[6] Crane's fascination with billiards started at age 11, sparked by play on a toy pool table his brother received as a Christmas gift.

[7][8] He soon ventured out of the home to practice a couple days each week at Olympic Billiards, a room that was part of a bowling alley in Scottsville, a suburb of Rochester, New York.

Over the next ten years some of the best players of the era, including Willie Hoppe and Andrew Ponzi, came to practice with the promising champion.

[2] In February 1939, at age 26, Crane ran 150 balls and out against his opponent in an exhibition straight pool match on a difficult 5' by 10' table in Layton, Utah.

[7] Of these triumphs, his win at the 1966 BCA U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship is one of the most celebrated, him running 150 and out in the finals, never letting his opponent back to the table after an early safety battle; an accomplishment that has never been equalled in the tournament.

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Jim Murray once said Crane "would make Henry Fonda look furtive.

[3] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Crane's wife of 64 years, Althea, stated, "A lot of people, if it was a hot day and there was no air conditioning, they'd take off their coat to play.