is appropriate that the person, who is unequivocally credited with creating the modern version of the game, as we know it today, was from Spain - the place where it all began decades earlier.  

               Alejandro Finesterre was born Alexandre Campos Ramírez in 1919 to the radio-telegraphist at the lighthouse in Finisterre, Spain.  He was injured when Francisco Franco's fascist forces bombed Madrid in November 1936.  He had the idea for a football game while in Barcelona recovering.  While convalescing in Montserrat, Catalonia, he realized that he and his fellow wounded Republicanos would never play football (soccer) on a field again, hence the idea for the table game.  He subsequently patented his invention in Barcelona in 1937.*  So, in effect, the game as we know it today was actually borne from humanitarian needs.  Finesterre's version of the game was known as "futbolito".

Alejandro Finesterre, with his version of "futbolito", 
the seminal version of modern "foosball".

               But whether you call it foosball, futbolito, table soccer or "soccer for the hands", we can all agree that it adds up to countless hours of competitive fun.  Moreover, you don't have to travel to England, France, Belgium or Spain to find a selection of foosball tables comparable to our selection here at Loria.  From traditional style models to the most modern designs, there is no compromise on the quality of our foosball tables.  Check out our website today for the full selection!

*Biographical information on Alejandro Finesterre courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Custom Imaging on Dartboard Cabinets Now Available at Loria!

               As a purveyor of one of the best selections of darts, dartboards and darting accessories in the New York/tri-state area, it was only a matter of time before we would offer custom images on the doors of our dartboard cabinets.  For years, we at Loria have offered a variety of dartboard cabinets with various stock-printed images to the public.  This variety of stock printed cabinets are still offered.  But we are still limited by what our suppliers can provide.  
               So for those who have been looking to make it a bit more "personal", something had to be done.  This is because many people from our stupendously loyal customer-base have repeatedly inquired about getting their own image on the doors of their dartboard cabinet.  
               
               Well, it's finally a reality!  Loria now offers custom-shaped and printed decals for the doors of your Loria-purchased dartboard cabinet.  These decals are expertly designed, digitally printed and professionally mounted to personalize your game-room!
               
               Customized images on the dartboard cabinet doors are not a new concept.  Over the centuries, countless pubs and taverns across history (most notably in the UK) proudly displayed their logo or coat-of-arms to emblematically represent their respective establishment.  Now you can do the same for your "establishment"!

               
               Loria now offers this tried and true way of personalizing your game-room both online and in-store.  You simply provide us with the high-quality digital file required for best results - or we can assist you in the design process.  Either way, we guarantee the best workmanship around in making your dartboard cabinet more than just an attractive storage unit.  Make it the attention-grabbing billboard that it was meant to be for your game-room!

2-in-1 and 3-in-1 Game Tables: A "Win-Win...Win"!

               Here at Loria, we've had multi-purpose game tables for years.  Primarily, it's been 7' and 8' pool tables in which you can add a table-tennis conversion top.  Usually without fail, I advise customers in the market for this combination that such a "2-in-1" game table actually becomes a "3-in-1" activity table in this case if you toss a sizable table cloth over the conversion top (sans the net, of course).  That's six-pocket pool, table tennis and dining!

"The Washington" pool table with
matching dining top, in the
"Antique Walnut" finish

               If you have a more finished or 'formal' setting - or a nice meal followed by a relaxing game of pool rounds out your interests - we now have new line of traditional style pool tables that come with an optional (some inclusive), matching, furniture-finish dining top.  Ready-made and richly crafted, these dining tops (and the pool tables for which they're made) have a high-end look without the high end price!

"The Barnstable" pool table with 
matching dining top, in the 
weathered "Silver Mist" finish

"The Penelope" pool table with 
matching dining top, in the 
"Espresso" finish

               Pictured in this post are just some of the pool tables available with the optional wood dining-top.  Please visit our website today to see the complete line of these "2-in-1" masterpieces!

The Old Look is the New Look!

"The Reno", shown above in Dark Chestnut finish, 
is one of many of the new 'weathered finish'
pool tables at Loria.

             Weathered jeans, weathered shirts, weathered this and weathered that!  Garments that look like they've been through the extremes of all four seasons and put in a lifetime of hard work have been a popular fashion choice for many years now - whether the wearers of the garments have been through such experiences or not.  
               This has also been a fashionable interior design choice over the years as weathered furniture has been around for quite a while as well.  New furniture, in which the finishes appear to be quite old and worn, have a certain richness to them that has been appealing for decades now.  Often you'd find such furnishings at beach houses, Caribbean style hotels or other vacation locales.  In an more esoteric sense, it may symbolically represent "experience" in life to the owner, and perhaps that's the subliminal appeal of the "weathered" look.  

"The Bedford", shown in the Silver Mist finish.

               Meek attempts at parlor psychology aside, there's no doubt that the old look of the weathered finish has a well-deserved foothold in the worlds of fashion and interior design.  Now that style has gone "inland" and has taken a turn for the "recreational" at Loria!  The newest additions to the Loria Gameroom collection of pool tables and pool table/dining top combinations feature some the most tasteful examples of the "weathered" finish.  The old look is the new look in this classic new addition to Loria Gameroom collection.

"The Barnstable", shown in the
Silver Mist finish, which is available with a
matching dining top (as shown below).

               Choose from ten new designs, in both contemporary and traditional styles, in our exclusive section of "weathered finish" pool tables on our website (LoriaPoolTables.com).  The construction is top-knotch, with all models equipped with one inch slate beds, and options on finish and cloth-color that are sure to fit the setting of your gameroom.

"The Trillium", shown in
the Charcoal finish.

             As always, our prices include playing equipment, efficient delivery and expert installation (within 35 miles of our showroom).  With over 100 years of experience in the pool table business, this "old look" is a welcome "new look" to our extensive line of pool tables for the home.  So if you are in the market for newest additions of the weathered look, look no further than Loria!