The Minnesota Fats isn’t really the character from the movie “The Hustler”. That Minnesota Fats was a fictional character. But Rudolph Wanderone, a gambler who also played pool, had the good sense to chance his name and start giving exhibitions around the country under that name, letting people assume that he was the character from the movie. He’s the first guest and they think Jackie Gleason played him in the movie. Rudy feuded with Willie Mosconi over his style and this deception. He finally beat Willie in an exhibition in 1984- after Willie had beaten him 36 times in a row!