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. But not Irving Crane." Rudolph Wanderone, a/k/a Minnesota Fats, once opined, "Irv Crane would have been the only guy to notice the horse under Lady Godiva," while professional rival Willie Mosconi who had criticized Crane for his cautious style, stated in his 1993 autobiography, "Willie's Game", that "Crane wouldn't take a shot unless his grandmother could make it."