"little joe from kokomo" and "african billiards"

[Mullins, Bill]

The phrase appears in American Speech Vol. 7, No. 5 (Jun., 1932) as
craps/dice slang.  Not in OED.

"An Ex-Buck Private Goes Back to France" by Paul Adams (NEA Service
(syndicate))
Texas | Port Arthur | The Port Arthur News | 1927-04-10 p. 7 col 2.
"How the galloping dominoes led by Little Joe from Kokomo would roll on
that smooth linoleum on the floor of the smoking room on a liner such as
those that will carry "The Second A. E. F." back to France!"

"The Conning Tower"
California | Oakland | The Oakland Tribune | 1925-01-22 p. 16 col 3.
"As to the loud and boisterous language, Mr. Hugh Wiley says that Mr.
Vitus Marsden's "Shoot six bits. I reads fo'. Little Joe from Kokomo.
And I reads a trey an' a one. I'm a wilecat an' I'm on my prowl" can be
heard six blocks on a clear day."

Little Joe from Kokomo evolved from Little Joe:

RIVER-BANK GAMING.
Chicago Daily; Sep 10, 1892; pg. 3 col 4
"The crap games were patronized principally by the colored
'longshoremen, who rolled the "bones" out on the wharf, and called out
for "little Joe" and "Kans' City seben" until they could be heard across
the river."

CRAPS TERMS BRING FINE
The Washington Post (1877-1954); Jul 25, 1922; pg. 2 col 3.
""Baby needs shoes," "little Joe," "snake eyes" and "let it lay, I
shoots the works" does not necessarily indicate that  the D.C. code is
being fractured by the running of a game of African billiards, according
to Attorney Royal A. Hughes, who yesterday noted an appeal from the
decision of Police Judge Hardison in fining Lawrence A. Bell, colored,
$50 for conducting a gaming establishment."

[OED does not have "African Billiards" for dice game, nor "baby needs
shoes"]

more African billiards:

"Letter from Leonard McEnroy"
Pennsylvania | Wellsboro | The Wellsboro Agitator | 1918-09-11 p. 2 col
2.
"The climax of this story is though, that the other day I saw a couple
of Doughboys in the top of tbe thing playing African billiards.  You
savvy African billiards? In plain every day English it's shooting
craps."


PAY DAY FOR TIDE RUM FLEET'S SAILORMEN
By JAMES C. YOUNG
New York Times Magazine (1857-Current file); Jan 4, 1931; pg. 12 col 4.
"In the center of the room stand two billiard tables, a croupier at the
head of each.  One is given over to a pastime described as African
billiards or golf, the other to that deadly game of picquet."