Ed Borgia has spent the better part of the last 25 years instructing kids and teenagers to play the game of pool.

He estimates coaching roughly 40 to 50 kids every Saturday when his league meets at VFW Post 470 on West 26 Street to practice or compete.

On Saturday, October 13, he met with the group as normal, and among the people there, was 18-year-old, Jose Rosario. For the past five years, Rosario has been a mainstay in the league, and has come a long way from the shy kid when he first met Borgia.

On this Saturday, Borgia says the two played a game against each other, much like they have many times before. Borgia was teaching Rosario some tips, while winning their games.

Borgia says Rosario is like a sponge when it comes to learning new ways win. But on this day, Borgia had Rosario’s number.

When they finished up, Rosario told Borgia he was going to be the winner when they’d meet again the next Saturday.

The two then went their separate ways.

And little did Borgia know, it would be the last time he ever spoke with Rosario.

On Monday morning, Rosario was killed by a gunshot wound to his chest while he was in his home on Reed Street.

Borgia heard the news, and could not believe what he was seeing.

"He had a great future in pool, and he had a great future in life." Borgia said

While Borgia has coached many people through the years, he says Rosario was different from anyone else he’d ever coached. He says his league gives kids an opportunity to step away from electronic devices and socialize with one another.

"He got along with everybody." Borgia said

And in that system, Rosario quickly grew into a well-respected face around Borgia’s league and developed into a well-known junior pool player around the area. In 2017, he won the American Pool Players Association’s Arctic World Championship.

He’d combine his long hours on Saturday’s at the VFW with a balancing act of two jobs, including a night shift at Gold Crown Billiards.


As we sat with Borgia at our station, he flipped through his phone, looking at a wide range of comments made on a Facebook tribute he put up in Rosario’s honor.

People from parents and friends, to complete strangers chimed in on Rosario’s story. Borgia fought back tears as he read aloud a few comments.

“Jose was one of my favorite juniors” one comment read.

"This is a great kid, it’s a sad thing and a great loss." Borgia said.

While we’re still learning more about Rosario and what could’ve lead to his murder, some neighbors reported heavy car traffic traveling to and from Rosario’s shared home leading up to his death.  Borgia tells us the Jose he knows would not intentionally put himself into any dangerous or illegal situations.