15/04/2023
In 1964 my grandfather took over the original Hemingway bar, before he changed the name to Captain Tony‘s it had a big sign in the front saying the oldest bar because technically it was the oldest bar in Key West, the building was built in 1859 It was originally the first icehouse and morgue I wonder if they split the rent because of the dead bodies an the ice keeping them cold, anyway it was also a cigar Rolling little factory, During prohibition it was a very popular speakeasy, gambling, prostitution,
upstairs, there was  a bunch of wild gay pirates and smuggler’s back at the turn of the century and during prohibition it was called the Blind Pig I’m still not sure if that was the name in the early 30s or the turn of the century anyway in this photo right here this was in the 40s and the bar was called the Duval club it’s very blurry but that’s what that sign says with a Schlitz sign in the front for years and years that bar was off-limits to all military personnel It took my grandfather two months to change that around he just had a cool it with the prostitutes gambling and those wild Drag shows in the back on stage, I was very fortunate to work for my grandfather for seven years I believe the mid 70s to the early 80s was the best time I did go visit there in 1969 when I was 13 let’s just say i broke on through to the other side and I never came back Key West the way it was i’m 67 now I got some stories beside working in the bar I was a photographer for the Key West Citizen Kennedy studios and did some pretty wild fishing trips I’ll be posting lots of great stories also Captain Tony took a lot of photos in the 40s and 50s in Captain Tony‘s older brother Sal had a studio above the bar making masks and doing portfolios I have that collection also Bottom line I’m gonna be loading on this in your face page for a long time get ready for some great stories
