TONI TARRACINO SHARES HER LEGACY

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Captain Tony is a Key West legend. An icon. Remembered. Revered.

His former bar on Greene Street still bears his name. The bar inside and out as it was in his day.

Toni one of his children. Today, a concierge at the Marriott Beachside. Plus involved in a multitude of other things like marrying people, planning weddings, painting and blog writing.

Her blog is titled Sharing My Key West Legacy. http://tonitarracino.com. One of the best I have read. She has her hands on everything Key West.

I told Toni her material was so good I would be plagiarizing her recollections on occasion.

She wrote of the West Martello Fort. Its history. Today home of the Garden Club and a wedding venue. She mentions the Autograph Tree. Never heard of it. Yet, she knew.

The tree stands at the entrance to the Fort. People have scratched and otherwise written their names and initials on the leaves over the years.

Another story involves the fish sitting on the outside of Capt. Tony’s bar.  Second floor level. People always turning their backs to the fish and trying to throw quarters into its open mouth.

Toni shared the origin of the custom.

As a girl, she helped out at the bar. There actually was a slow season then. The summer. The bar was hot. She and other staff would take benches outside and sit on them. The heat inside too much.

One of those sitting with Toni was a rabid Larry Bird fan. He used to stand, yell “top of the key” and try to throw quarters in the fish’s mouth.

Toni and friends thought it too hot for him to do it as he was. They convinced him to stand on the curb on his toes with his back to the fish.And then try to successfully throw quarters into the fish’s mouth.

A tradition was born. You know the story. A continuing event born out of heat, boredom, and today a bit of alcohol.

My Key West yesterday.

A manicure with Tammy. Business slow. Will pick up next week. Tammy said women like to pretty up for Thanksgiving.

Then a visit with  Dr. Norris. He’s not concerned with what now has been determined to be a ligament or muscle protruding on the left side of my neck. Five inches long. I feared it was my carotid and I was heading for a stroke.

A late lunch at Cuban Coffee Queen. The Queen I was at is in the bowels of Key Lime Square. As is Dr. Norris’ office. I sat looking down the Square towards Southard. It was quiet. Peaceful. Few people. Sun hitting the trees and foliage just right. A relaxing moment.

On the way home, I drove pass David Wolkowsky’s home on Flagler. Someone was working on his Rolls Royce or some ancient roadster. The hood was up. David had two vintage vehicles. Each close to 100 years old.

Last night, Blue Macaw. Enjoyed!

Joe and Andrea back after 2 weeks in Ohio. Good to see them again. Terri singing. Donna at the bar, of course.

More Key West nostalgia.

Some small guys enjoy big ladies. Especially sexually. In 1993, Rocky was out and about. Rocky a 7 pound male Chihuahua. He saw an 80 pound female Rottweiler. One or both in heat. The dirty deed was done. The 80 pound Rott got pregnant.

The Rottweiler’s owners sued. I have no idea what the offspring looked like. In any event, the Rott owners won. The court awarded them $2,567.50.

Pythons have overtaken southern Florida. Actual number unknown. Estimated to be in excess of one million. Cannot be eradicated. Hopefully contained.

The government hires snake hunters. One recently killed the largest ever. A 17 foot 5 inch python weighing 120 pounds. In the Homestead area.

Imagine the beauty wrapping itself around you.

Another problem now out of control are iguanas. The State failed to pay attention. They eat our flowers and defecate in our pools. They are all over the roadways. A danger to driving.

The State has commenced a program to get rid of the iguanas. I hope it is not too late as with the pythons.

Tonight, Syracuse/Connecticut play basketball at 7 in Madison Square Garden. Two former Big East foes. Syracuse ranked #15 nationally. Connecticut not ranked.

I will be home watching the game.

A cold spell coming in. The temperature will be 75 degrees tomorrow. Down from 85 in one day. Most Key Westers will say they love it. I will say I’m cold! Just how it affects me.

Never got to the notes re world events I wanted to share. All less than a week old. Perhaps tomorrow. I got carried away today with Key West items.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

RIP-OFF RAPID RESPONSE TEAM

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Several years ago, a new type sales store appeared on Duval Street. A cosmetic shop. Sold all kinds of goodies to enhance a woman’s facial features.

Soon there were more such shops.

Each engaged in overcharging. Significantly. Unknown to the purchaser. A $300 purchase showing up on a customer’s credit card billing as $3,000 for example.

The police did not consider the problem criminal. The ripped off customer was left to suing the store directly. A long tedious process uncertain of success.

A handful of Key West citizens decided to do something about it. A vigilante committee of sorts.

The group organized the Rip-Off Rapid Response Team. They fought the cosmetic shops not with guns. Rather with signs and picketing. The signs reflecting the fraud involved.

The group almost immediately became successful. The cosmetic merchants did not want a bunch of vocal crazies (from their perspective) spoiling business.

This morning’s Key West Citizen has a front page story and photo of the group in action.

One of the cosmetic stores had overcharged/ripped off a 54 year old Vermont visitor to the tune of $9,752. It took sign carrying picketers 1 1/2 hours to get the store to capitulate. The cosmetic store reimbursed the ripped off man the $9,752.

Congratulations to the do gooders!

I have a concern, however. What continually happens in these situations is fraud. Clear and simple. Why do the police not deal with the problem?

Key West’s finest are the finest. I think our police force does an excellent job. However in this regard, they fail the public they serve.

My understanding is the police consider the rip-off a civil matter. Not a criminal one. Ergo, the defrauded person has to resort to civil remedies.

I don’t buy it. It’s like passing the buck, I don’t want to get involved.

A similar situation existed with the former Scrub Club on Duval. Men would go in understanding a “massage” was $300. When the credit card bill was received, it was $3,000. The police refused to get involved. Considered the wrongdoing a civil matter.

Comcast. A pain the ass! Finally got a repairman. Took five days.

Learned something I did not know. The repair people do not work for Comcast. Comcast contracts out the repair work. To a Tennessee company. The company maintains 7 repair men in the Key West area.

From what I could determine, the repair people are overloaded. My repair man showed up around 6 last night. Was due between 1 and 3.

Spent yesterday afternoon preparing for my podcast show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Then the show at 9.

I have become sick and tired of Trump, Trump, Trump, in the news. All around us. Last night I did a show 95 percent non-
Trump. A change of pace. There are other things happening in the world we should be aware of, think about, discuss.

A point to be made with most of the topics. Of course, I made the point in each instance.

The show is archived. You can listen to it at any time at your convenience. You might especially enjoy listening to last night’s show. www.blogtalkradio/key-west-lou.

This week’s KONK Life on the stands. My column Right To Declare War. Congress’ right Constitutionally. However one that the Presidency has usurped since the Korean War. Interesting reading.

Pythons a dramatic problem in south Florida since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Pythons sexually inclined. Now number in excess of one million. Most centered in the Everglades.

They can never be eliminated, eradicated. Too many. Hopefully, contained.

The State of Florida is always declaring war on the pythons. Last year, the State authorized 25 hunters to catch and kill them. A joke! Since March 2017, the 25 have caught 1,000 so far.

Like a drop of water in the ocean or adding a grain of sand to a beach.

Dentist appointment at 11:30. I think the endoscopy procedure might have screwed up an implant.

Enjoy your day!

GEORGE WASHINGTON 2ND RICHEST PRESIDENT

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Trump the richest President. No question about it. Who second?

George Washington.

Washington was worth $525 million. He owned land, businesses, a distillery, and slaves. His Presidential salary nothing to be ashamed of. Negotiated I assume by him. His salary annually was 2 percent of the U.S. budget.

Fine tuned my podcast show in the afternoon. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Most of the show was to be Trump and Judge Neil Gorsuch. My show was ready to go at 3. Had to wait. Show time not till 9.

Then everything hit the fan in Washington. More Trump problems. Involving some of his campaign team members. The Judge’s questioning before the Judiciary Committee put on hold.

All hell was breaking loose.

I reworked my show plan to accommodate the news.

Re Trump, he is a man sitting on a sunny beach not aware that a tsunami is approaching. The coming disaster inevitable. He in the middle of it.

Money laundering originating in Russia creeping into the news. Watch for it. The money laundering reached British and American banks.

Judge Neil Gorsuch a winner! I was impressed! A legal mind!

Though he is a conservative, he will vote liberal if the case calls for it. My impression.

Newly appointed Supreme Court Justices sometime change sides. The conservative votes liberal.

Eisenhower’s opponent for the Republican nomination in 1952 was California’s Governor Warren. A black hearted Republican. Nothing in his history to indicate anything else.

Warren was appointed Chief Justice. He immediately turned. Warren was one of the most liberal Justices in our nation’s history. Eisenhower lamented the one mistake of his Presidency was nominating Warren to the bench.

Then came Justice Souter. A small town Republican lawyer who was fortunate to become a New Hampshire Judge. A conservative one. Appointed to the Supreme Court, a metamorphism occurred. He became a dependable liberal vote.

I have been into pythons for five years. The Everglades replete with them. They are now moving into the Keys. One or two made it to Key West.

The State failed to timely pay attention to their growing numbers. Pythons frequently engage in sex. They have overrun the Everglades. The actual number unknown. Cannot be determined.

Experts claim eradication impossible. Too many. The aim to date has been to mange the python problem. Impossible. They reproduce faster than they can be killed.

Now comes Florida State Senator Artiles. He wants the State to pay private contractors to go into the Everglades and kill pythons.

A guaranteed exercise in futility.

Robots. One of my favorite topics for a year. They are here and more coming in increasing numbers. Human jobs will be lost.

Arabs are smart. The Dubai Police Force announced that they will begin using robots for certain police work beginning in May. They expect that by 2030, 25 percent of the force will be robots.

Mark Twain and his friend Thomas B. Reed spent this day in 1902 in Key West. Reed was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time. They were on their way to Cuba. Party time.

Jimmy Walker was a famous New York City mayor in the roaring 1920’s and into the early 1930 Depression years. He became too friendly with the mob. Under investigation, he ran off to Europe with his wife.

Betty Compton his wife. Somehow she got to Key West in later years. On this day in 1941, Betty Compton divorced Jimmy Walker in a Florida Circuit Court sitting in Key West.

Harry Truman. One of Key West’s favorite persons. Truman loved Key West. Key West loves Truman.

On this day in 1951, Truman completed a three week vacation at the Little White House and returned to Washington.

Enjoy your day!

A FEW COMMENTS

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Short blog this morning. Barbara leaving. Have to get her to the airport for an early flight.

Still biting my tongue re Trump. People voted for a change. He is giving us change.

Some food for thought.

  1. The United States does not operate in secrecy. A federal agency media freeze is un-American.
  2. The President works for the people. The people do not work for the Presidnet.
  3. We have a B Cabinet: Billionaires and bankers.

The Key West City Commission has been considering making Key West a Sanctuary City. Still up in the air. Perhaps, fortunately. Trump is expected to target Sanctuary Cities today.

My blog talk radio show last night. A good one from my perspective. A lot of China and Mexico and the U.S. interplay with them.

Pythons back in the news.

I wrote a lengthy column about four years ago in KONK Life re the Florida python problem. Primarily in the Everglades. The bottom line was they are here to stay. In excess of one hundred thousand. The State is trying to manage the problem. Eradication not possible.

The State has hired two tribesmen from India who have had success in India with the problem. The State is also in the process of bringing in dogs trained to sniff out pythons.

Syracuse won a game last night! A close one. Beat Wake Forest 81-76.

Bocce and the Sons and Daughters of Italy hand in hand this weekend. Makes sense. The Sons and Daughters and the Key West Wildlife Center are having a Bocce Night Fundraiser saturday evening. 5:30-9:30. Bocce courts across from the White Street Pier.

Cost minimal. You even get to learn and play or play if you already know how. $20 for adults and $10 for children.

I will be at the fundraiser teaching. It is like riding a bicycle.

William Blakley. Fifty eight degrees this date in 1856. He “made up a fire in the stove.”

Fifty eight degrees in Key West is like 20 degrees up north.

Enjoy your day!

LOUIS PETRONE SAYS….ON THE WAY

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The streaming show I have been working on is scheduled to debut this Thursday December 15. On You Tube. Short hits on different topics several times a day. One hit per segment. Subject matter whatever tickles my fancy at the moment.

The show will archive.

Title, Louis Petrone Says….Could not use Key West as my Tuesday podcast show has in its title Key West Lou. The show is archived on You Tube. Confusion would result. Both shows would be archiving together in a combined fashion.

I hope we are ready by Thursday. I am working towards a Thursday opening. Sloan and I worked on the show yesterday afternoon. We have been working on it. So much to pay attention to.

First stop last night was Tavern ‘n Town. Liz at the bar with lady friends. Glad to see her.

No room. Not a seat available at the bar. Gave Liz a peck on the cheek and left.

Headed for Berlin’s. At 6:30, the bar is generally empty. It was. Not for long, however.

I felt arms around my shoulders. It was Jean Thornton. Alone, also. My dinner companion for the evening. A while since we have been together.

The lovely Bria arrived. With an equally lovely lady. Her mother, Barb. Visiting from New Hampshire. Jean and I chatted with her a while.

Two fellows sat to the right of me. They noticed I was making notes. Asked why. Started a conversation.

Loren and Matthew. Key Westers. Loren a graphic designer. Matthew involved with entertainment. Does the bookings for Sloppy Joe’s. Also, a music composer. His music company M. G. Bell.

They took their drinks back to listen to Bria. Invited me for a drink. I said I would stop by. Jean and I were waiting for our dinners.

By the time I was free to join them, they had left.

Enjoyed a 2 pound Maine lobster again last night.

Weather screwy this morning. Earlier, there was a fog over the ocean. Then a bit of sunlight. Now gray and raining. The water moving fast.

Marathon also rescheduled to Wednesday evening their Lighted Boat Parade scheduled for last night.

Pythons a growing problem in the Florida keys. Literally. I wrote a lengthy column on the python problem three years ago in KONK Life. One of the points stressed was that pythons could not be eradicated. Hopefully, managed.

The number astronomical. Pythons enjoy sex. The python population grows significantly each year.

The fear in the lower keys was that the pythons would reach here. Not yet in significant numbers. My recollection is only three. One lying on the side of a runway at the Key West Airport.

A new study has come out re the python problem. It reported a June 3, 2013 incident.

A 15.6 foot female python was captured. Euthanized. Autopsy discovered the python had gulped down three white tailed deer. One doe and two fawns. Referred to by the scientists as a gustatory feat. Three deer in the gut of one python.

On this day in 1898, a ceremony was held dedicating a large plot area for burial of U.S. sailors killed when the Battleship Maine was sunk. Ten thousand were present for the ceremony. An impressive figure.

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. An Axis agreement existed between Japan and Germany. Such did not mean the U.S. was automatically at war with Germany. Such would only have occurred had the U.S. attacked Japan.

Hitler had been unhappy with the U.S. A U.S. vessel had attacked a German submarine. The U.S. was engaged in Lend Lease with England. Hitler was aware American emotions were with the English. Roosevelt had been speaking ill of Nazi ideology.

Hitler wanted war with the United States.

On this day in 1941, Hitler addressed the Reichstag. He had declared war on the United States.

He felt it necessary to defend the declaration. He wanted the support of the Reichstag.

Hitler blamed the U.S.’s anti-Nazism on the New Deal. Claimed it was the real cause of the war. The New Deal had failed.  The fault of Roosevelt, his plutocratic friends and the Jews. Roosevelt’s less than actual war actions were to cover up the collapse of his economic agenda.

Hitler said, ” First he incites war, then falsifies the causes, then obviously wraps himself in a cloak of Christian hypocrisy and slowly but surely leads mankind to war.”

The Reichstag leaped to their feet in thunderous applause.

The format sound familiar?

Syracuse looked good yesterday. Beat Boston University 99-77. Syracuse’s offense outstanding. About time! Hope it keeps up.

My neighbor Andrew who owns the MTV house just called. He has returned briefly from his home in Sweden. We are having dinner together tonight.

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

KISSING

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I love writing the KONK Life column. Immensely.

The topics can get a bit heavy. Too much heavy tires me out and I suspect my readers also. Ergo, every three or four weeks I do what I describe as a light column. Not necessarily funny. Merely soft and easy.

I wrote this week’s column yesterday. Since I had begun  the research Friday night, I was able to complete the column yesterday. A big deal! My Sunday is now free. All day!

Kissing the topic. The simple ordinary everyday connection between two humans.

The column basically a history of kissing. There was a time when people did not kiss. A time also when kissing was banned. Human nature being what it is, kissing survived. Fortunately.

The column publishes Wednesday in KONK Life.

The Syracuse/North Carolina game was exciting. Syracuse was in there till about three minutes to go. Syracuse rebounded and shot well. The problem continues to be the lack of a big man.

Based on the play, you knew Boeheim was back! His nine game suspension ended.

As expected, Boeheim received a rousing welcome when he stepped onto the court. Twenty six thousand strong. I was happy for him and at the same time sad. He appeared tired. Very tired. His hair totally white. The suspension aged the man.

Florida is once again engaged in a strange venture. The Second Python Challenge. 1/16-2/14.

Florida’s python population is out of control. The hope of the State is to maintain, not eradicate the pythons.

The Python Challenge permits man to hunt the pythons. The last hunt was 2013. All of 68 pythons were captured or killed. My fear is a python will kill a hunter. Gulp!

The State says even though the capture/kill number will be small, it is helpful to the State in determining their eating habits and paths of travel.

I believe the Challenge to be an ill conceived venture. Better the time and man power were spent figuring out how to get rid of the hundreds of thousands living out there. Most in the Keys.

I rarely buy a Powerball Jackpot lottery ticket. I did this week. Ten. Twenty dollars. Why not! The prize $950 million.

No one won. Another drawing this week. I will buy another ten. The ante will be upped. It is anticipated to $1.3 billion.

I think the lottery is a wonderful thing. Makes instantaneous millionaires out of those who were without. The winner can truly say…..What a country America!

Big night tonight! A date, dinner at Tavern ‘n Town and Bobby Nesbitt.

The lovely June Hudson returned this past week. We will be enjoying Bobby Nesbitt together at the Tennessee Williams’ Theater following dinner at Tavern ‘n Town.

A perfect evening!

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

ANOTHER MUNICH?

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A Ukraine cease fire was announced yesterday at the conclusion of the Minsk conference. I fear Minsk may be another Munich. Putin is not to be trusted. Merkle and her European friends fear war. If war occurs, the European economy will go down the tubes. It was anything to avoid war.

It is interesting. The thief steals and gets away with it. Right succumbs to might.

Another bocce season opened last night! We won all 3 games decidedly.

My evening was especially exciting. I made a shot difficult to achieve. One that I can never duplicate. It was the high point of my 15 years of playing bocce.

The polina was about an inch from the rear backboard. The length of the court. Blocked in front by other balls. Three things had to be taken into account. Distance, speed, and hitting the side board at the right spot.

I was standing ball in  hand thinking…..What to do? Don ran over to the side of the court at the far end. He pointed to the spot where I had to hit the side board. Mighty Casey did not strike out! Everything perfect. My ball ended up in front of and barely touching the polina. Wow!

Weather up north cold. I was speaking to a friend in upstate New York yesterday. The chill factor was minus 40.

The bocce courts were cold last night. Mid to high 60s. Everyone dressed for the cold weather. A cold cutting wind coming in off the Atlantic. I froze all evening even though appropriately dressed, including socks.

Key West weather today will be in the mid 60s. This evening in the mid 50s. If you are a Key Wester, not for the weak at heart.

Today is friday the 13th. If you are superstitious, stay home. In  Western civilization, the day is considered unlucky. Some countries refer to it as Black Friday.

Now for a big word. If you have a fear of friday the 13th, it is called paraskevidekatriaphobia.

Diana Nyad and Key West have bonded. Diana was the first woman to swim from Cuba to Florida without the aid of a shark cage. Actually, from Havana to Key West. It happened in 2013.

She came ashore on Smathers Beach. Key West has placed a plaque where she landed commemorating the event.

Diana has returned to Key West several times since. She is here once again this week. She has become more and more involved in the Key West community.

A love affair.

The Florida Keys have all sort of strange animals, reptiles, birds, etc. Pythons come to mind immediately. There is a new one. The black bear is back big time in southern Florida. The species is protected. In 1994, there were only 400 black bears. The rest had been killed off. Now, it is estimated there are over 3,000.

The bears are visiting residential areas. Four maulings have been reported thus far. There is a move underway to remove the protected species designation. Bears will then be fair game once again.

The proposed regulation also will permit persons to use sling shots and paint ball guns to keep the bears away from homes. I would suggest everyone be prepared to run like hell after hitting a bear.

It appears government has twinked the permissibles too closely/minutely once again.

Big time professional golf this weekend! Pebble Beach!

I was probably the worst golfer in the world. I stopped playing five years ago for medical reasons. Even though not talented, I traveled around the country playing big time golf courses. One was California’s Pebble Beach and its two neighbors Spyglass and Monterey Peninsula. An experience! Loved it!

I watch Pebble Beach on TV every year. I can recall every hole distinctly. It adds to the excitement.

Enjoy your day!