BUM FARTO WHERE ARE YOU?

That time of the year again. Bum Farto time. His name almost like Smuckers. The story has to be good.

Bum Farto was Key West Fire Chief in the mid 1970’s. Drugs big time in those days. Farto was convicted in February 1976 of drug charges. Awaiting sentencing. Jail time a certainty.

On this day in 1976, Farto’s wife reported him missing. Never to be seen again.

“Bum Farto Where Are You?” An instantaneous Key West saying. To this days. In conversation and on T-shirts.

One of two things happened to Farto. He might have decided he was not going to do jail time and disappeared. The other that he was ready to blow in other drug dealers and was made to disappear Jimmy Hoffa style.

Company finally able to get a flight out yesterday afternoon. Northeaster provided two extra days for Key West fun.

Rushed home to catch second half of Syracuse/Clemson. Syracuse won 55-52. Big win! Needed! If we win at least 2 games in the ACC Tournament next week, we might make the NCAA Tournament.

Visited Catherine later in the afternoon. We sat outside by her pool and chatted. About this, that and everything. An excellent conversationalist.

Following which we drove over to the Chart Room for a drink.

Shaun bartending.

Ted from Wampsville, NY seated at the bar. Wampsville the Madison County seat. A 40 minute drive from Utica.

Wampsville is the home of the Madison County Courthouse. An old stately structure. Spoke of yesterday. I tried many cases in Supreme Court there. I always felt Abe Lincoln was going to walk over and sit next to me at counsel table.

Ted was the Court Clerk for the County and Surrogate Court Judges. Meant he was intellectually smart. Wrote the judges’ decisions.

I never met Ted in our Madison County years. First time I met Ted was at the Chart Room bar 2 years ago. He is now retired and visits Key West once or twice a year.

We get together on those occasions.

Ted was with two Wampsville friends. One an engineer. Originally from South Africa. The other an accountant.

The accountant frequently ate at Pelletieri Joe’s Restaurant in Utica. An old type Italian restaurant going back to the early 1920’s. We shared many memories. I was the restaurant attorney for 30 years. Saturday night was generally Joe’s night.

Time for dinner. Catherine and I were both hungry. I suggested Firefly. She agreed.

I have always wanted to try Firefly. Never had. It is located on Petronia Street deep in Bahama Village. Famous for fried chicken. The reason I wanted to go. A desire for fired chicken.

Chicken good! Setting also. We were on a second floor porch overlooking Petronia Street.

A double header tonight. Kate Miano’s Gardens followed by the Academy Awards. Love the Academy Awards! Since they first started televising them way back in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s.

I remind you again that Kate Miano is a candidate for Mayor of Key West. I am not involved in Key West politics. However, I am supporting Kate. Simply because she is a smart, good hearted, helpful person. Honest, besides.

Kate’s campaign kickoff party is friday night at 6 at the Gardens. Free everything. Food and drink. Come visit with friends you may not have seen in a while. Bring a friend or two. Everyone should support Kate’s run.

This day in history important for two reaons.

On this date in 1952, Hemingway published The Old Man and the Sea. He thought the short novel his best work. Wrote it while living in Cuba. Turned out to be one of his best selling works and one for which he received the 1953 Pulitzer Prize.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated President for the first time this day in 1933. America deep in the worst depression ever. His famous inaugural words…..The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

The Georgia Legislature’s handling of Delta WRONG! Hard to believe. The Governor complicit.

Delta one of the companies that opted not to do further business with the NRA following the Douglas High School shootings. Involved was a discount relationship Delta had with the NRA. NRA members would receive a discount when flying Delta.

Only 13 NRA members ever took advantage of the discount.

The Georgia Legislature felt the discontinuance of the discount amounted to a punishment for people who cherished the Second Amendment. The Legislature eliminated a $50 million discount provided Delta on jet fuel.

Delta stands firm in what it did. CEO Ed Bastian said “…..our values are not for sale.”

Delta is one of Georgia’s biggest employers.

My position simple. It is not the purpose of government to punish in these situations. An example of government out of control! Crazies in power!

If I were Delta, I would slowly begin closing down small parts of my operation and move them to other States. I would also let the word out that Delta is ready to move its entire Atlanta operation to another State.

Thinking on the issue would change as soon as some Delta employees lost their jobs and others feared losing their jobs. It’s called hardball!

Enjoy your Sunday!

 

 

 

BARTENDER JOHN…..CITIZEN OF THE DAY

I mention John Holster often. The Chart Room bartender. Top notch bartender. Knows how to handle and entertain customers.

My friend.

John has been honored! By the Key West Citizen. He is Citizen of the Day. His picture and a few lines below appear at the bottom of today’s edition at page 3.

Congratulations, John!

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. It was for me yesterday. Laziness permeated my being till I left the house at 6.

Drove to Hot Dog Church. Not for services. Much too late. To meet Donna and Terri. They were the only patrons left at the Back Door. Laurie bartending and chatting with them.

I like Laurie. A straight forward no bullshit person.

I was about 2 hours late. My laziness the blame.

We had a couple of drinks and Donna, Terri and I headed out to dinner. Hogfish.

Sometimes I enjoy hogfish, sometimes not. Yesterday was a day I did. The hogfish outstanding! My guess is the quality of a hogfish meal depends on who is cooking.

Here it was the middle of the summer and Hogfish was packed. Occasionally, some had a brief wait for a table.

Hemingway Days begin this week. A big time!

Hemingway Days is a clean healthy event. Partying up and down Duval. The crowd a different breed.

I look forward to some of the activities. Especially the Run of the Bulls and the Hemingway Look Alike Contest.

Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published in 1952. Inspiration for parts and characters primarily from Cuba, Key West and San Francisco.

The fisherman Santiago  had many thoughts and some conversation with Manolin re his hero Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio suffered trials and tribulations as Santiago had. In the end, he accomplished great things.

For Santiago who had not caught a fish in more than 80 days, it was to catch the big one.

DiMaggio was Santiago’s inspiration.

Some believe that Hemingway drew on DiMaggio’s father for the character Santiago. Very few. If true, it would be because DiMaggio’s father was a Sicilian fisherman before immigrating to the United States and continued for a period of time to be a fisherman in the San Francisco Bay area.

Another writing giant who lived in Key West was Tennessee Williams. On this day in 1975, Anthony Quinn met with Williams in Key West. Quinn a fine actor. His greatness still a few years away.

Williams had written the play The Red Devil Battery Sign. Quinn starred in it. The play did not go over well. Closed on Broadway after one week.

Quinn was visiting Williams to see if the play could be revived. The play subsequently was in Vancouver and London. Though not with Quinn in the starring role and only a bit more success than had been achieved in New York.

Interestingly, Pierce Brosnan, then a young actor, starred in the leading role in the London revival.

Poor Venezuela!

I have been following Venezuela and its President Nicholas Maduro for four years. Ever since Maduro took office and Venezuela ran out of toilet paper within one year. Four years later and Venezuela still does not have an adequate supply of toilet paper. High infation, no jobs and no food, also.

I consistently ask why the Venezuelan people do not revolt. Yesterday, an informal referendum was held. Note the word informal. The vote had no binding effect.

Maduro wanted a new constitution. One which would guarantee his remaining in office. More than 7 million voted against Maduro’s plan. An overwhelming vote.

Will anything come of the result? Time will tell. However, I doubt it. For some reason, the people are reluctant/afraid to put guns, sticks and stones in their hands and attack the palace.

Enjoy your day!

BERLIN’S WITH DIANA

An interesting dinner with Diana Millikan last night. At Berlin’s.

I have known Diana three years. Only met her face to face two times. each for dinner. Last night being the second. We communicate via e-mail.

I find her intelligent and interesting. She has a problem, however. Her mind moves faster than her lips. Or, vice versa. A task to keep up with her some times.

Diana had an agenda. A list of items she wanted to cover with me. I am not sure we got to them all. However, I was tired at the end.

One of the things discussed is a book we hope to do together. Famous Key West buildings/structures of old. Diana’s responsibility to search out old photos and arrange them. Mine to write a brief narrative beneath each.

A famous whore house in the 1930s, a building where the shrimp catch was processed in 1900, the Rose Tattoo House, the public mortuary where bodies were left on ice, etc.

The past.

On this day in 1952, Ernest Hemingway completed writing The Old Man and The Sea. He wrote his publisher the same day saying the book was finished and he thought it was the best writing he had ever done.

Bum Farto. His name as familiar in Key West as Ernest Hemingway and Harry Truman.

Farto was the Key West Fire Chief. A popular figure. He had been convicted in February 1976 of drug charges. Jail a certainty.

On this day in 1976, Farto was reported missing by his wife. Never to be found again.

“Where is Bum Farto” became an immediate saying and continues to this day. An integral part of Key West history.

How did the Where is Bum Farto question come into being? From T-shirt sales. Even back then, T-shirts a Key West money maker. A vendor printed T-shirts with the saying.

William Hackley. 1856. His wife Matilda had need of dental services. A Dr. Walton accompanied Hackley home that day. The dentist plugged three of Matilda’s teeth and commenced Aleltas.

What were plugging and Aleltas?

Plugging a dental word. If the decayed part of the tooth was smaller at its orifice than internally, the hole could be plugged. Plugging arrested the disease and preserved the tooth for years.

I find it hard to believe. Closing up the hole without removing the decay?

Aleltas a problem for me. Could not find a word so spelled. The closest and referable to dentistry is Alertas. I could not find a definition for Alertas. If any of you do, let me know what it is.

Did two Facebook Go Live videos yesterday. One about visas, the other robotic soldiers.

An American traveling in Europe has it made. Move from country to country as if back home and going from one state to another. No stopping, show me your papers, etc.

The Eurounion is not happy with what Trump plans to do with regard to limiting/denying access to certain persons. By voice vote this past week, the Eurounion decided to require Americans to obtain visas before traveling through their countries. Goes into effect in two months.

Going to be a pain in the ass! Show me your papers! Stand in long lines to have them examined!

The Euorunion  nations fighting back against Trump’s move to further vett those entering our country.

Syracuse/Georgia Tech at 4 today. Both teams have the same number of wins and losses. Georgia Tech beat Syracuse three weeks ago.

The Vegas line has Syracuse an 8.5 point victor. I hope so. Syracuse needs to win to be seriously considered for the big tournament a couple of weeks away.

I will be watching the game at Jack Flats with Dee. Dinner afterwards at Antonia’s or Martin’s.

Enjoy your day!